Three Ways to Foster an Innovative Team


Innovation is something all businesses are looking for these days, and they want people who are innovative. The image many have of innovative people, thanks mostly to figureheads such as Steve Jobs, is someone with a quicksilver personality, a little abrasive and unpredictable.
But the truth is many innovative people are not like that. They are nice people, kind and generous and modest. They are, in fact, not so different from the people at most businesses. So, the way to spur innovation is not to bring in some abrasive genius, but to create an environment that is conducive to innovation, and allow your people to make use of their talents. Here are a few ways to do that.

Look for People With Passion

Inherent motivation is critical to creativity and innovation. It is difficult for anyone to be creative or innovative about something they do not care deeply about. So it is important when hiring that you look for people who are passionate about what they do and about the mission of the company as well.
These people are much more likely to be innovative because of their passion. Innovation is essentially about solving problems, and to be innovative you must truly want to solve those problems. If you have people who really believe in the mission of the company, and care about the problems hindering the company’s growth, they will generate the ideas needed.

Establish a Secure Environment

Innovation comes about when people are able to talk to each other, to bounce ideas off each other, to brainstorm. In order for this to happen and be productive, you have to set up an environment where everyone feels secure and welcome, where they can throw out ideas and opinions without having to worry about the reaction.
The exchange of ideas needs to be free and uninhibited, and for this to happen, people need to feel valued and respected by their group, knowing what they say will be taken seriously and given due consideration, not just summarily dismissed. It is up to the company to establish this kind of tolerant environment if it wants to encourage innovation.

Look for Diversity

If your team is homogenous, with everyone having similar backgrounds, you are not going to get the variety of viewpoints and opinions necessary to solve problems. What you will get is a lot of the same ideas, even the same biases. You will have an echo chamber.
With diversity, you will have people challenging the ideas of others and supplying alternatives, creating a more fertile ground for innovation.
If your company is looking for people with passion, Opti Staffing can help you. We develop a relationship based on trust and support with our job candidates, making sure they are a good fit for a company. Contact us today.
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