The only thing that is certain in business is change. Any company that relies on doing things the way they have always been done is destined to be left behind by its competition.
Innovation does not happen on its own; effective innovation requires a thoughtful and creative approach.
In this article, expert tech investor Hiruy Amanuel and digital entrepreneur Collins Nnabugwu discuss how creative thinking and technological advances promote innovation in business operations.
Societal Disruption and Creativity
Human progress began to change radically and irreversibly during the Industrial Revolution. As technology has continued to develop at an ever-increasing rate, commercial processes have had to adapt or be left behind.
True innovation has been centered around human experiences as the world population has grown rapidly, and more developing countries are exposed to the possibilities of human development through technological and economic changes.
Ordered Thinking Can Produce Spontaneity and Creativity
Many of the best business solutions are considered by interested observers to be "out of the box." The most elegant and effective solutions often seem to have come out of nowhere.
However, disruptive and new ideas are usually the product of an ordered problem-solving process that fosters new perspectives and ways of approaching problems.
Problem-solving should be a daily process that follows a routine with ordered steps:
- Problem identification
- Research and data collection
- Refine the problem
- Create a wide array of possible solutions
- Evaluate possible solutions
- Testing and implementation
The key component of this process is creating possible solutions.
Brainstorming and collaboration are usually great ways to develop methods and techniques using new and emerging technologies to perform tasks in new ways and to design tasks and functions that have not existed previously.
There are many training courses and teaching tools available that will help your team learn critical thinking skills and problem-solving expertise.
Build a Work Environment that Fosters Innovation
Our work environment directly influences our ways of thinking and perceiving things and ideas. Tech companies have a wide variety of work environment designs.
Although games and recreational equipment might not be for every business, the concept to take away is that every design concept might work for different companies to varying degrees of success.
Whatever design you choose for your business, the focus should be on the development of both individual employee strengths and team-building directed at creativity and innovation.
Dynamic environments are critical to helping individuals and groups feel comfortable with change and taking chances in the spirit of competition and teamwork as well.
Above all, consider the best methods to encourage every member of your organization to be willing to discuss and implement changes in processes: reward employees' creative thinking and welcome discussions of risks and risk management.
About Collins Nnabugwu
Collins Nnabugwu is the Executive Director NetSatTV & VR where he leads a team of software developers to design and launch some of the world's most sought after mobile/web apps.
The serial entrepreneur has spent the last couple of years working in the startup ecosystem in Nigeria, and co-founding other cutting edge services and companies such as Eco Carrier and Social Edification.
Mr Collins speaks at tech conferences around the world, advocating for inclusion in technology, especially for Africa in the 4th Industrial Revolution.
About Hiruy Amanuel
Hiruy Amanuel is an investor who works on developing opportunities in the IT sector across Africa. Based in East Africa, Mr. Amanuel has co-founded several tech companies, including Gebeya Inc., which is involved in creating and promoting opportunities for Africa's IT professionals in the emerging local IT marketplace.
Hiruy Amanuel is helping bring the best of African tech entrepreneurial talent to the world and positively touching lives.
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