Driving Innovation as a Young Professional

Photo Courtesy of Boston University

 Welcome back! Thanks for stopping by.  Today I would like to share my experiences with driving innovation within companies, specifically young professionals driving innovation.  What is innovation?  Merriam-Webster defines innovation as the introduction of something new; a new idea, method, or device.  For the purposes of my post today, we will be discussing technological innovations, in specific computer applications/programs.  My history with this is surrounding the application of a Sales Software my company just recently implemented.     

For most Young Professionals, this hits home.  Our Generation has grown up with technology. It's like second nature for us, and most of us cannot imagine life without it. So in turn, when approached with challenging organizational problems, or data management issues, we instantly turn to technology.  With a simple "Google Search," thousands of applications to fix our problems are at our finger tips.  But the trick in driving innovation as a young professional is not finding that solution, but SELLING that solution!

 

To reference a previous post, The Young Guns, in many cases our seniors might be "out dated."  In the Oil & Gas Industry's case, you have the very young and the very old.  This is all due to the "Great Crew Change" that was previously discussed.  Explaining to your manager that has 40 years on you that you have this new and great idea of moving all paper files to the computer is quite frightening for them! You might get such reactions as...

• "What happens when you turn the Internet off?"
• "You want to do what?!"
• "Why change? This is the way we've always done it!"
• "How much is this going to cost me??"

Well, I've found that there are several keys to helping you drive this innovation home to the bank.  First, and foremost, you must have your facts in order.  You can't sell, or drive, anything unless you have all the facts.  Cold hard data makes the business world go round.  When I refer to facts, I am talking about:

• Pros
• Cons
• Associated costs
• Can our current operating systems support this application?
• Who else is currently using this application?

Basically, you need to have the answer to any questions your superiors might have.  You must, must, MUST do your homework prior to pitching the idea.  If you stroll in one afternoon and casually pitch your idea with no prior thought, you're done.  You need to have a plan of action in order as well. Know the answers to the following questions:

• How long will it take to transition?
• What are the transitional steps?
• Who all will this plan affect?
• What does our timeline look like?

Once you have all of this in place, your next step is to design the pitch.  What is your management's biggest issue right now surrounding the scope of your innovation.  Is it having data at the tip of their finger tips? Possibly keeping track of the sales group? In most cases, many programs/applications can have millions of other features associated with them.  Many of these will be useful to your company in the long run, but your goal is to target your management's biggest issue right now.  To make the step towards innovation, solve their problem; that is your key!  If you can design your pitch to hit home with them, you're in the driver's seat.

Another helpful tip in driving innovation is to have your team on board.  Have complete buy in from your team.  If only half of your team has bought in, then there is probably something wrong with the idea in the first place, or you need to work on your pitch a little more! Remember the saying, two heads are better than one. 

One final note: I would encourage you to not get personally attached to your idea.  Make sure that what you are pushing is actually going to help your company. I think many times it can be fun to push new and innovative ideas, yet we can lose track of the greater purpose.  So, just keep everything in perspective.  However, it is also good to have an unwavering passion to bring an idea to reality.  I guess what I am getting at is... are you so sure on your idea that you're willing to lose your job over it? If so, then give it all you've got.  Determine the level of impact you think your idea might have.  Possibly run your idea by one of your colleagues first, then your team, and then your management.  If it makes it all the way to the top, then you just might have something there. 

I hope this was helpful.  To summarize:

• Know your idea (Facts)
• Have a plan in place
• Run your idea by your team (Checks & Balances)
• Build your pitch around your management's biggest need

As I always mention, this is just what has worked well for me.  I encourage you to always be looking to innovate, and do not be afraid to take some risks.  I leave you with two great quotes... Have a great day, and be a person of impact!

The greatest risk is the risk of risk-less living.

-Stephen Covey

The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.

-Nelson Mandela