It has only become more important in the business world as competition has become a necessity for businesses to stand out.

Businesses must promote innovation and creativity throughout it’s workplace and staff. 

Here are six tips to encourage a more innovative culture in your workplace:

1. Make innovation important and involve your employees: Ensure all your employees know that you want to hear their ideas and understand how innovating your business processes can keep your business competitive.

2. Encourage new idea creation: Allocate time for new ideas to emerge. 

3. Encourage staff to learn new techniques: Train, coach and encourage all sections of your workplace to learn new ways to problem solve and seek new ideas for products, process and technology.

4. Be more risk tolerant: Allow a measured level risk-taking to stimulate innovation. People can learn by mistakes and this encourages future innovative ideas.

5. Reward ideas and innovation:  Reward creative thinking and ideas creation. Motivate those that come up with winning ideas by actively recognising innovation.

6. Implementation of new ideas is critical for success: Innovation is only worthwhile if it results in action. Provide time and resources to plan and implement new ideas. Measure the success of this implementation of ideas to ensure these ideas are creating a more productive workplace that benefits staff, customers and the business. Failure to do so not only means your firm will fail to benefit from innovation, but flow of ideas may well dry up if employees feel the process is pointless.