With each passing day, the global economic outlook gets worse. Stock markets plunge deeper and deeper in North America, followed quickly by those in Asia and Europe. And as some countries enter into a recession, others are teetering on the edge.
The temptation is to stick with the safe choices—and projects— but then organizations run the risk of becoming obsolete.
“It never fails to surprise me how comfortable mainstream business people are with logic and reason, but yet how uncomfortable they get when called upon to demonstrate creativity even at a basic level,” says Lizz Robb, partner Yellowhouse.net Pty. Ltd., Queensland, Australia.
Only by sparking innovation across the enterprise can companies truly compete.
Here are three tips to get the process going:
1. Get everyone involved.
The most successful organizations over the last 20 years “were the ones that engaged their people, motivated them and delivered results that were truly innovative,” says Lori Roland, PMP.
As vice president of global operations, third parties for Parsippany, New Jersey, USA-based Novartis Consumer Health Inc., Ms. Roland has made innovation a part of the business process.
The company lays the foundation by encouraging trust and asking all team members to contribute to brainstorming sessions.
She suggests using a variety of facilitation methods to draw out ideas from both extroverts and introverts. Sometimes, the best ideas come from unlikely sources.
By adapting exercises for multiple personality types, you can increase the odds of finding truly innovative solutions, she says.
2. Achieve a work-innovation balance
“You can’t get your work done if there is too much innovation, and you never become better than you are today if you never innovate,” says Daniel P. Johnson, PMP, project manager, Agency for Workforce Innovation, State of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.
When working with a team, project managers should tell team members “that you absolutely love innovative ideas that have been well-thought out. Encourage your team to bring you a problem only if they are prepared to offer a practical, innovative solution," he says.
At Atlanta, Georgia, USA-based The Home Depot, Mary K. Mullins, PMP, Innovation Center manager, says her team takes a collaborative, but phased approach.
“We look at [potential new ideas] with a group of people within our company who have varied backgrounds. Then we really reach out to everyone and ask for a contribution. … We want to make sure we collectively gather these thoughts,” she explains.
| Who's Doing Innovation Right? |
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Some of the names are familiar (Google) while others represent the young, up-and-comers (Google competitor Baidu), but all of the organizations on Fast Company’s list of the 50 most innovative companies prove that a creative approach can land you at the front of the pack. See the full list. |
3. Follow through
Coming up with a creative solution that provides a competitive edge is only part of the equation.
The challenge for some organizations is that once a great idea has surfaced, it’s hard to accommodate it.
“The ability to adapt to organizational change is a critical component necessary for organizations that pride themselves in promoting outside the box thinking,” says Mr. Johnson.
For ongoing discussion on the role of innovation in economic crisis, visit A CEO’s Perspective on Project Management.
