HOW TO NURTURE INNOVATIVE THINKERS USING TICK (YES, EVEN DURING A RECESSION).

Some of the best companies of modern times started during hard economic times. Netflix, Airbnb, and Microsoft, for example. See, when most people think of innovation, a quirky new product or an episode of Shark Tank fills the mind.

Innovation is, the process of translating an idea or invention into a product or service that creates value that people pay for. In business, though, there doesn’t have to be a lightbulb moment.

As managers and creatives, we tend to put too much pressure on ourselves for our ideas to be cutting-edge or outside of the box. The problem with this is then we stay in our comfort zone, not creating or developing anything.

It might sound like a paradox that new ideas can birth in hard times, but it can. We can change the way we do things, even if that means making slight tweaks to processes.

Tick’s personality profiling tool is a great resource to understand the roles of your team.

Don’t overcomplicate innovation. You don’t need a big idea.

In business, innovation can be as simple as adding a new feature to a service. You might experience a cool approach to customer service from a different industry and apply it to yours.

Ask questions like:

• What’s your vision for the future?
• What are the key trends that are impacting your industry?
• How are competitors going? What are we doing that they aren’t?
• When were you last impressed by a product or service? And, why?
• What are the common problems that keep coming up?
• What haven’t we done before that could work now?
• What are other industries doing that we could take inspiration from?

Business is already changing. This is an opportunity.

Right now, the pandemic and recession has forced changed upon us all. While it’s difficult for many, it’s also a time that’s ripe with opportunity.

What are our customers wanting from us, right now? Even a slight pivot is innovation. So, how will you use this time to improve the way you serve your people, the industry, the world?

Innovation can happen in the way you architect your team, too. To innovate, personally or as company, you need to let go of preconceived notions about what will work and what won’t.

Encouraging innovation could be as simple as creating space for minds to wander. Foster the environment (by focusing on personality) and culture of experimentation, then the ideas will come.

Start developing your innovation mindset, using the Tick personality test.