The business world is constantly evolving, implementing the newest technologies into daily processes and pivoting to incorporate the changes in consumer taste. To stay ahead of the curve, you need a workforce that thinks creatively and consistently develops innovative ideas, but most of all, you must foster a culture of innovation in the workplace. 

The Cannon helps innovators everywhere by giving them a unique and stimulating environment that facilitates productivity and allows them to thrive in their day-to-day lives as business owners. We have gathered information from our experiences and provided you with valuable resources that are sure to help you inspire an increasingly innovative workplace.

What is Innovation in Business?

The first step to encourage innovation in the workplace is to understand what it means to be innovative. Having an innovative workforce behind your company means employees at every level will generate innovative ideas or approach existing products, services, policies, concepts, etc., in new and unique ways. 

As a leader of the company, being open and willing to implement these successful innovations will give you a competitive edge. When you’re not resistant to change, you won’t struggle to keep up with the market or become obsolete when the market inevitably shifts.       

Five Methods to Drive Innovation

There are various innovation strategies to encourage innovation in the workplace, but the most impactful forms of action revolve around taking care of your workforce’s emotional well-being. When they are secure and satisfied with their position, they will also find the freedom, confidence, and inspiration to be innovative. 

Embrace a Flexible Workplace

One way to inspire your employees at work to be more innovative is to give them the freedom of a flexible workspace. In another blog, we explored flexible workspaces and their benefits, but the rundown is that you can save money, make employees happy, and attract and retain talent. 

Remote and hybrid employees are also a part of a flexible workspace. The pandemic took a massive toll on businesses across the world in every way imaginable. However, even before the pandemic hit in 2020, remote and hybrid working was on the rise. It reduces the amount of burnout that comes from commuting and being away from family and provides more time for hobbies. Many employees are now making remote and hybrid work a requirement for their job, so business leaders need to be more open to including into their norm. Plus, when you’re open to remote workers, you gain access to all of the remarkable talents across the nation!   

Create a Workplace Culture

Your company culture is more important than you may think. Employees need a good workplace experience to thrive and stay in their position for a long period of time. This fosters connections between employees at every level and is essential in creating good internal communication and employee engagement. 

It is also crucial to rethink company culture every few years to keep up with the workforce trends. One example of this is the need for innovative leaders to learn how to maintain a strong company culture in remote and hybrid environments. 

Nurture Employee Connection

Another element of your company culture should center around people over processes. This means creating open-door policies and giving employees the freedom and security to share innovative ideas on how they believe the company can tackle common problems and provide a new perspective on procedures. 

As a company leader, a culture of innovation will also nurture socialization between employees. Host events that take employees away from work such as volunteer opportunities or celebrations for milestones reached and other forms of company success. A connected workforce is more likely to collaborate and work together. 

Focus on Your Team

Investing in all of your employee’s growth, instead of only the ones who show the “highest potential,” allows you to maximize your team’s potential overall. This is made easier when you have an open approach to training and career progression that allows employees to pursue new interests internally. By offering flexibility and non-linear paths for growth, your workforce can begin to visualize themselves navigating the company.

Another way to retain your employees is to show appreciation for their work. Giving weekly shoutouts, celebrating a project done well, and relaying positive feedback, are all great ways to let your employees know you are thankful for the work they put into your company. 

Don’t Have a Fear of Failure 

The sign of a great innovative leader is that they are willing to take intelligent risks. A feat of failure hinders the innovation process, and if a company does its best to avoid failure at all costs, they get in the way of its successful innovations.

But if a team unites together to take a calculated risk, they can experiment and take notes on why it did or did not work. This experimentation leads to a better understanding of the problem and, thus, better solutions to tackle it.   

If you want to find better ways to achieve your business goals continually,, encourage thinking outside the box and put faith in your employees’ abilities. Your confidence in them will encourage innovation in the workplace. 

Helping Innovators Thrive

Innovation in the workplace isn’t the easiest thing to achieve, but it is possible when you take purposeful and calculated action. You have innovators in your workforce; it’s just about cultivating the best employee experience to inspire that innovation to come into action. 

One way you can inspire an innovative workforce is by partnering with The Cannon. We have flexible and versatile workspace across the Greater Houston Area that offers coworking and office space for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Because of their open nature, we have a diverse community that is dedicated to entrepreneurial support, programming, and connections. 

The Cannon Community isn’t just limited to Houston though; Cannon Connect is our digital home to a global network for all current and future entrepreneurs, small businesses, investors, and service providers. Our platform provides resources for innovators at any stage of business management. The Cannon also provides an advisor network and an extensive high-quality benefits program for teams of two or more employees. 

No matter your background or location, The Cannon has something for everyone and can connect you to the resources you need to succeed. Schedule a tour at one of our workplace locations or become a member of Cannon Connect today.

Brad True

Brad oversees all overall day-to-day operations of The Cannon and its growing community, including all current and future Cannon locations and Cannon Connect, The Cannon's new online platform. He holds an undergraduate degree in marketing from Texas A&M and a graduate degree from the University of Oklahoma.