The basics opening doors to your innovation

Good morning, Tuesday!

I hope you have that hot coffee in your hand, because today's chat promises to be something!

And let's move on to today's content: innovation !

Innovation is often seen as the main driver of growth and competitiveness in today’s market. And companies that innovate are constantly one step ahead, opening up new opportunities and creating value in ways that were previously hard to imagine. But for innovation to really take off, it’s essential to ensure that the basics are being done with excellence.

Innovation doesn’t just mean adopting the latest technologies or crazy ideas. It means finding better ways of doing things, whether in products, processes, services or in a company’s organizational culture. It’s important that the company’s day-to-day operations or its day-to-day activities – the basics – are carried out with quality and consistency. According to a PWC survey, 60% of CEOs believe that innovation is one of the highest priorities for their companies.

And doing the basics well creates a solid foundation for innovation. When a company operates efficiently and the fundamental processes are well defined, it is possible to identify opportunities for improvement and implement new ideas more effectively. In the same way, when a professional is fully aware of what needs to be done, they can quickly identify bottlenecks for improvement and introduce new approaches to their strategy.

"The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them, into the impossible." - Arthur C. Clarke

Here are 5 strategies that you can use and adapt to promote innovation in your day-to-day life:

1. Creativity and experimentation, when encouraged, create an environment that generates new ideas and approaches problems in different ways. This allows bottlenecks to be identified and processes/approaches to be improved.

2. Structured and well-defined processes are essential. According to McKinsey, the implementation of agile methodologies is up to 30% more likely to be successful. This allows for the rapid adaptation and application of new ideas.

3. Continuous training and development. Workshops, lectures, events, courses and training are essential for strategy alignment, market analysis, market trends, sales development, more effective approach formats, among millions of other personal and professional benefits.

4. Collaborative environments are more likely to develop innovation, according to Deloitte. The exchange of ideas, experiences, results, failures, and mistakes between different people and areas facilitates the discovery of new ways of working and continuous improvement of strategy.

5. Innovative leadership is the foundation for corporate culture. Culture is shaped by leaders, who must not only support but also actively participate in the innovation process by demonstrating a receptive attitude to new ideas, promoting a collaborative environment and professional growth.

To do this, it is essential that you understand that great innovations often arise from small changes in the fundamentals. Automating repetitive tasks, for example, improves operations and allows you to invest efforts in another area that can be crucial to making your structure more robust.

Building a culture of innovation doesn’t happen overnight, but with the right strategies, actions, and people, you can create an environment where innovation is a natural part of the process. Don’t forget that it’s also an ongoing process and requires commitment, dedication, and a supportive environment.

So, before you pursue your next big idea, understand if your basics are being done with excellence… Reflect: what are the basics expected of my role ? What can I improve ? What basic skills can I hone to become more efficient ? Do I dedicate myself to learning new things every day ? How do I simplify my daily activities to free up space for me to think strategically ?

Ready for your innovation journey?

Share with me what you do to make your day-to-day life more innovative!

Want to know how I can help you or your company reach the next level? Contact me to set up your individual consultancy or mentoring focused on strategic planning and together we will build the future you want!