Innovation Drives Success 1
(Monday)
Context:
One of the key qualities employers seek in new hires is their capacity for innovation. There are several reasons for this:
Firstly, in order for a company to remain relevant in any industry, its employees need to be forward-thinking and innovative individuals. An organization cannot progress or move forward if its workforce is trapped in a mindset that resists change or dwells on the past.
Secondly, innovative individuals excel at problem-solving. Frequently, new problems or challenges arise in the workplace without any known solutions. However, innovators possess the ability to think creatively and discover unconventional approaches to previously unknown issues or problems.
Lastly, innovators provide a competitive advantage to any company as they can generate not only new products but also entirely new markets.
Our current education system, which heavily relies on memorization-based approaches across many subjects, fails to foster innovation or cultivate innovative thinking among students. So by dedicating time to develop your innovation skills now, you will become successful and highly sought-after once you enter the job market.
What it is: Innovation is commonly defined as the introduction of something new—a novel idea, method, or device. It typically involves creativity and critical thinking.
In the business world, innovation refers to introducing changes and fresh ideas in how things are done or produced, often resulting in new products or services.
Why it’s important: Both personally and professionally, possessing an inclination for innovation empowers you to adapt easily to changes and identify new opportunities.
Throughout life and in the workplace, you will encounter various obstacles and challenges as the world evolves. By honing your ability to innovate, you not only gain the tools to overcome those obstacles, but also the capacity to adapt and improve your circumstances despite challenges, setbacks, and transformations.
How and When Innovation Occurs
Some may wonder, “How can I become more innovative?”
In the workplace, one way innovation happens is when companies seize opportunities that foster creativity. We can take a page from the business world and enhance our own innovative skills by learning from them.
Four areas of opportunity that exist within a company or industry:
1) unexpected occurrences, 2) incongruities, 3) process needs, and 4) industry and market changes.
Three additional opportunities for innovation are demographic changes, changes in perception, and new knowledge.
Let's examine the first four opportunities to foster innovation, in more detail.
What We Can Learn from Business
Opportunity to innovate: No. 1 Unexpected occurrences.
A new type of material, process, or technology may come along, and companies often take that opportunity to see if they can use the new or unexpected occurrence to be more innovative.
When microchips first came on the scene, companies found all sorts of innovative ways to improve existing products or create new ones.
You can do something similar. When there is new technology available, can you find a way to use it to help you in school? Can it help you create a side hustle to make extra cash? New materials, information, and technologies are discovered all the time. See if you can use new or unexpected occurrences to be more innovative.
Opportunity to innovate: No. 2 Incongruencies.
Incongruencies are discrepancies, or differences between what is and what 'ought' to be, or between what is and what everybody assumes it to be. For example, if a company claims 24/7 customer support but consistently takes hours or days to respond to inquiries, there is a clear disparity between what is promised and what is provided. This incongruency can result in customer dissatisfaction and harm the company's reputation.
Obviously, there’s a problem as well as an opportunity to be innovative and find a solution.
How does this apply to you? Many students struggle with time management, causing stress, missed deadlines, and poor academic performance. This incongruency between limited time and academic demands creates an opportunity for innovative solutions. For instance, time management apps, productivity tools, and personalized scheduling systems can help students optimize their time, prioritize tasks, and improve efficiency.
Opportunity to innovate: No. 3 Process needs.
A company may find that there is a need to improve the process of collaborating company-wide, especially after so many employees going remote (an unexpected occurrence).
Identifying process needs in these areas can drive innovation. For instance, developing collaboration platforms, or unified communication systems that enable seamless communication and real-time collaboration.
How could this apply to you? You might be transitioning from school to the workplace. You need a process to help you identify and qualify for a chosen career. You learn that employers are looking for durable skills that you were not taught in school. So you find an innovative way to develop the traits, qualities, mindsets, and attitudes that employers want. In a way, the fact that you’re taking this lesson shows you are striving to be more innovative.
Opportunity to innovate: No. 4 Industry and market changes.
Industry and market changes bring new needs and challenges, creating opportunities for innovation. For example, the rise of electric vehicles due to environmental concerns offers chances to innovate in battery tech, charging infrastructure, and smart vehicle software.
Now, let's take an example of how a high school or college student can leverage this principle to be innovative in their lives. Suppose there is a significant market change in the education industry where remote learning and online courses become more prevalent. The student can identify this trend and innovate by finding new and alternate ways to deal with remote learning that enhance the online learning experience. Did you become more innovative during the pandemic and find new ways to deal with sudden change in the way you were learning?
There are three additional opportunities for innovation business.
In principle, you can use similar opportunities to develop your abilities to innovate in your own life. The additional opportunities are demographic changes, changes in perception, and new knowledge. Watch the video below.
Innovation can mean thinking or acting differently.
How could your behavior and mindset change when you begin a part-time job and start working closely with individuals who are older than you, in terms of age groups?
How do you think your perspective on saving money would change when you take on the responsibility of covering your own expenses? Paying for rent, your own meals, and car-related bills for example?
How would your thoughts or actions be affected if you were aware that employers anticipate job applicants to possess enduring skills such as adaptability, teamwork, perseverance, reliability, proactiveness, and problem-solving abilities during interviews?
Remember, changes in your life give you opportunities to innovate, to act or think differently.
Metacognitive Goals
Try to think of a time of great change, perhaps when you moved to a new school or town, or maybe when you had to start remote classes. Did you have to adapt and find new ways of doing things? Write them down in your journal.
Try to recall a time when you had to be innovative to solve a problem, address a situation, or complete a project.
Are you innovative? Try doing something different or innovative this week and write about it in your journal.
Thought of the day.
“Innovation is the unrelenting drive to break the status quo and develop anew where few have dared to go.”
- Steven Jeffes, Marketing and Business Expert.