Small Business Inspiration - This is Not a Suggestion Box!

This article is Part 2 in the Design & Innovation series. Design and innovation are a fundamental part of the strategy, in fact they are the lifeblood of any company that wishes to create and sustain a competitive position in the current difficult market place we all find ourselves in.

But design and innovation can no longer be left solely to your marketing company, it is now required at all levels, throughout your company. Innovation can be split into 3 key areas:

1. cultural innovation, this is about managing a diverse, flexible, fully involved workforce

2. process innovation, this focuses on constantly and consistently reviewing and improving, if not reinventing, all of your business processes

3. technology innovation, this means taking full advantage of the available technology to support and drive through your innovations in the other areas i.e. culture and process. Design and innovation are driven by creativity, but creativity with a specific purpose attached.

Are you being is innovative as you need to be? Creativity cannot be demanded of your staff, some may have it, others may not, you need to work with the right external company to bring out the best of what you have within. You can help to improve the creativity of you and your staff, by understanding a little more about it and introducing an environment where it can develop. It's not a case of changing everything you do, or making expensive special arrangements, it's more a case of being open, open to new ideas, open to the process of it.

We all begin life with an active and imaginative right brain but as we grow older, we lose or suppress some of this as our education becomes more focused on control, logic, reason, sensibility and rules. However, it may not be gone forever! When we leave our education behind and start working for a living, most of us expect, to a greater or lesser degree, to be told what to do, how to do it and when to do it. And you wonder why people are not as creative and full of ideas as they could be! You are probably far too busy to even think about it!

Most people have ideas, but are either reluctant to say anything or don't even realize that they should or can share these ideas.

So what can you do?

1. Create a focus for creativity
2. Ask for ideas
3. Create the space for new ideas, be open
4. Act on suggestions
5. Set some targets
6. Show you appreciation
7. Acknowledge the person with the idea
8. Keep the process going

Expanding a little on the 8 key areas: Create a focus for creativity, get all you staff together for a quick chat, a coffee in the cafй, don't make it a formal meeting, then just say what you are trying to do. Ask for ideas, ask them to jot down their ideas and then compile a list so everyone can see and be involved in the process. This creates the space for people to be involved in the new ideas, get their opinions on the list, make sure everyone is involved in the decision making process at some level, not all will agree with the short list or chosen idea, but no one can say, "it's nothing to do with me!".

Act on and implement the agreed on idea, don't file all this valuable stuff away for later, later never arrives. Set targets for the process and stages of implementation. Show you appreciation, acknowledging whose idea it was is a huge boost for moral, whether its staff, supplier or customer, everyone likes to be thanked. Keep going; don't stop now the best is yet to come.

Finally Just think about what you could do with all these free ideas from your staff, customers and suppliers, don't limit your horizons and keep your "creative ideas arena" hidden away somewhere, be proactive and ask for ideas from everyone - you will be amazed at what comes up! This is not a "suggestion box" with walls and a narrow focus; this is a wide open space, open to all, so make the most of this valuable resource and start mining for the diamonds within your company, NOW!

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