Description

How to encourage innovation in your business

Business organisations must stay updated to the rapidly shifting business environment in order to stay competitive and continue to grow. To do this, they must apply innovative thinking to create solutions that solve problems and develop new products, services and processes. Innovation can be broken down into two main categories: incremental and radical. Incremental innovation builds upon existing ideas, while radical innovation goes beyond existing solutions to create something entirely
new.

Innovation is an important factor in the success of any business. It can mean researching and applying new technologies, taking advantage of improved industry approaches, responding to customer needs and wants, or revamping systems and processes. Everyone in a company – from upper management down to subordinates – must be committed to fostering creative change for the organization's competitiveness and long-term health.

The benefits that accompany having a business culture that encourages innovation are numerous: improved efficiency, increased performance, minimised costs and enhanced creativity. With these rewards in view, businesses need to make sure that everyone within their scope knows the significance of innovation when it comes to success.

Effective and motivated employees are invaluable assets to your business. To stoke creativity and productivity in the workplace, you must foster a culture that encourages innovation. This atmosphere should motivate employees to share their knowledge, experiences, ideas and insights; ultimately benefitting the company.

About this course

•  Training Provider: OHS.com.au
•  Location: Online
•  Course length: Varies average 20 minutes
•  Time: Self-paced
•  Certification / Accreditation: Certificate of Completion

Background – How to create an innovative environment

1 – Core values – Embracing creativity should be a fundamental part of your company's culture. Encouraging your team to be candid and collaborative, and to take calculated risks to explore new opportunities without worrying about potential repercussions.

2 – Understanding objectives - When recruiting personnel for your organisation, seek out individuals who possess an understanding of your objectives and ideals, and are also compatible with your company culture. Approach matters from a different angle, boast a variety of cultural experiences, demonstrate enthusiasm and demonstrate a range of capabilities.

3 – Being open and receptive - Encourage employees to remain open and receptive to new ideas by providing opportunities for them to express themselves creatively. This can include team retreats, daily breaks from routine tasks, or a day of off-site activities. Furthermore, supporting innovation by convening meetings for idea-sharing, maintaining suggestion boxes and creating a dedicated space on the intranet for employees to submit their ideas. Also allocate times and rooms for creative
brainstorming.

4 – Ideas exchange - Establish working procedures that motivate staff to collaborate and openly exchange ideas on how to enhance the business. Some possible approaches may include: Offering job rotation programs that let employees gain diverse perspectives, holding brainstorming meetings amongst personnel from different departments and introducing a section in meetings specifically for new ideas or potential solutions.

5 – Workspace designation - Designate a space in the workplace that facilitates conversations and encourages employees to interact. Such informal conversations can help build relationships and trust, which can lead to improved team collaboration and ultimately, innovation.

6 – Providing feedback - Evaluate each proposed concept in a clear and concise manner. Employees should be encouraged to make suggestions or offer ideas if they feel the proposal is viable. It is important that we recognise each contribution in an efficient manner, and provide feedback regarding the idea.

7 – Proposal submission - Encourage your personnel to submit all proposals, regardless of whether they are implemented or not, by providing incentives. Rewards can be provided to individuals, groups, or the whole organization. It is essential for employees to realize that their efforts to enhance the business are valued.

Course Outline
OHS’s Encourage innovation training course is designed for anyone who wants to learn how to start or grow a sustainable business. The training course will teach you how to identify and develop new ideas, how to lead for innovation, and how to build a culture of innovation within your organisation. You will learn how to create and execute a business plan, how to raise capital, and how to scale your business.

Learning Outcomes

•  Identify the key qualities required to encourage effective innovation in an   organization.
•  Accurately utilising organisation innovative tools for developing innovation   leadership   strengths and addressing key challenge areas.
•  Adjusting your innovation leadership approach according to the context using   the   organisational methodology
•  Measure organisational readiness for innovation through the Innovation Climate   Index   (iCi) tool.
• Describe techniques for building and leading effective innovation teams.
• Formulate personal action plans based on employee feedback.