How to boost innovative thinking
On the day Steve Jobs introduced the Macintosh, one of the reporters asked him, “What type of market research have you done?” Jobs replied by scoffing, “Did Alexander Graham Bell do any market research before he invented the telephone?”
When we talk about innovation skills, we first think of the genius innovators who changed the course of history with their inventions: the Wright brothers, Thomas Edison, Alexander Bell, Steve Jobs… But being innovative is not only having an ability to invent new products. It’s a skill to find and implement new ideas. They can be used in business, sports, education – in any sphere of our life. Like any other skill, innovative thinking can be developed. How can you do this?
1. Be curious and play like a child
Little kids do not behave “as is right and proper”. They just enjoy and explore the world, smelling, tasting and touching everything they come across. And this is an excellent example to follow. Watch birds and ant hills, build sand castles, swing on the swings, try new food. Be curious and never stop being surprised. It may seem silly, but when we open up to the world in this way, our brain starts generating non-standard ideas.
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2. Travel more often
Did you notice that a weekend spent at home flies by like an instant? But a weekend getaway to another city may seem like a week. Traveling changes the time structure and the world perception. As a result, you will have a whole lot of innovative ideas that would not have come to you in other circumstances.
3. Don’t worry about failures
At school, it is a rare teacher who explains to the children that if they do not make mistakes, they will not learn anything. Therefore, most adults are so afraid of mistakes. They still think that if they fail they will be scolded, shamed, and mocked. So, many choose not to do anything, just to avoid mistakes. But the innovators are acting according to the Thomas Edison method, who said: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10 000 ways that won’t work.”
4. Create something new every day
Like any other skill, innovative abilities are developed through practice. Try to create something new on a regular basis: a drawing, a blog post, a mind map. Allocate time for this: let it be 5 minutes but do it every day.
5. Determine your peak hours and use them to solve non-standard tasks
You probably know that the brain is most active in the morning, so early hours are called “golden” for a reason. It’s better to do all the challenging work at this time. But what if in the morning all you can think about is where to get another cup of coffee? It only means you have different peak hours. Perhaps for you, they come in the evening or even at night.
Determine when you feel most active and energetic, and use this time for non-standard and creative tasks, like, for example, writing your own online training course.
6. Surround yourself with innovators
The right network of people is one of the most important factors in developing the innovation skills. Communicate with the people who are open, willing to share ideas and take part in brainstorming sessions.
It will be great if your interests coincide. For example, you are passionate about cryptocurrency trading or NLP secrets. So, find like-minded people with the same interests. Together you can come up with something truly innovative. To immediately start a live communication, it’s better to meet such people offline, for example at field-specific conferences, forums, etc.
7. Carry a note-pad and write down interesting ideas
Innovative ideas can come to you completely unexpectedly: when talking to a friend or while walking along the street or even when you are sleeping. In order not to forget the idea, it is important to immediately write it down. Do not try to evaluate it first or give it up as unworthy. You will analyze everything later. In the meantime, just write it down or type a note in your smartphone.
8. Create new ideas from existing ones
A new idea is often a mix of the ones already available. For example, a motorbike is a regular bicycle with an added motor. So think about how you can use the existing ideas, models, and technologies in a new way.
All these tools are aimed at one thing: looking at the world from a different angle. This is the essence of innovation. It’s seeing an opportunity where others can’t see it. The more often you practice these techniques, the faster they will become a part of your daily life, and so will your innovation skills. In the meantime, here is your personal “innovator’s crib sheet”:
- Be curious and play like a child.
- Travel more often.
- Don’t worry about failures.
- Create something new every day.
- Determine your peak hours and use them to solve non-standard tasks.
- Surround yourself with innovators.
- Carry a note-pad and write down interesting ideas.
- Create new ideas from existing ones.