Here's how you can use creativity to set your business apart from competitors.

Embracing innovative change is critical to ensuring relevancy in a market and in the face of competition. Companies with a clear value-proposition, innovative solutions and dynamic mindset will always maintain and grow their market share versus others who don't.

Embrace change and be open minded about the failure that occur around it. Things will not go our desire way, and there will be plenty of obstacles. This is where you define your courage, empathy around your team and the push that it takes to succeed.

The challenge for existing businesses is to strive for operational excellence in the current business model while looking for improvements in existing products and services, creating new products and services within the current business model and looking into disruptive innovations that tap into non-consumption and enable growth. Accepting changes hence is the underlying mindset and the pre-condition to differentiate from your competitors.

Some cultures/professions find very difficult. One approach I've used with such groups is to break the brainstorming into 3 short stages, asking for equal numbers of ideas. Brainstorm ideas that are 1. 100% related to your topic/problem/opportunity (tpo) at hand: find the kinds of things your boss would be surprised you didn't find! 2. 50% related to the tpo: maybe look at how some of the features/aspects are addressed in other, similar sectors (often gives cheap, immediately available options and you look like a hero for your lateral thinking abilities!) 3. 5% related to the tpo: these could be surprising, weird or frankly contradictory. This is where you make space for the team to say "No, we should not do this".

“When the facts changed, I change my mind.” - John Maynard Keynes These days many “facts” changed. We use to learn from books and googling, now we have chatgpt etc.. E-commerce transactions are by the billions everyday, you can buy a pencil and get it delivered to you for very small fee. Easy to say but hard to do yet must do. The changing landscape of things need to be monitored and adhered to. The customers are changing as business innovators we have to abide by this rule too. We got to sense the happenings around us. Get info, brainstorm, figure out other ways etc.. Denying that change needs responses will eat out business alive. Lower down our ego and make necessary adjustments.

Understanding your customers and their needs is key to get ahead of competition. A great approach to do so ist the ?Jobs to be Done“ method coined by Clayton Christensen. People just don’t buy products or services, the want to advance in their lives by ?hiring“ products and services that accomplish their jobs to be done.

Customization and specialization of products is key in ensuring strong customer relationships, retention and overall happiness with your product or solution. By understanding your client and providing a clear value proposition to them, you'll ensure that they will always come back to you.

Completely agree, Oliver. I would add that I think it's vital to consider your customer's journey needs in total, and then seek to review what pertains to your products/services. You will find things they need that you can't provide, but the broader breadth of the search means you will be better informed about exactly what way your products/services fit into their journey - and your products/services will look the better for it!

Move beyond simply selling products or services. Craft a unique customer experience that builds loyalty and emotional connections. This could involve interactive workshops, personalized consultations, or gamified loyalty programs. Surprise your customers with unexpected delights. Offer free samples, birthday discounts, or handwritten thank-you notes. These small gestures can create positive memories and differentiate you from the competition.

Collaboration drives meaningful value to the broader objective by leveraging the minds, creativity and value-add of multiple teams within an organization or across a certain sector. It is through collaboration that you can achieve meaningful "economies of scale" to drive your offerings in the marketplace.

It can be difficult to get folks from other departments/functions to join a brainstorming session. In the absence of authority, I recommend the four tools of persuasion - sandwiches, pizza, beer and chocolate, and hold the session at a lunchtime window. You can also offer to barter time - they do a session for you, you do one for them.

Staying ahead of technological advancements and incorporating said advancements in your product offering, customer service experience or business management can make the difference in leading your market or falling behind competitors.

Driving customer engagement, reliable word-of-mouth promotion and repeat purchasing can be augmented through a successful brand identity. By presenting your products and solutions in an emotional and human light, you can develop a compelling narrative and really capture your value-add to your audience.

In addition to continuous learning, fostering a growth mindset within your team can amplify creativity and innovation. Encourage team members to take ownership of their learning journeys, share insights, and experiment without fear of failure. This culture of psychological safety and curiosity can drive transformative ideas and sustained competitive advantage.

Many businesses pretend they value creativity and innovation when they don't. They don't provide any budget, offer any training or apply any time to it. Put another way: the value they actually attribute is ZERO. A true test of value is what you are willing to exchange for it. It doesn't have to cost a lot, but you do have to apply time and effort. If you want more innovation you have to invest in making it happen.

Creativity is the last unfair advantage that a business is allowed to maintain. Here’s how you can use it to set your business apart from competitors: - Embrace lateral thinking and challenge your team to think outside the box, encouraging them to explore unconventional ideas and solutions. - Foster a creative culture and create an environment where curiosity and innovation are celebrated. - Encourage experimentation and view failures as learning opportunities. - Offer creative freedom and give your team the autonomy to explore and develop their ideas without rigid constraints. - Introduce playful elements and brainstorming sessions to stimulate creative thinking.

I agree and would add that vision should be that it is part of the Ways of Working (WoW): from design to implementation but also from how and when meetings happen, what is the approach taken in collaborating at all levels. How to be creative is not an add on basically and it is not for some teams only and that can be the “guiding light”.