In order for businesses to stay competitive in the global market, they need to foster a culture of innovation. That means creating an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing new ideas and taking risks, which can be a scary thing for businesses to do! Creating this kind of culture is a process and a commitment to keeping innovative discourse alive while taking real, actionable steps towards the goals you’ve set with your team. Innovation is certainly about the big picture, but it’s also about the micro details that often go unnoticed or taken for granted as a staple in your operation. We spoke to some top business leaders about how they cultivate a culture of innovation at their companies by supporting employees and refining the details of their business operations. Let’s take a look at what they had to say.

Innovation Starts at the Bottom

Making big changes for growth doesn’t just come from the top down, businesses need to pay attention to ground level details before embarking on new initiatives. “Innovation isn’t something that happens over night, nor is it something that comes directly from the top. Innovation starts at the bottom with the smallest details. For example, if you’re aiming to launch a new exciting product, you need to determine what changes have to be made to your production line ahead of time so your team can meet the demand,” said Shaun Price, Head of Customer Acquisition at MitoQ.

The more attention paid to the smaller details, the smoother your ideas will roll over into your company. “Your day to day operations are the key to making your innovations happen smoothly and swiftly in your company. Make sure you make necessary adjustments when preparing for a new launch or major change in the business,” said Dan Lewis of Convoy.

Failing is OK

Make sure that both you and your team understand that sometimes, innovation can lead to failure and that’s ok! “Understand that innovation is sometimes about experimentation, and failing is a part of that. It’s ok to make mistakes, and it’s ok to fail, as long as we hold accountability for ourselves as to what went wrong and how we can change it. Be open to mistakes, and be open to admitting to those mistakes,” said Max Schwartzapfel, CMO of Fighting For You.

Being ok with failure will help bring out your team's creative juices and really get the ball rolling. “Part of unleashing a team’s creative side is letting them know that failure is part of the process, and not something to be feared but to be embraced. Thinking outside the box means approaching challenges from angles that may feel uncomfortable, which in turn, can result in great anxiety. However, by using fear as a metric of creativity, you will recognize when the most effective parts of their imaginations come into play. By viewing fear as an essential part of the process, rather than something to be avoided, you can create the culture of innovation to bring you to the next level,” said Zach Letter, CEO of Wonder Works.

Open the Floor to All Team Members

Your team and employees should be a major part of your innovation conversations. “Open the floor to other voices besides those in positions of leadership. There will always be room to improve our service and leaders should be open to hearing various perspectives on what works well. Ultimately, when we are open to collaboration, we become more productive”, said Laura Berg, Chief Commercial Officer of KONG Club. Employees who feel empowered to take on challenges are more likely to bring innovative ideas to the table. Tyler Rybacki, Growth Manager of Jot tells us about their company philosophy around employee innovation, “We foster innovation by putting trust in our team members and giving them the freedom to take on challenges. It's the responsibility of every leader to foster the professional development of their team. Allowing employees a level of autonomy in their work encourages ownership and motivates them to perform at their best. This action-oriented mindset boosts involvement and gives workers a higher sense of purpose. Innovation is based on trust. It's about letting go of the reins a bit and giving people control when and where they need it.”

Your team should be a group of people you can rely on, and that means encouraging their autonomy as members of the business. “Encourage independent thinking and problem solving amongst your employees. When you empower them to join and offer innovative solutions, they will surprise you with the amount of amazing ideas that come directly from within your team,” said Anne-Marie Faiola, CEO and Founder of Bramble Berry.

Communication is Key

Of course, consistent communication is key to making any major changes to a business. “There needs to be consistent communication and collaboration between teams. When teams work in silos, there’s a missed opportunity to combine creative forces and ideas to really drive innovation. It’s important that there are pathways for personal connections to be made so that people feel more comfortable offering ideas to other teams. That’s why a strong company culture is so important: it impacts everything from employee engagement and happiness to sparking innovation amongst teams,” said Ely Khakshouri, Founder and CEO of Retrospec.

Act Quickly and Confidently

When you do come to a common understanding about a change, innovation or initiative, make sure you act on it swiftly. “When you and your team have a great idea, act on it quickly. Not just to show that you take ideas seriously, but to maintain your momentum on the change that could be lost if you continue to talk rather than act. Move quickly and assuredly to make sure your ideas move through to realization,” said Amanda E. Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer of Nailboo.

If you act both swiftly and confidently, your employees will appreciate your attention to the value of their proposal. Samantha Snabes of re:3D said, “The more confident you are when making a decision, the more confident your team will feel to help and provide feedback for future initiatives. Make sure you are clear, swift and confident when acting on a team decision.”

Make Your Employees Comfortable to Share

All of this comes down to whether or not your employees feel comfortable enough at your company to share their ideas. “It’s really important that employees are comfortable sharing their opinions and solutions because that’s how businesses can truly grow. For example, within their own roles and departments, employees themselves are the best people to offer ideal tools and solutions to optimize their team’s workflow. When managers allow that spirit to thrive, creating an open environment for employee feedback, employees will feel more emboldened to voice other unique ideas beyond their own role. It’s important to create that type of atmosphere from the start,” said Alyssa Berman-Waugh, VP of Marketing of Level.

What Parts of Your Business are the Most Important?

A good rule of thumb when thinking about innovation is to consider what parts of your business are the most valuable. What parts would you keep if it came down to choosing? “A good way to determine the parts of your business worth growing is to ask yourself ‘what would I keep if everything came down?’ The answer to that question are the things about your business that make you unique and that are worth expanding on. Try this exercise the next time you’re thinking about how to expand your company,” said Fred Gerantabee, Chief Experience Officer of Readers.com.

Leaders play a critical role in creating and fostering a culture of innovation within their businesses. This means being open to new ideas from employees, encouraging creativity, and being willing to experiment. Failing is part of the process of innovation, so don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Instead, learn from them and keep moving forward. In order for leaders to create this type of environment, they need to pay attention to the finer details of their operations and how employees are communicating with each other. Are you creating a culture of innovation in your business? If not, what can you do to change that? One of the things you can ask yourself is whether or not your employees are typically comfortable sharing their ideas. If it seems like they are reserved or hesitant, you may want to do some work to foster a more open environment for your employees to brainstorm ideas and help you reach the innovation goals you’re aiming to achieve. If you want collaborative innovation and smooth sailing in your future endeavors, make an effort to cultivate a creative and safe space for your team to meet and share ideas. Business owners and entrepreneurs could, as a practice, implement a weekly meeting dedicated to sharing ideas about innovations, changing and ways to streamline the business operations you already have. This will create a trusting environment for your employees and lead to ideas you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise!