“Innovation is the only way to win.”– Steve Jobs

Today, Apple Inc stands out as one of the world’s most preeminent brands. Guiding its success is the principle of innovation, one pioneered by its late co-founder, Steve Jobs. It has been successfully imbibed in the company’s culture, paving the way for companies like yours who aspire for global recognition. Read on for useful tips you too can implement in your startup business. You never know, your name could go down in the history books, just like Steve Jobs and other great leaders like him.

1. Seating counts: Believe it or not, this seemingly insignificant factor has the ability to make or break innovation in your company. Jake Fagan of Caddis Interactive recommends a “family dinner” style, with colleagues sitting opposite each other and as close in proximity as possible. This way, ideas are shared even better and tough problems solved as a community.

2. Lead by example: Practising what you preach is a great way to motivate your team. This begins with actively pursuing opportunities that expose you to innovative ideas. Attend conferences, read wider, immerse yourself in ideas of the past, present and future. This will rub off on your team as you share and eventually drive the culture.

3. Encourage listening: Through innovation, human problems are solved. Experts recommend setting “Google time” for your team daily to research and identify what’s lacking in the world. This gives them room to deliberately read, interact and monitor media online, getting those creative juices flowing.

4. Cut the red tape: Nothing kills creativity faster than fear and bureaucracy. But sadly, these are recurring factors seen in a large number of formal Nigerian establishments. Bring down those walls that discourage openness in your organisation and witness innovation shine through at its best. Of course, carelessness shouldn’t be permitted either, so finding a balance is crucial.

5.  Organise in-house idea competitions: Not only do fun activities like these motivate ideas, they help promote teamwork as well when members are grouped into units. It gives team members something to look forward to as they work on innovative ideas.

6. Reward Openly: If a team member comes up with a brilliant innovation, ensure he or she is recognised and celebrated amongst peers. The bright individual can also be encouraged to share said idea with others including processes used to ideate and execute.

7. Be realistic with your expectations: It’s well-known that failure is a stepping stone to success. With this in mind, be ready to encourage continued attempts when employees’ suggestions aren’t up to par. So it doesn’t matter if your team has encountered several cases of trial and error, you just might find a true gem in their batch of ideas.

We hope these tips go a long way in helping you #TakeTomorrow with your team. Remember to share your success story with us right here on our blog or on any of our social media pages.