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4 Ways to Be More Innovative at Work

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New Contributor III
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What is innovation? According to Merriam-Webster, innovation is defined as “the act or process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods.” But how exactly does one jump start the innovation process? It is a simple enough concept to grasp, but in practice can be difficult to execute. The article 4 Ways to Be More Innovative at Work , from The Muse.com, delves into how you can take budget, time, and resource constraints and make them work in your quest for innovation. They also outline the following four ways to integrate innovation in your day-to-day work experience.

  1. Turn “Can’t” Into “Can If”
    When you find yourself at a roadblock while brainstorming instead of saying “we can’t because. . .” try starting the thought with “we can if. . .” By coming at it with a positive and proactive point of view you are more able to find a solution, rather than shutting one down.
  2. Access Your Assets
    We live in a day and age where shared economy is becoming more common place. As a result of this it is important to think of what assets you can access, rather than what assets you own. Look for partners that have the distribution, audience, or resources that you can utilize. This will open up a world of opportunity.
  3. Ask Impossible Questions
    In the context of innovation, the impossible questions can be of more use than the hard question. The impossible questions charge creativity and drive the brainstorm into problem solving mode.
  4. Put Constraints on Yourself
    Put constraints on yourself, deliberately limit your time, budget, or resources, in order to be creative. The less time, money, or people you have to work one something the more creative you have to be to get the desired result!

For more on these ways to be more innovative, head over to The Muse to read the full article. If you are still looking for more ways to be innovative our Fostering Innovation course, part of the ACS Leadership Development® System, is up your alley! Are you headed to the 250th ACS National Meeting and Exposition in Boston, MA? Make sure to add Fostering Innovation to your schedule!

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