In all businesses, challenges are inevitable. The key to success is not avoiding these challenges, but rather being prepared to face them head on. One way to stay ahead of the curve is to innovate. By constantly innovating, you can ensure that your business is always one step ahead of the competition. As a reputed digital marketing agency in Melbourne, we share with you ideas to drive innovation in your business:
1.Develop innovation-friendly policies:
Many companies have adopted policies that are friendly to innovation, one of which is letting employees work on anything of their choosing for a set period of time each month. Google is known for its 20% time policy, in which employees are encouraged to devote 20% of their working hours to pursue creative projects of their own choosing. This has been shown to empower employees and make them more creative and innovative. If you can’t create a formal policy like this, you can try to replicate it on a project level by having a cross-functional project team work on a project together. Cross-functional teams are often used to stimulate innovation, break down bureaucratic barriers and reduce production cycle times by creating a more collaborative environment.
2. Hire people with different perspectives:
As an entrepreneur, it’s important to look for employees who understand your vision and can help you achieve your goals. But it’s also important to hire employees who align with your culture and values. Additionally, it’s helpful to have employees with different perspectives and backgrounds. Those who come from diverse backgrounds may have different ideas and approaches to problem-solving, which can lead to more innovative solutions. Moreover, don’t forget to look for employees who have passions. People who are passionate about their work are more likely to be engaged and committed to their jobs.
3. Give employees time and space to innovate:
Many companies often allocate time for their employees to break from routine roles to get their creative juices flowing. This could be an employee retreat or an allocated time for brainstorming. By being open and approachable to new ideas, you’re fostering an environment where creativity and innovation can flourish. Additionally, setting aside dedicated spaces for employees to create and share ideas will further encourage out-of-the-box thinking. When employees feel empowered to think creatively, they are more likely to come up with innovative solutions that can drive your business forward.
You can support innovation by:
- Setting up suggestion boxes
- Scheduling brainstorming sessions
- Having dedicated meetings only for sharing ideas
- Creating a suggestion section on the staff intranet so that employees can leave their ideas there for further discussions.
4. Encourage collaboration:
To encourage your employees to collaborate, create certain work practices. For example:
- Allow job swaps that help in fostering new perspectives from employees.
- To your regular meetings, introduce new ideas or ‘what if?’ section.
- Provide a dedicated area that can promote employee interaction.
5. Be realistic:
However, this does not mean that all new ideas should be implemented immediately. Instead, you should encourage your employees to experiment with new ways of working. This can be done by asking your team in a desired growth area to conduct a series of rapid-cycle experiments.
Looking for an innovative digital marketing strategy?
Nowadays, no business innovation is complete without an innovative digital marketing strategy. As a reputed digital marketing agency in Melbourne, we come up with a strategy keeping your requirements, budget and findings in mind. Also, we routinely check if the digital marketing strategy is on the right track to achieve your marketing goals. For more information about our marketing services, feel free to contact us.
