4 Reasons Why Your Business Isn’t Innovating
Ask any wizened business owner what they think the key to business success is and they will most probably mention the importance of continued innovation. Be it to improve and replace current processes or to develop brand new additions to a business’ products and services, innovation is a key marker of progression.
It is of course understandable that dealing with constant change is not an easy path to stay on. With that said, what are the biggest barriers to innovation and how can your company conquer them?
Company Politics and Bad Team Culture
Don’t underestimate the significance of organisational work culture when it comes to tackling some of the largest problems faced in your business. Although it may seem secondary, a good organisational culture is critical as it plays a large role in employee motivation. Award-winning author Tristan Boutros highlights that change will only occur if your team feels motivated to change.
To put it simply, why go the extra mile to help the company improve if one is unhappy or finds no purpose in the work that he or she does? Vincent Low, Canon’s Director and General Manager, also stresses that the key to building team spirit is constantly fostering a team that believes in the company’s business values and is willing to work together to get there. Quoting business guru Peter Drucker on how “culture eats strategy for breakfast”, Vincent reminds business leaders to show appreciation and give recognition as much as possible. Satisfaction and motivation levels increase when staff are happy and appreciated at work, and leaders need to understand that this tops any business strategy.
Micromanagers
In addition to the point above, management also plays a big role in the creation of said office culture. Bad management equals to low company morale; Huffington Post states point blank that:
“Process improvement culture must always begin with leadership. Only then will it filter down through the organisation. Without strong leadership at the top, improvement and innovation will inevitably falter.”
Micromanagement is rarely beneficial (and almost always, stifling and damaging), so don’t expect it to breed creativity and encourage improvement!
Leaders must step up and pave the way to inspire and stir dialogue; set the example you wish to see instead of dictating over your employees. Remember, innovation can only happen when organisations foster a culture where people feel safe to voice their opinions, dialogue is encouraged, and leaders embrace the challenge.
Being Caught Up in Day-to-Day Operations
Burrowing into everyday tasks creates a routine; why change things when it all seems to be working out great for now? This is how day-to-day operations become one of the most common yet discreet barriers to innovation.
While settling into a comfortable pattern of getting work done every day can be a good thing, monotonous routine also murders creativity. The state of doing things the same way for a prolonged period of time gives way to the dangers of getting comfortable. Forbes underlines that trying out new things is a worthwhile experiment and investing in the right innovative techniques can give your business the competitive edge it needs to keep up with the times.
Lack of Strategy and Resources
Between creating an open and receptive organisation culture and getting your management team to step up and incite change, innovation also requires investing in new solutions. From procuring hardware that will amp up your internal workflow processes to overhauling your business models, being equipped with the right tools and having a clear strategy for change will set you in the direction to innovate for the better.
Don’t know where to start? Here are a few ways to help you and your business kick-start your journey towards innovation:
Get Tech-Savvy
As technology becomes increasingly crucial to all sorts of business processes, make sure that your business is equipped with the necessary hardware solutions to boost productivity. Not only that, you will also open the doors of possibilities with modern solutions like digitisation. No longer will you be bogged down by old, ancient methods, with technology taking over menial tasks, you’ll free up your employees to spend their time wisely and smartly. Over time, you can work towards improving these digital processes as your company familiarises itself with this additional help. Don’t forget to keep your employees well educated on technological best practices too!
Marie Kondo It!
With the appropriate tech now readily available, you should also look to getting the right business solutions that can help to declutter, save costs and boost efficiency, taking hints from the Netflix organising sensation, Marie Kondo. This is where Canon’s Business Solutions like Therefore™ Document Management Solution and uniFLOW Online Express come in. Apart from being easily installed in any imageRUNNER ADVANCE multifunction device, these solutions bring forth a multitude of benefits from the easy retrieval of digitised files in an in-house Document Service Centre to mail management and cloud storage services. The bottomline: purchase tech that will do all the time-consuming tasks for you, leaving you to be able to prioritise what’s important. Now, doesn’t that spark joy?
Work with a Reliable Partner
One last tip – new tech can be difficult to get used to, especially at the onset. Make sure to work with a partner that will help you get through not only the teething problems, but be there for you throughout as well.
With 40 years of prioritising customer service excellence and countless case studies lauding outstanding service staff, it’s safe to say that Canon is no stranger to service excellence – we are dedicated to helping businesses develop and progress. Make sure to partner with a team that aligns with your business goals and is able to lend a helping hand to help you go further each time.
Now that you know what’s stopping your business from innovating, you can take systematic steps to rectifying them and eventually create a work culture that is not only hungry and curious to improve – but most importantly, cultivating a culture that will take your company to greater heights.
Follow Canon Singapore on LinkedIn for more business updates!