The power of collaboration: when 1 + 1 = 3
Hard and risky as it is for organisations to innovate, innovation is an increasingly important driver of an organisation’s growth, long-term success and even survival. Research suggests that to seed and cultivate innovation, leaders should start to innovate where it matters most: among a company’s people.
Building an innovation culture and an environment of trust where employees can work together is key to stimulate innovation. To increase the collaboration efforts, it is important to first trust yourself to be able to trust others, constantly challenging each team member to think critically and learning from others’ ideas. When people and their different points of view converge, new innovations are created that an individual could not have found alone.
Finding the sweet spot of creativity
By its very nature, innovation is a risky business that involves a degree of uncertainty by attempting to predict the unknown. There is a fine balance between creativity and chaos: excessive fear of stepping out of the comfort zone kills creativity, while too much creativity and daydreaming can bring chaos and confusion. So, how can you give clarity to the chaos of creativity?
Research has shown that innovation and creativity can be found precisely at the intersection between chaos and order. Rather than a disturbing influence, chaos is at the heart of innovation. Both chaos and order are vital aspects of organisations which are resilient, self-organising and creative.
To master the chaos of creativity and bring out newness that is useful, organisations should first understand complexity and then exploit it as a form of competitive advantage. There is no better way to encourage the emergence of creativity than to foster an innovative culture in which employees are valued and empowered not only to express and test ideas but also to fail and learn from failure.
Action Point
How can innovation fit in the strategic plan and objectives of your organisation? Look for examples of how you could pursue innovation to increase your company’s competitive advantage.