5 key ways to promote innovation at any company

Innovation isn’t just for tech giants or AI startups—it’s crucial for every kind of business, from accounting firms to retail stores. However, many companies are resistant to rethinking their processes and culture. Fostering innovation often calls for a more flexible, empowering approach that may seem hands-off, giving employees the freedom to explore, experiment, and take ownership of new ideas.

For some industries, this concept may feel unsettling, which is why 55% of companies believe they fall short in innovation. Yet promoting an innovation mindset throughout your organization can offer a huge competitive advantage. Here are five ways to nurture it.

1. Encourage curiosity

Employees often get caught up in their routines and tried-and-true processes, but to inspire innovation, challenge the “business as usual” mindset. Encourage employees to ask questions and share opinions. This may ultimately improve your company’s existing processes, whether that means finding a more streamlined client onboarding process or a better tool for team collaboration.

2. Focus on collaboration

Innovative companies inherently focus on creating a workplace culture where new ideas are respected, appreciated, and flow freely between employees, regardless of their role. When teams work together across departments, they’re able to uncover fresh solutions. As Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, said, “No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.”

3. Give your employees ownership

When a company creates space for employees to experiment, make decisions, and take control over their work, it creates space for innovation to thrive. Give teams ownership of projects, and trust they will find solutions rather than simply follow instructions.

At our agency, we gifted all of our employees a virtual reality (VR) headset to explore and experiment with. Our team members quickly found ways to incorporate VR into their creative workflow, even leveraging a VR app to plan a client brand activation. They scouted and planned the event space in 3D, meeting a tight project deadline and making key decisions all from the comfort of their desks.

4. Invest in learning

Innovation is a mindset, and to think differently, team members need exposure to new information and trends. Eighty-eight percent of organizations say that a lack of employee skills is holding back their innovation efforts, making this the top innovation barrier. Invest in lifelong learning by sending employees to industry conferences, paying for online courses, or by hosting internal workshops on industry trends or emerging technologies. The courses, certifications, or workshops vary depending on the industry, but the lesson remains the same: Keep your employees engaged, informed, and inspired inside and outside the workplace.

5. Reward and recognize innovative thinking

Recognize and reward creative thinking and problem solving. When employees see that their contributions are valued and celebrated, they’re more likely to take initiative and explore creative solutions. Zappos team members are encouraged to recognize and award others within the company, and leadership rewards a top performer each month with temporary perks such as a covered parking spot. Comprehensive rewards programs can be innovative themselves, as long as the focus is on keeping teams motivated and engaged.

Doug Conant put it best when he said, “To win in the marketplace, you must first win in the workplace.” This applies to innovation as well—to be known as an innovator, you must first succeed at integrating an innovation mindset into every fiber of your business. We’re nearing a new age of innovation, and companies already equipped to evolve and reinvent themselves will be the first ones at the party. We’ll meet you there.

Lisa Larson-Kelley is founder and CEO of Quantious.