Up until the turn of millennium, the world of business was stuck in a vicious circle of homogenisation. There was a traditional way of attaining success, and if you strayed too far from this paradigm, then you would lose all credibility and any chance of being prosperous. Because success relied so heavily on maintaining the sterilised veneer of “business”, radical organisations were unable to get to the top or change pre-conceptions.
Ping-Pong and Trainers
This all changed with the advent of the internet. Suddenly 20-somethings in hooded sweatshirts were achieving levels of success that dwarfed the combined efforts of thousands of suit-wearing executives. It was no longer necessary to work within the archaic constraints of business relations, and it became perfectly acceptable to wear trainers to work, or to see a ping pong table in the staff room.
What Biodiversity Can Teach Us About Driving Innovation in the Workplace
Diversity is at the root of innovation, and innovation is at the root of success. As such, this shifting of the status quo is undeniably beneficial to both companies and consumers alike.
In the natural world there is an unimaginable degree of biodiversity, as each form of life has evolved to solve a specific problem within its environment. The species that survive on earth today do so because they have been successful. However, this achievement is the cumulative result of millions of years of biological innovation. Similarly, to remain viable over time, companies must optimize the process of driving innovation in the workplace.
This can entail optimizing existing workflow processes, launching open innovation campaigns to gather input from external stakeholders, or crowdsourcing the expertise of employees (to name just a few methods).
Different Strokes for Different Folks
Innovation was previously stifled by the culture of business, and so now that it is not, we are seeing a much greater variety on every level of business practice. As more millennials enter the workforce the advantage is swinging inexorably towards unique and forward-thinking companies, the only problem is that pre-existing business tools have been designed for a universal audience. A panacea will no longer meet the needs of the myriad organisations on our current business landscape, and so solutions now need to be flexible enough to accommodate any audience.
Science vs Art
Innovation is a practice that falls at the intersection of science and art. While the process of innovation is often a creative one, it must be structured and standardised in or any innovation initiative, however it becomes near impossible when the solution is not designed to fit the exact culture and requirements of your people.
This is why it is so crucial to select a fully configurable solution, and to dedicate time and effort to creating a platform which will maximise engagement, creativity and profit. At Qmarkets we have over 7 years of experience with designing unique and powerful innovation management platforms, and we are dedicated to ensuring that our customers maximise the success of their innovation initiatives through measurable results.
In this increasingly exciting, diverse, and innovative business world, it is essential for the tools we use to be as unique as we are!
To discover how Qmarkets can help your enterprise streamline the process of driving innovation in the workplace – and achieve major ROI in the process – don’t hesitate to contact us today.
