When your business and your ventures need to redefine themselves, then you need to be constantly looking for the next great idea. Most of the time the best ideas seem to come out of thin air, but you can create the perfect environment for new ideas.
Creative Atmosphere
Even the most unflattering office spaces should have a splash of colour or places where a team can gather and discuss ideas openly. To create a creative space you need a place far away from the day today. This doesn’t have to be in distance, it could just be style. Think about where people usually gather to discuss matters. Coffee shops shared office spaces and the like. They are secluded chambers of creativity. You want a place that isn’t hindered or limited, so make sure you have all the equipment you need to capture those ideas when they come.
Don’t Rush People
If you have the perfect environment for new ideas you can’t make it a thought factory. If you’re constantly demanding the next big idea one after the other you’ll end up burning people out, or your team scrambling to come up with anything to please you. It can take inventors years of failed attempts, rabbit holes and mistakes to even conceive part of a great idea. So, don’t rush others into making the next best thing since sliced bread over and over again.
Open Door Policy
They say no idea is a bad idea, but there are bad ideas out there. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen to each one of them. Even the worst ideas could spring a thought that redefines your business. So, make sure someone is listening to ideas and your team feels heard. When your team feels disregarded they won’t speak up when they have an idea. Instead, they could leverage those ideas for themselves or your competitors if they are really unhappy. This doesn’t come in the form of an ideas box that gathers dust in your staff room. This is real people talking and sharing ideas.
Get People Talking
One of the best parts of an open plan office is the ability to have multiple teams, people and managers, together to mix conversations up. Sure it’s a great way to save some office space, but in an open area, you have overheard some comments that lead to a great idea. Even when your team grumbles about a certain element of the business or a niggly client you can use that opportunity to create.
Incentives
When all else fails, bribe them! Just kidding. When a member of the team has a new idea, give them the resources to lead the idea forwards. You can create the perfect environment for new ideas by facilitating those who have them. If the idea takes flight you could have a whole new facet of the business and a happy team member showing the world just how good their idea was.
If you’re looking for new ideas, and you’re feeling stuck try to break away from what you normally do. Create a new environment for yourself. Read a new book or listen to music you wouldn’t normally touch. These little changes in mindset could unlock something special. So, don’t be afraid to change the environment around yourself as it could lead to your next best idea.
