“We’ve been brainstorming ideas, but we haven’t decided on what to do”, “We brainstorm all the time but end up with the same ideas”, and “We brainstorm around ideas that only management wants”. Last week I visited a prospective client in the manufacturing industry, these are some of the things that they told me when I asked them about their innovation efforts.

Last week I wrote about how you need to develop your own best practices to drive innovation. There are innovation best practices, but let me tell you something: Brainstorming is not innovation.

You want to know what is? Good question. Here are 8 impactful practices you can implement to drive innovation:

Encourage a Culture of Openness and Experimentation

Innovation is messy. There is no innovation without experimentation. You have to try stuff; there’s no way around it. To get there you have to build an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing ideas, taking calculated risks, and learning from failures. What does this look like? Host regular brainstorming sessions, create “innovation labs” for experimentation, and celebrate successful (and unsuccessful) attempts at new ideas.

Empower Your Employees

Show me an organization in which employees take ownership, and I will show you one that beats its competitors. –  Michael Abrashoff

Give employees ownership of projects, provide them with resources and training, and allow them to make decisions without excessive bureaucracy. For example, implement flexible work arrangements, encourage cross-functional collaboration, and invest in employee development programs focused on innovation skills.

Focus on Customer Needs

This is a big one. Insights on user needs have to drive your innovation efforts. Regularly conduct customer research, gather feedback, and use insights to identify and solve their unmet needs. To do so, conduct surveys and interviews with customers, establish feedback channels, and incentivize employees to gather customer insights.

Foster Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

This one is simple but hard, but very impactful when done. Encourage employees from different departments to work together, share knowledge openly, and learn from each other’s expertise. What does this look like? Create cross-functional teams for specific projects, utilize knowledge-sharing platforms, and organize internal “innovation showcases” where employees can share ideas.

Leverage External Resources and Partnerships

Innovation is as much about attitude and perspective as it is about process. It’s about divergent thinking, and you have bring that inside your business. Collaborate with universities, startups, and external experts to gain access to new ideas, technologies, and expertise. For example, participate in industry conferences and events, partner with universities on research projects, and explore open innovation platforms.

Embrace a Data-Driven Approach

This is a tough one to overcome for most businesses that are driven by opinions. Collect and analyze data to inform decision-making, measure the success of your innovation efforts, and iterate based on learnings. For example, use data analytics to identify trends, track the progress of innovation projects, and measure the impact of new ideas on key metrics.

Invest in Continuous Learning

For your business to evolve, your people need to evolve. Continuous learning is how to foster it. So, encourage continuous learning and skill development among your employees to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to new technologies and trends. For example, offer in-house training sessions on innovation methodologies, provide access to online learning resources, and encourage employees to attend relevant workshops and conferences.

Celebrate Success and Recognize Innovation

As stated before, innovation is messy; it goes hand in hand with failure. It’s important to celebrate learning from a person or team’s efforts. Publicly acknowledge and reward employees who contribute to successful innovation efforts, fostering motivation and inspiring others. For example, create internal awards for innovative ideas, highlight successful projects in company communications, and offer opportunities for innovative employees to share their experiences with others.

Remember, innovation is an ongoing journey, not a one-time event. By implementing these practices and fostering a culture that embraces new ideas, your business can unlock its potential and gain a competitive edge.

Bonus tip: Innovation is just another keyword for leadership. So, lead.

Bottom line: Driving innovation is hard, but not impossible. For me, it’s about mindset and less about a specific process. Don’t be afraid to experiment and adapt! Find what works best for your specific business and industry, and constantly strive to improve your innovation processes.