5 Ways to Innovate from Within a Company—Step Four

I believe there are 5 steps to follow to innovate from within, and today I want to talk about Step 4. If you missed Steps 1, 2 & 3, check your inbox on May 14, 28 and June 12 to learn about “Believing You Can Get It Done,” “Dedicated Butts in Dedicated Seats,” and The Need for a Process.”

Too many of us get obsessed with shiny objects. It’s important to really focus on studying and analyzing a problem before building a solution.

Step #4 on How to Innovate from Within:

Spending Time Studying the Problem

While shiny objects often distract us long enough to make quick fixes, they often fail to address the root causes of the issues we are facing.

I’ve learned that it’s important to study the problem because when you study it, you find the root cause. This allows you to ensure the solution you are developing has a lasting impact and that the problem doesn’t reoccur.

As mentioned in Step 3, I hate waste. I believe in using my resources efficiently and the best way to do that is by investing time in studying the problem, figuring out what is most important and the highest priority, and focusing on that.

Lastly, in order to study the problem, it’s important to gather all important data. Listen to your customers, gather metrics and look for patterns and trends that lead you to your problem area.

Important Question to Ask Yourself this Week:

How in-depth do you go when studying the root cause of problems at your company? What can you be doing to make this process better and get the information you really need?