Managing productivity, profits, and people isn’t always easy. While successful corporations adopt a wide range of strategies to be successful, almost all focus on their employees. Managers try to develop practical skills that cover all areas of operation. What employees basically need is a core skill that enables them to manage and succeed in the very diverse work situations and workplace challenges of the 21st century. They need to learn to THINK. Intelligent and creative thinking is essential to unveil new and innovative products and services. Managers must “make room for new ideas.” Managers must create the right work environment to “make room for new ideas.” Why are some employees able to come up with new and innovative ideas, while most cannot come up with a single idea to improve work practices? The problem is not just with the employees. Your colleagues and their supervisors have a significant effect on the creative and innovative behaviors of employees.
It is true that individual personality and attitude play a dominant role in creating innovative ideas. That’s not the only component of the creativity and innovation process at work. Colleagues (peers) and the supervisor with their own personality and attitude have the potential to influence the bottom line. In other words, a talented individual with the gift of creative personality and attitude may not eventually contribute new ideas, simply due to the absence of a supportive work environment.
As managers, you must make a concerted effort to reach all employees at all levels of the organization. All training activities and programs should try to create the right environment that encourages creativity. You can take the following steps to make way for new ideas:
- Encourage employees to keep an open mind: this is the first step if you want to give way to new ideas. The individual employee, colleagues, and supervisor collectively should be encouraged to adopt this mindset. When they show signs of stiffness in their attitude, encourage them to ask: What else …
- Don’t micromanage: Any attempt to keep track of everything in the workplace. Provide greater autonomy to employees, so that they are free to think out of the box.
- Keep your PCOS short and sweet: The presence of comprehensive and comprehensive standard operating procedures (SOPs) is the surest way to eliminate each and every new idea.
- Encourage them to ask “What if …?“When team members are looking for creative solutions to a problem, encourage them to ask, ‘What if …? “This is the best way to challenge the old assumption, the biggest barrier to innovation.
- Insist on more than one solution: Let employees know that it is in the interest of the group and the business organization to seek more than one solution to a problem. You can start with three minimum solutions and gradually increase them to 4, 5,6 and eventually 7. The moment they start asking “What if …? Generating more than 3 solutions will be a problem.
- Make the group diverse: Make sure team members have diverse backgrounds in terms of age, gender, experience, culture, race, and area of expertise. Involving people from other units, departments is one of the best ways to seek new and innovative ideas.
- Make brainstorming sessions FUN: start the session with some unexpected activities: distribute fruits, sweets or chocolates. A pleasant positive emotional experience will bring new ideas.
- Conduct regular brainstorming sessions: Make sure the facilitator is well trained in the art of conducting an effective brainstorming session.
- Ask the employees’ children about new ideas: What better way than to take advantage of the great potential of your employees’ children.
- Provide creativity training: High performance in any area depends on the skills, abilities and knowledge of the employees. Establishing a correct foundation in these three areas is the best way to start when it comes to making way for new ideas.
‘Leave room for new ideas’ Also require managers to eliminate old and useless practices and ideas that occupy the room. Review your current policies and practices and be prepared to get rid of them. Until you create the right space, you will not be able to contribute new ideas. Prepare to ‘Make room for new ideas. Master some basic techniques that will put you in a better position to start. Visit lifeskills4success