Blog Page – Page 18 – Steve Sponseller

Discovering Your Innovation Environment

To develop innovative ideas for your business, you must find your own “innovation environment” that stimulates your creative energy. Although people can generate creative ideas at any time, intentionally placing yourself into the proper environment can produce excellent innovations that grow your business.

My perfect innovation environment is something like the picture to the left – in a peaceful outdoor setting. That’s not me sitting on the dock, but I would love to be there! One of my favorite environments is sitting along the ocean and letting my brain come to life. Since I live in Spokane, Washington, it’s a long drive to the ocean, but fortunately we have many mountains, rivers, and lakes nearby. I escape to these places to relax and identify new ideas for my own business.

I first learned about finding an innovation environment from a cartoon character when I was five or six years old. That cartoon character is Winnie the Pooh. My kids love our collection of Winnie the Pooh books, toys, and videos. Winnie the Pooh was one of my favorite characters when I was a kid too. But, he’s not just entertainment for kids, he brings an important lesson about innovation to adults!Continue reading

Accelerating Business Growth Through Innovation

During the past 20 years I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with over 1000 innovators and business leaders who create new products that impact the lives of many people. I realize that creativity and innovation can have a powerful impact on any business. Identifying innovations is a critical step in expanding and accelerating your business. These innovative ideas can reduce expenses, increase revenue, create a competitive edge in the marketplace, and foster a “team environment.”

Innovation in business is implemented by following a system that includes identifying, tracking, and evaluating innovations. Here are a few things to consider when starting to leverage innovation in your business.

Innovation Disclosures. You cannot leverage innovative ideas that are not identified. To identify creative ideas throughout your business, implement an innovation disclosure program that allows all personnel to easily submit descriptions of their ideas. Encourage everyone in your organization to participate in the innovation program and submit all of their ideas.Continue reading