How to Build a Culture of Innovation at Work

Innovation is a skill, not luck, or something just in
Silicon Valley ' it's something you build on 'whether it's a product, or the
economy.

So, what can we do today to become better innovators? The
steps below transform the idea of innovation into something tangible. According
to a recent
article on Taskandpurpose.com, if repeated enough, the steps culminate in a
habit of innovation.

Pick one innovation
project. Experiments drive innovation. Experiments are tangible, small
tweaks to concrete ideas, projects, or products. This first step will feel
inconsequential. Eventually, though, the process of innovation becomes
ingrained as a way of thinking, changing how we see everything in an
organization. The second step below helps explain how that way of thinking
becomes habitual.

Experiment. We can ensure fast learning by aiming for half-baked ideas ' 50
percent solutions ' as opposed to fully polished products. It means stopping
halfway to get feedback, then starting again. A series of 50 percent solutions
produces a better result in the long run. The quicker the loop the more
innovative the process.

Rearrange the office.
The rapid experimentation of the previous step, in practice, means
regularly sharing ideas with each other. The physical layout of the office '
the location of desks and common areas ' should force run-ins throughout the
work day; coffee break discussions should be more norm than exception. The same
idea of ease of communication should apply electronically as well.

The bottom line is, innovation doesn't have to be expensive
or complex. Innovation is a simple thing: the skill of rapid experimentation to
solve a problem. And, we can get better at it.