Mindfulness in Innovation: How to Increase Your Efficiency?

10 min readOct 14, 2022

No culture can be innovative without great people. Scientific, social, educational, and technical innovation are important in most nations.

But while research organizations used to be able to hire top scientists to work on a particular project, in today’s hectic competition for people with a wide variety of skill sets, this limited approach does not work.

The pandemic has changed the focus of most businesses’ thinking. In 2021–2022, companies realized the value of innovation and began hiring people willing to not just do their jobs but also find out-of-the-box approaches to solving complex situations.

These employees continually strive for improvement by carefully studying and observing what innovations are emerging in their field and then applying their observations and expertise to solve problems as they arise.

Is it possible to become such a person, and what does it take to develop the ability to think innovatively? Let’s talk about this article.

What is Innovative Thinking?

Innovation is when a product or service is updated by applying unique methods and techniques or implementing successful ideas to create new value.

There are different types of innovation in business:

Improving processes through continuous improvement and development of new solutions.
Developing innovative products or improving the features of existing products.
Creating and implementing new services for customers and partners.
Development of innovative business models and new revenue streams.
Digitalization and digital transformation require companies to rethink and develop out-of-the-box approaches.

Organizations have several options to improve their competitiveness: they can strive for price leadership or develop a strategy that differentiates them from their competitors. In both cases, they need to be innovative.

Companies that choose price leadership must ensure long-term competitiveness by developing innovative, high-performance processes. Optimization and continuous improvement in terms of cost are important to them.

Organizations pursuing a strategy of excellence must innovate to develop unique differentiators from their competitors.

Innovation involves improving or replacing something, such as a process, product, technology, or service. Continuous innovation is critical for all companies. The main difference lies in the direction of the innovation strategy, which varies greatly from company to company.

Innovation strategy is crucial for companies because it allows them to innovate effectively and purposefully. They use it to determine which new products, services, and processes need to be developed in the coming years.

The strategy identifies strategically important topics and areas of innovation, as well as possible challenges and risks (e.g., those arising from digitalization and the associated digital transformation within the company).

Although innovation has always been one of the driving forces of competition, research shows that the speed of innovation has increased significantly in recent decades.

Innovation requires a high degree of creativity, a clear innovation strategy, and a willingness to take risks. Innovative thinking is especially important for the successful implementation of such projects.

Innovative thinking is a creative thought process used to generate ideas and solutions. It is a complex task that involves finding new approaches to familiar problems or procedures.

Innovative thinking refers to using abilities and social skills to generate out-of-the-box solutions. People who develop this type of thinking tend to have the following traits and skills:

An unconventional approach to problem-solving.
Critical thinking.
Curiosity.
Willingness to cooperate.
Openness to new experiences and knowledge.
Communicability.
A creative approach and an original view of customary things.

Innovative thinking involves the development of new and original ideas. With an unconventional approach to familiar issues, a person can develop solutions or find other ways to overcome a problem that no one else has thought of before. Creative thinking also requires analytical, organizational, and communication skills to assess a situation and solve a problem.

Innovative thinking is very useful for any field of activity. It enables:

Create better solutions to everyday needs, which provide value to customers and businesses.
Solve problems not only in work issues but also in personal lives.
Increase employee engagement, which is good for the company atmosphere.
Enhance education through a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and innovation.
Improve communication and teamwork skills.

Companies need to focus on innovation because they may need approaches to solve most problems that have never been created or applied before.

It is a valuable skill for everyone, and many modern businesses are willing to pay big salaries to employees with advanced innovative thinking. After all, the out-of-the-box approach to problems creates all great products.

Development of an Innovative Environment

Culture is the basis for any innovative activity. If the corporate environment does not translate the right values, it can hinder innovation, even if the idea and the team are perfect.

Innovation strategy is part of the corporate strategy. It should define all the activities and goals the company wants to implement to develop innovative products, new lines of business, and more efficient processes in the long run and describe the necessary steps to achieve the goals.

Without a clear innovation strategy, companies risk losing focus on their main objectives. It helps them focus their activities toward clearly defined and measurable goals.

A detailed innovation strategy helps ask the right guiding questions during the idea-generation process, identify the right evaluation criteria, and prioritize innovation projects according to specific objectives.

An innovation strategy also promotes an innovation culture that is characterized by the following:

openness and curiosity of employees;
encouragement of experimentation;
innovation management;
willingness to challenge challenging tasks;
willingness to take risks and learn from mistakes.

Companies developing an innovation strategy must answer key strategic questions, analyze future trends relevant to their business, monitor latent customer needs, and prepare a list of competencies they need to develop innovation successfully.

An innovation strategy creates the necessary focus for the efficient use of resources. This is important because innovation always involves more risk than other activities. Accordingly, a clear innovation strategy reduces the number of failures.

To build a successful innovation culture, it is important to:

Involve employees at different levels.
Form interdepartmental teams to maximize the creative potential of all units.
Motivate employees.
Develop and regularly update an innovation strategy, especially in digital change and upheaval times.

We’ve prepared some simple ways to enhance a culture of innovation. They are simple because they can be implemented without special resources or major organizational changes. With management support, they can be safely implemented without any obstacles, positively impacting the culture of innovation.

Even though organizations have recently paid a lot of attention to the development of innovative environments, employees cannot explain what it means for the company and themselves and what they can contribute.

In such cases, management should provide the necessary training that fully uncovers the meaning and importance of innovation to the organization. Team members should also be directly involved in working on innovative issues and developing new ideas and solutions through creative workshops.

Each team member can propose an idea for streamlining the workflow at any time. For the most effective of these, management should allocate a budget and support in the form of resources (time, assistance from experts, additional authority, training, etc.).

With a competent approach, employees will be more involved in creating innovations. At the same time, it is important that their ideas are not criticized and not forgotten. Otherwise, the effect of the activities carried out will diminish.

Innovative thinking is an important skill in today’s world. Employers give preference to candidates who can think creatively to offer business process solutions.

How Can I improve my Innovative Thinking Skills?

Many people mistakenly believe that creativity depends solely on a particular source of inspiration. On the contrary, it is a “byproduct” of consuming all kinds of content, being able to turn to different media and analyze problems to come up with appropriate answers.

Improving creative thinking is an important part of life, no matter what field one works in. Every field needs people who can find the best solutions to the everyday problems, and creativity is crucial.

There is a certain algorithm for out-of-the-box problem-solving:

Gather all the information you need. One of the most important steps in the creative thinking process is preparation. You can create a more effective solution when you gather all available information.
Consider the obvious solution. Given a simple solution, you can begin to form other options that may be less time-consuming or more financially viable.
Come up with additional solutions. Set aside time to brainstorm as many new solutions or processes as possible.
Make a list of your strongest ideas. Think about how these ideas might be connected and what they have in common. This will help you form connections between the different ideas that will guide the development of your solution.
Create a separate list of unified ideas. Consider similar ideas from different perspectives and discard those that are unrelated.
Test the results. Testing the results will help you determine what aspects you can improve or change to find a successful solution.

People with an innovative mindset can look at an item or product from a unique perspective. You can develop the skills to approach goals and obstacles with an innovative mindset at any age. To do so, all it takes is a series of regular exercises and some techniques.

One such effective way to develop an out-of-the-box approach to solving familiar problems is our online program, TRIZ in Practice. In it, we have collected the best techniques and algorithms that will allow you to solve interesting problems in everyday life and other fields.

To start innovating in your life, use our tips.

Consume different content

Gather ideas everywhere. You can develop creative thinking if you diversify the content you consume in your daily life. Try visiting different blogs, channels, and social media profiles, preferably on topics you are not normally interested in.

Try to change the format of the content you consume as well. Use different media types, such as text, video, audio, e-books, podcasts, infographics, etc. You need to develop a mindset so that you can easily distinguish in the future what you see has creative potential and what you don’t.

Keep an Eye on Trends

Innovative thinking can depend on trends that are affecting the market right now and those that will emerge in the future.

Keeping up with trends is not just about consuming news related to your field of interest. The ability to predict trends does not require the gift of prophecy. Instead, you must understand how your field is structured and where innovation comes from.

People who actively innovate recognize that ideas can come from any source and appear in different forms. Expand your knowledge through professional and personal development, and look for opportunities to learn and improve your skills.

Try to Create Something New Every Day

If you want to lose weight, you will make a workout plan and nutrition program that will require you to make a daily effort. The same concept applies to practicing creative thinking.

Try to create something new every day. It doesn’t have to be something big or meaningful. It’s enough to do something you’ve never done or tried before. Imagine what your idea will look like in reality. And believe that you can overcome all obstacles to its implementation.

Such creations can also serve as solutions to everyday problems you face. The most important part of this process is to develop the habit of coming up with something new so that it becomes a natural state for you.

Act Outside the Box

Changing your work style can encourage you to think differently about everyday processes. Creative people tend to be willing to try new things to gain more experience in different areas. So, for example, while performing a familiar task, try to develop at least one method that is different from your usual workplace habits.

You can improve your creative thinking skills by looking at your work from a different perspective. Already soon, you will find that you can do it much easier.

Break the rules. You are unlikely to succeed in innovation with traditional and customary methods. Constantly challenge existing rules and paradigms.

Learn to Exploit Failure

If you’ve never failed, you probably haven’t created anything. Failure is inevitable when you invent something new because there is always a degree of uncertainty.

Many innovators believe that failure is the best learning tool. Surprisingly, when you quietly allow the possibility of failure, your ability to think creatively increases. Understanding that failure can happen, but nothing terrible will happen to you, will allow you to take defeat more easily and not stop halfway through.

Fear has been called the “pest of innovation.” Think of all failures as a way to test an idea and move on to the next solution.

Communicate with Other People

A seasoned innovator needs a strong environment to discuss or reject new creative ideas and innovations. Almost all great projects have been created by teams of people who came together to develop something new.

There are a lot of innovation promotion foundations out there right now. Not only can you get interesting and inspiring ideas from them, but you can also make good friends. Notice the innovative thinking in others. Study their methods of creative problem-solving and learn how they generate their ideas.

Try not to surround yourself with people who think and create just like you. Innovation requires a wide range of different competencies and ways of thinking. Strive for as much diversity as possible when making new creative acquaintances, as this can inspire you to create something new and out of the box.

Ask Questions

Instead of looking for answers, try changing the types of questions you ask. Brainstorm and list open-ended questions you can ask to solve a given problem.

Many innovators take an existing object and ask questions to change its concept. For example, Steve Jobs didn’t immediately come up with the idea to create a smartphone. He simply took a phone and asked a very simple question, “What can we do to improve it?”

Make Time for Creative Thinking

Taking some time to practice plays a big role in developing innovative thinking. For example, Google executives ask teams to allocate at least 20% of their time to creative thinking or new projects.

This measure is very effective, on the one hand, for the innovation culture because it demonstrates to all employees how important innovation is to the company. On the other hand, it mobilizes a huge potential for development.

Allocate time to reflect on the solution to this or that situation. Itcan be an hour a day or 2–3 times a week, but the main thing is that during this time, you should think only about the problem, without distractions on anything else.

There are no universal recipes for innovation, and each person must develop their approach depending on their area of expertise, interests, type of thinking, corporate culture, and even the team in which they are involved.

Conclusion

Innovative thinking can yield great results not only for companies but also for individual. Remember every time you need to find a new solution to a problem.

Innovative thinking skills are techniques used to look at a problem from a different and creative perspective, using the right tools to evaluate it and develop a plan. They, like any skill, can be developed. We hope that our tools will help you do just that. We wish you the best of luck!