Driving Innovation with Better Decision Making
The world of business has changed dramatically in recent years due to the rise of digital and social media. It’s no longer enough for a company to be good at what it does; they also need to react quickly and efficiently when new opportunities arise. This means that businesses have been forced to become more agile, open-minded, innovative, and collaborative than ever before. In this article, I will outline how companies can drive innovation by implementing strategies such as clear goals, shared responsibility, diverse perspectives, and effective communication.
First, it is essential to set clear goals for what you want to achieve to direct the innovation process. As part of this process, companies should ask themselves questions such as “What are our short-term goals?”, “What are our long-term goals?” and “How do we align our existing business strategy with these goals?”. By having a clear vision and set of goals, companies can create an environment that is conducive to innovation.
Second, it is important to share responsibility for driving innovation throughout the company. This means that everyone from the CEO down to the entry-level employees should come up with new ideas. According to Jonathan Osler, this can be done by establishing a culture of innovation within the business and creating a positive environment through effective communication. Sharing responsibility for driving innovation throughout the company can lead to better results. Everyone is invested in coming up with new ideas and has an equal say in which ones will be implemented.
Third, it is important to bring together people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives when working toward a common goal. This can be done by hiring people with different educational backgrounds, experiences, and skill-sets. According to Osler, by bringing together individuals with diverse perspectives interested in driving innovation, companies can come up with innovative solutions that they may not have thought of otherwise. Additionally, these employees tend to be more creative as their experiences give them insight into different ways of looking at problems.
Fourth, it is important to communicate effectively with all company members to create a positive and open environment. This means sharing information openly, soliciting input from others, and being responsive to feedback. By communicating effectively, companies can ensure that everyone is on the same page and knows what is expected of them. This also allows the company to remain agile and continue to grow in a changing environment.
Finally, companies need to experiment and take risks to find innovative ideas to expand business opportunities. Companies can quickly discover which ideas are worth pursuing further and which ones should be abandoned by taking chances when trying new things. It is important to note that not all ideas will be successful, but that is okay as long as the company learns from its mistakes.
In conclusion, companies can drive innovation by implementing clear goals, shared responsibility, diverse perspectives, and effective communication. By doing so, they can create an environment conducive to creativity and new ideas. Jonathan Osler has been developing and implementing strategies for increasing productivity through motivating people and improving work processes.