Innovation in the everyday workplace

I have worked for all sorts of companies both big and small.  They all have their various mantras and themes, branding guidelines and philosophies. Some have a clear direction on what they want to accomplish in the world, others are trying to figure out what people want and cater to those needs to improve sales and expanded their reach.  

All employees, whether the owner of the business or the low level staff can create opportunities to improve. It's not necessarily required to have an environment of innovation in order to be creative. 

When I was in college I worked for Deer Valley ski resort. It was a college students dream job, with a decent wage, free skiing, and an opportunity to play in the snow almost every day. Dear Valley had very strict guidelines on appearance and process, but that didn't mean I was stuck doing what everyone else did. Opportunities to innovate were everywhere, from the way we carved the snow for the ramps leading up to the ski lifts, to the comments we made two customers as they came through. Striving to complete my job with perfection, I was noticed by my superiors and given more responsibilities. Additionally, I was given opportunities to work in the ski school teaching young children how to ski. While there were again, processes and policies that guided our daily tasks, there was also the opportunity in a date, like making little snowmen to ski around rather than just using the orange cones, or coming up with creative games to get kids more excited about learning. 

Years later I was in a position to create a training program for my company. With years of instructional design experience I knew that I could simply create a training manual that looked good and I would be considered a hero. Instead, I focus on emerging technologies, creating a video library of supplemental training that enhanced one's experience with the paper manual. Deploying this on mobile devices (including the iPad as it emerged into the market,) gave us a strategic edge that helped our company improve dramatically.  The ripple effects of those decisions have been improving my life ever since. 

I could've stuck with the status quo, I could've just made a manual and received the requisite praise, but my choice to find ways to improve the work I do continually pays off. 

Every has an opportunity to innovate. You don't have to be in a leadership position in order to find new ways to add value and stand out in the crowd.  Some of you might think "my boss never listens to my ideas" or "our company is so backwards that I never get a chance to be creative" but in making that statement at all you are closing your self to the opportunity for excitement in the workplace.  Look around, they're always small things you can do to innovate. Perhaps they are things that only affect you, perhaps they are almost invisible to your coworkers.  Remember, even if you aren't recognized for your efforts, being creative will still bring a level of job satisfaction that will help you enjoy getting to work everyday.