Workplace tips

how to iNNoVATe with what You AlreAdY hAVe

in fast-changing times we must become more than creative to keep business going. We need to understand that we need to strike the fine balance between keeping ourselves happy in our role whilst also reacting intelligently to changes in the environment around us. So says Juanita Vorster

Being forced to change the way we’ve always done things at work is never easy, but it’s always worth it. And in the times we live in, imperative!

When we look at our workplaces differently, we have to start at the basics: Our skills, expertise, equipment and inventory.

All these you might have used in one way up to now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use them in other ways or for different things from now on!

Consider this: Some luxury perfume companies have recently turned their production lines to making hand sanitizer; car manufacturers started to make ventilators and clothing companies started producing face masks.

They had the equipment, they just had to figure out what the new customer needs are and how they could use repurpose what they already had to serve that need.

For your innovation journey

Imagining how to use things in a different way takes creativity, and it’s hard to be creative when you’re under pressure, so it’s important that you don’t go through this innovation journey alone.

That’s when you call on people outside of your regular circles. Have a chat or a Zoom session and ask people for ideas. Explain to them in very simplistic terms what your skills or equipment can do.

The lack of details and their lack of experience doing what you do, can make for very interesting ideas!

Think about how children draw things or how they play imagination games … they don’t let reality get in their way.

At this stage of your thinking differently about things, that’s exactly what you’re after … just ideas, whether they make sense or not.

brainstorm: Just write down all ideas from yourself or others. It is not time yet to decide yes or no or to get into a discussion on why something might not work.

Filter: Only once all the ideas are on the table then it is time to filter it through the lens of possibility and current reality.

Do or learn to do it quickly: When you look at each idea think about whether you can already do it or learn to do quickly.

If you have can ask the boss feedback on your new ideas … he/she might have suggestions that you didn’t even know about that could make it happen better or faster.

Act on it: If you do stumble upon something that sounds as if it is a much better way of working, and you have the equipment and skills to bring the idea to life, the next thing you need to do is Act on it.

The new rules of the game for professionals, like you, is get new approaches out, then improve and then make them awesome for everyone.

You might need to change tack a few times to find something that really works for you.

Give every somewhat feasible idea a really good go, and make tweaks as you go along. During the process you might just discover something unexpected and wonderful.

Most important of all when you are forced to look at your work differently is to remember that accepting change isn’t giving up what you worked so hard for; it’s signing up for taking the value of the lessons learned into the future.

Success doesn’t start with a belief that you can accomplish anything.

Success starts with permission. Give yourself permission to let go, to start something new, to change, and to achieve to your fullest potential.

Juanita Vorster, Independent Business Advisor

Post-article reflections Have you had to relook at how you do your work independently from any request or instruction coming from HO? is there ai available already that can cut through some of your tasks and free you up for more important tasks?