Here's how you can foster a culture of innovation in your organization.

Everyone has their own unique experiences. Create a culture of approachability. Encourage (and crucially, listen and recognise) ideas from all members of your team. Some of your team will be more open and willing to speak than others, so find ways of making all members of your team feel comfortable and able to contribute ideas. This will require you to communicate readily, regularly and using a range of communication styles and tools to get the best out of your team. Give accountability and ownership to those who put forward ideas. Give them the trust and freedom to express and develop ideas. Be humble. As a manager you don’t have all the answers. Show this side and it will enable team members to take up the challenge and problem solve.

- **Creativity:** Stimulates the generation of innovative ideas and creative solutions. - **Diverse perspectives:** Provides different viewpoints and experiences, enriching decision-making. - **Improved problem-solving:** Facilitates the identification and addressing of challenges in diverse and effective ways. - **Representation:** Reflects the diversity of society and promotes inclusion in the workplace. - **Personal and professional growth:** Provides learning and development opportunities by interacting with people from different backgrounds and cultures.

Muchas organizaciones son muy cerradas en cuanto a la innovación, creen que porque algo les funcionó antes les funcionará siempre. Se debe promover el intercambio de ideas de como mejorar los procesos, a través del brainstorming y crear proyectos para mejorar esos procesos. Esa mentalidad ágil es la base de las startups modernas.

It is important that the organisation is also open to a culture of inclusion and diversity, not only of people/talents, but also of ideas and perspectives on how to solve complex situations thinking “outside the box”

Open communication is indeed vital for thought partnership and collaborative innovation. Creating spaces where team members feel safe and free to express their thoughts without the fear of criticism fosters a positive and inclusive environment. Regular brainstorming sessions serve as a platform for all ideas to be welcomed and valued, encouraging dialogue that can lead to breakthrough innovations. By promoting a culture that encourages dialogue, you are enabling the refinement and transformation of ideas into actionable innovations through collective input. This collaborative approach allows for diverse perspectives to be considered, enhancing the creative process and increasing the likelihood of finding innovative solutions.

I’ve learned that we not only need to communicate, we also need to connect with our team in order to feel engaged in a constructive dialogue.

Es natural en el humano el miedo a hacer cosas nuevas, esto se debe a la incertidumbre que esto genera. Sin embargo, estamos en un mundo que cambia muy rápido uy se requiere innovar constantemente aunque esto genere riesgos. Al hacer algo nuevo, probablemente fracases pero te quedará una experiencia que te ayudará a ganar mas adelante.

Innovation indeed requires a willingness to step into the unknown and take risks. Taking calculated risks and learning from failures are integral parts of the innovation process. I promote and encourage my team to embrace failing forward and foster a culture of growth, resilience, and continuous innovation. I don’t see successes and failures, I focus on learning experiences. Everything is a learning experience. I believe this mindset promotes innovation and encourages creativity, as individuals are more likely to think innovatively when they are not constrained by the fear of failure.

This point is key to identifying the generation gap that usually separates certain team members. While the most experienced are usually the most consulted, younger generations usually offer, in many cases, the most creative ideas. The ability to generate open dialogues will depend on the how team members connect with their leaders and how they evaluate the exercise of power (authority)

En una cultura de innovación se debe aprender siempre cosas nuevas. Me ha pasado que me he encontrado con directivos que creen que los saben todo, pero tienen a?os que no hacen un curso sobre su trabajo y siguen aplicando metodologías obsoletas. Muchas veces se ve este desfase en las operaciones y las ventas, usualmente los comerciales son gente joven que se preparan constantemente y consiguen nuevos clientes que usualmente las operaciones no quieren captar porque los hace salir de su zona de confort porque los hace trabajar más. El aprendizaje continuo debe ser una ley en todos los puestos de una empresa.