How can you create a sense of urgency and momentum around innovation in your laboratory?

2 Encourage curiosity and learning

The second step to creating a sense of urgency and momentum around innovation is to encourage curiosity and learning among your team members. Curiosity and learning are the fuel for innovation, as they stimulate creativity, exploration, and discovery. Create a learning environment in your laboratory, where your team can access relevant information, resources, and training. Encourage them to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and seek feedback. Reward them for learning from failures, mistakes, and experiments. Promote a growth mindset, where your team sees challenges as opportunities to learn and improve, rather than as threats or obstacles.

3 Empower collaboration and diversity

The third step to creating a sense of urgency and momentum around innovation is to empower collaboration and diversity in your team. Collaboration and diversity are the catalysts for innovation, as they enable the exchange of ideas, perspectives, and experiences. Create a collaborative culture in your laboratory, where your team can work together, share knowledge, and support each other. Encourage them to leverage their diverse skills, backgrounds, and interests, and to appreciate the value of different opinions and approaches. Foster a sense of trust, respect, and inclusion among your team, and avoid silos, conflicts, and biases.

4 Provide resources and support

The fourth step to creating a sense of urgency and momentum around innovation is to provide resources and support for your team. Resources and support are the enablers of innovation, as they facilitate the implementation and evaluation of ideas. Provide your team with adequate time, space, equipment, and budget to pursue their innovative projects. Support them with guidance, feedback, and recognition. Help them overcome barriers, risks, and uncertainties. Celebrate their successes, and learn from their failures. Show them that you value their efforts, and that you are willing to invest in their potential.

5 Solicit feedback and improvement

The fifth step to creating a sense of urgency and momentum around innovation is to solicit feedback and improvement from your team. Feedback and improvement are the drivers of innovation, as they ensure the relevance, quality, and sustainability of ideas. Solicit feedback from your team, your customers, your stakeholders, and your peers on your innovative outputs and outcomes. Listen to their suggestions, criticisms, and compliments. Encourage your team to reflect on their own performance, and to identify areas of strength and weakness. Implement improvement actions, and monitor their results. Show them that you are committed to continuous improvement, and that you welcome constructive feedback.

6 Model and reinforce innovation

The sixth and final step to creating a sense of urgency and momentum around innovation is to model and reinforce innovation in your own behavior and actions. Model and reinforce innovation are the signals of innovation, as they demonstrate the importance, expectation, and reward of innovation. Model innovation by being curious, learning, collaborating, experimenting, and improving yourself. Reinforce innovation by recognizing, rewarding, and showcasing the innovative achievements of your team. Share best practices, success stories, and lessons learned. Inspire your team with your passion, enthusiasm, and vision. Show them that you are a leader who walks the talk, and who sets the example for innovation.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?