Kim Cope - Founder and executive director, Startup Skool
There is a huge emphasis on creativity in our entrepreneurship programs for youth – and we do everything we can to extend that mindset into our offices. In our experience, whether you’re 13 or 30, there are three great places to start when looking to foster innovation in the workplace:
•Flat structure. A big trend we’re seeing in startups is the deliberate decision to move away from a structure of hierarchy to one that is flat across the board. As a leader, the best way to inspire your team is to walk the walk and do the dirty work. If the coffee runs out, go and buy some more. If the dishes are dirty in the office sink, do them. This type of leadership will build the foundation of trust and empowerment that you need to stimulate passion within each individual.
•Empowerment. The best thing you can do to empower your team and inspire a culture of innovation is to stay far away from micromanagement. Let your staff try new things. Let them fail. Let them learn. Most importantly, let them feel that their ideas will be heard when they come to you. Often those ideas can provide the best solutions.
•Collaboration. Get employees from different teams working together and put their minds on a challenge they don’t normally work on. At Startup Skool, we put our new staff through a one-day challenge in which they work through a problem to come up with a new solution. This is a great team-building activity for small to mid-size companies in which you can get your developers working with sales, finance and marketing so that you get multiple perspectives.
Greg Caws - President and CEO, BC Innovation Council
Regardless of your industry, the success of your business depends on your ability to keep it responsive in a rapidly changing world. Here are three ways to foster creativity and innovation at your organization:
•Question everything. Some of B.C.’s top companies were created because someone asked a great question. “Why can’t we purchase glasses online?” led to Clearly. “Why can’t I manage all my social media accounts in one place?” led to Hootsuite. Empower staff to question the status quo, and they’ll ask themselves, “How can I make things better?” That’s how you spur innovation.
•Use tech to enhance teamwork. Technology can have a significant impact on collaboration. At the BC Innovation Council, we have a robot named Sheldon that enables staff to attend meetings virtually. Our team communicates anywhere, any time, via Slack. If you want an innovative workplace, give employees the tools to work better together – and then be amazed at what they create.
•Set an example. To cultivate inventiveness and stay ahead of the curve, lead by example and take the initiative. A CEO once said, “It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a new way of acting.” Ask yourself this: are you setting the best example for your team?
At the BC Innovation Council, we’re constantly asking ourselves how we can be more effective in what we do and how we can connect and collaborate with more British Columbians. Our work depends on it; so does yours.
David Cameron - Executive director, Young Entrepreneur Leadership Launchpad
If you want to engage employees in creativity and innovation, invite them to the table now; don’t wait for them to be ready.
Do you remember wanting to join the adults as a kid? I remember being a five-year-old asking to play cards with the adults. I didn’t know what they were playing or how to play it, only that I wanted to play. And I got lucky – my grandmother invited me to the table to sit and watch, and after many sessions I was invited to play.
Our foray into the workplace can be similar, whether by mentorship, apprenticeship, job shadowing or some other means. Some examples:
•Hire young. Coast Capital Savings is investing in millennial innovation in a big way. By recruiting from school ranks as early as Grade 10, the company’s Youth Team program has benefited from new ideas.
•Mentorship. Working with Telus this year, we sent some of our top students to shadow Allen Devine, Telus’ “chief dreamer.” The mentorship allowed our students to learn how to develop innovative science, health and sustainability technologies.
•Diversify. The YMCA has a mandate for 25% of its board to be women under 30, and some have recently explored creating two non-voting seats for women under 19.
Creativity and innovation often come from making connections across diverse themes. Invest in your young leaders’ creative and innovative potential by exposing them to different areas of your business.
