Innovation doesn’t just happen; it needs to be cared for and preened. Innovation is about action and must avoid periods of torpidity. As such, creating an environment that fosters to innovative thinking and action is a must. Just ask Jodi Goldstein, the head of the Harvard Innovation Lab, a lab that, as Fast Company reports, has been the incubator for more than 600 startups since its launch in 2011.
So what’s the secret? While there may not be one golden rule to follow, there are certainly some things that can be done in an effort to create an environment as responsive to innovation as possible. In fact, there are seven ideas that Goldstein lists as essential to the harboring of innovation.
The first is to be a sponge. Sure, curiosity may have killed the cat, but it also landed a man on the moon. Remaining intellectually curious and absorbing new information that may help ideas is imperative. It is also imperative for an environment to provide the resources for innovators to be curious.
Another essential for innovation is competition. Competition creates urgency and motivation that can spur innovation. Not to scare anyone too much, but without competition we'd all still be watching laserdiscs.
And if you want to be an innovator, get used to failing, because it will happen a lot. But as Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” A million failures can be rectified by one success. How many times do you think someone gave up because of yet another failure without ever realizing how close they were to succeeding? Probably more than any of us would like to imagine.
To view the entire list of the best ways to create an environment where innovation thrives, click the link below.
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