Four Tips to Increase Team Innovation

Written by Kristin Luck | 6/2/18 3:35 PM

If you’re an entrepreneur or a business growth junkie you’ve likely read hundreds of articles on how to inspire innovation internally… but this one, from my friends at Big Squirrel, is different. In order for your team to BE innovative, you have to create an environment that allows innovation to flourish.

Here’s how to go about it:

1. Kill the urge to measure EVERYTHING.
Check out my blog post on how too much focus on performance data can, quite literally, kill performance and note Big Squirrel’s advice: innovation starts at the top.

Ensure you’re fostering a work environment that supports experimentation
driven by positive feedback and constructive criticism.

2. Hire the right people.
Look for people who personally align with your corporate vision. It’s also important to ask the right interview questions to understand different perspectives and ensure team diversity. Stumped for the right questions to ask? Check out Cameron Herold’s book “Double Double” where he kindly shares an entire appendix of interviewing questions designed to dig deep and build innovative teams.

3. Use innovation sprints.
If you’re focused on growth I’m going to assume you’re familiar with agile development methods (if not, check out Eric Ries book “The Lean Start-Up”). Innovation sprints are the anecdote to workplace apathy and allow your team to co-create solutions and implement changes quickly.

4. Stay positive.
Creative problem solving requires open debate and, often times, disagreement. Ensure feedback is given in a constructive manner that won’t discourage the sharing of ideas.

Interested in reading more? Click here to check out the full article here and download Big Squirrel’s “Field Guide to Innovative Thinking.

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