Have an innovation lab at your organization? Discover tips to improve your processes and methods here.
As leaders look toward the future of their industry, many CEOs are opening up an innovation lab at their organization in order to promote collaboration and new approaches. This trend has empowered many businesses and organizations alike to improve their processes and ideation framework, but innovation labs as a whole still have a long way to go to reach their potential. If you have recently created an innovation center at your organization or are looking to develop one, here are 6 tips to help you improve your innovation lab today:
Set relevant and achievable organizational goals
Make sure your innovation lab has a clear, achievable purpose. You can center your lab around achieving key organizational goals that are outlined from the beginning and have clear action steps to take to achieve them.
Build a team of creative thinkers and leaders
Your innovation lab is nothing without a team of thoughtful, creative and innovative employees to lead it. Make sure your lab has a robust team that is up for the challenges set for them.
Provide funding and resources
Devote the necessary funding and resources to your innovation lab. Your team can’t succeed without the correct tools and resources they need to empower their work and achieve your organizational goals.
Create an environment that fosters interaction, collaboration and creativity
Your team needs to feel as though every member can contribute and that their contribution is valued. Work on building an environment that fosters innovation and collaboration, one in which your employees are comfortable and confident in their abilities and their team members’.
Encourage your team to take chances
Your innovation lab will go nowhere if you are too afraid to take chances. Try new and different approaches to doing things and don’t be afraid to see where they lead you. Innovation requires risk. Remember your innovation lab was designed specifically to take risks.
Move your efforts beyond the lab
Our last tip to make your innovation lab better is to move your efforts beyond the lab. The innovative approaches developed in your lab should touch every corner of your organization and inform future processes and approaches.
These six tips to improving your innovation lab or center are sure to help your business or organization grow. Remember that true innovation requires a leap of faith, and that it may not always be easy or quick. For more tips to help your business grow, check out our innovation and design thinking resource blog.