6 HABITS TO HELP YOU STAY INNOVATIVE AT WORK

In today’s competitive marketplace, innovation is the cornerstone of industry excellence and rapid professional advancement. But how exactly can you as a professional create the right conditions to innovate at work … consistently??

This level of focus, productivity and insight is no accident. It’s the product of deliberate choices. According to research, it is also associated with early rising. Harvard biologist Christoph Randler, among others, has shown that people who wake up early are more likely to follow a routine and maintain habits which set them up for success.

As a startup founder, CEO, consultant and mentor to many others in business, I have found over the years that starting my morning right goes a long way toward making my day more productive. I create the conditions within myself for innovation to happen. I choose habits that power my performance.?

Here are other habits to help you become the innovator you were born to be:

Habit #1: Get your sleep on a schedule and stick to it.

Not all sleep is quality sleep. Every human body is different, but most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Getting this kind of regular sleep is not an accident; it is the product of intentional choice, including the commitment to keep regular times for retiring and rising. Building discipline in this area trains your body into a certain rhythm, which helps increase your focus and reduces early-onset decision fatigue, leaving you clear to perform well later in the day.

Habit #2: Read emails in the first hour of the day.

Tackle your inbox right away in the morning. (Of course, in the future our primary business messaging tool might no longer be an inbox, but this principle of prompt response will still apply!) Dealing with emails immediately gets the ‘weight’ of them off your mind, which frees your energy for other things such as generating innovative solutions to pressing issues in your industry or for your clients. Too many emails? Leave email chains or groups you do not need to be part of. Develop a habit of efficiently speed-responding to messages and setting any to-do’s that result, or delegating those to-do’s (if possible) to an assistant.

Habit #3: Respond to everyone even if you don’t have an answer.

While you’re responding to emails, resist the urge to skip those you don’t have an answer for. Respond to all queries, even if the answer is ‘I don’t have an answer yet.” This, once again, frees up your mindspace and energy to be present with and devoted to the real questions you want to answer that day. Otherwise, you will leave your inbox task still feeling the ‘pressure’ of all the lingering tasks and questions. A habit of responding preserves all your energy for clarity.

Habit #4: Attend in-person and online meetings on time.

Time is not a commodity you can have back. Every moment you delay attending or starting a meeting (if you are the host) sets you back later in the day, costing your productivity and also frustration as well. It also sets back the productivity and energy of colleagues and clients — and sets a precedent that the meeting agenda is not important. Maintaining punctuality in your schedule is one of the most important ways you can protect focus and ensure forward momentum.

Habit #5: Leverage down time for self-improvement.

Down time throughout the day, such as commute time, is often overlooked as ‘productive time’; however this is some of the best time for self-development. You cannot be executing on tasks while driving, so use it to sharpen yourself for the decisions the day will bring. Listening to podcasts on business, productivity, lifestyle and my industry is my preferred way to use this time. I treat my commute as a form of self-managed continuing education — because that’s what it is.

Habit #6: Attend at least one online course a month.

Innovation never stops; neither should you. The world is evolving faster than ever, so it’s critical that you always be stretching yourself and learning from the brightest minds in every field. Online courses are a great way to connect authentically with other professionals, pursue certifications, fulfill continuing education requirements and meet interesting collaborators, as well. Check with your Human Resources to see if your company sponsors a certain number of continuing education credits per year; many employers do.

Ultimately, the quality of your work, and your career, begins with the quality of your habits. What’s your current favorite habit to help you stay innovative at work?