Over the last years, startups have been changing the Workplace Culture. Offices have become much more comfortable and friendly for their users and the organisation models are increasingly more flexible. The facilities help employees relax when they need to take a break and be more productive when it’s essential. However, when a startup grows, they can become less flexible. An increasing number of departments, conflicting on common goals, and several decision-makers can contribute to losing the Startup’s priorities. As a result, the Startup becomes sluggish and innovation suffers.
Here are 5 strategies to ensure the Startup continues to stay innovative:
Encourage new ideas
Continually ask staff for brainstorming and use imaginative questions to promote new ideas. Provide filtered ideas with space, materials, and autonomy to develop them. Besides, help employees create goals that allow them to focus and work independently. Check and measure progress and ensure efforts are focused on those goals, adjusting them if necessary.
Avoid placing blame at workplace
Some very promising ideas will fail, either because employees didn’t know to carry out the projects properly, or because finally, the idea was not that good, or even due to lack of luck. But it’s rather important to learn from these failures. They are part of the work environment.
New skills development
To be successful, teams should employ a growth mindset. An innovative workplace requires to build agile work teams willing to learn new skills quickly. Design professional development plans taking into account lessons learned and feedback. A professional development plan is a very powerful tool that motivates staff, and that can serve as a lever to attract new talent.
Rewards collaboration
Innovation workplaces require two things: communication and sharing knowledge. Based on cross-functional and balanced teams with members who have different strengths, collaboration is essential for fresh perspectives which can inspire ideas and alternative approaches.
Resilience
Impossible tasks and pressing deadlines are usually in the life of a Startup, and they can prevent generating some sort of inventive idea. Create a culture where it’s safe to take an occasional break—a day off, a short walk or even a vacation—anything to reinvigorate the creative side.