Happy August.

To support you in being F.I.R.S.T. (Future-Ready. Innovative. Relevant. Strategic. Trusted.), here's 1 tip and 1 quote.

1. The F.I.R.S.T. Tip

The ability to innovate is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a strategic imperative. If you want to foster a culture of creativity and risk-taking, try implementing these three tactics:

1. Rotate Reporting Structures: Instead of having a traditional top-down hierarchy, experiment with rotating leadership roles and reporting structures. For example, have team members take turns leading projects or leading weekly meetings. This breaks down silos, encourages cross-pollination of ideas, and gives everyone a chance to flex their leadership muscles.

Spotify utilises "squads" – small (less than 8 people), self-organising teams with no fixed managers. Team members rotate who leads each initiative, keeping things dynamic and preventing stagnation.

2. Celebrate Failures: Most leaders pay lip service to the idea of embracing failure, but in reality, they often penalise it. Companies like Google, 3M and Spanx have institutionalised ways to recognise and reward "failures" - experiments that didn't work out, but provided valuable learning.

Consider the case of 3M's Post-it Notes. The initial adhesive formula was considered a failure, until someone realised its potential for a different application. By normalising and celebrating these kinds of learning experiences, you give your team the psychological safety to take bold risks.

3. Build in Unstructured Time: Studies show that some of the most groundbreaking ideas come when the mind is allowed to wander. Implement "free time" into your team's schedule - whether it's an hour a week or a full "innovation day" each month. Encourage people to use this time to explore new ideas, tinker with prototypes, or simply daydream.

Google’s “20% Time” policy allows employees to spend 20% of their work hours on passion projects. This has led to the development of hugely successful products like Gmail and Google Maps.

 

Of course, fostering a culture of innovation doesn't happen overnight. It requires a sustained commitment to challenging the status quo and giving your team the freedom to explore, experiment, and occasionally fail. But the payoff can be immense - not just in terms of new products and services, but in building an organisation that is future-ready, innovative, relevants, strategic and trusted!

So don't be afraid to buck convention and try something new. The future belongs to the boldly creative, not the cautiously complacent. Whom will you choose to be?

F.I.R.S.T. Tip: Cultivate an innovative culture by empowering bold risk-taking

2.The F.I.R.S.T. Quote

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