The ultimate target of every business or large corporation is to come up with a product or service that will be the breakthrough in the market.

It can be achieved if the employees are given space and support to think outside the box. This means getting away from the daily office routine and coming up with a new idea from time to time.

It proves a daunting task as most managers are unable to cultivate curiosity and an innovative culture among those beneath them in the office environment. Most of them usually push for quantity instead of quality. An employee’s effort is therefore channeled to the number of hours they are on duty instead of quality of work they produce.

Initiating an office environment driven by inquisitiveness and design thinking

Individuals within the company need to develop a tendency of energetic curiosity; even if it is not immediately useful. This is the root of successful design thinking.

Design thinking is a vital process of business success that most managers usually ignore. It comprises working together, brainstorming and testing prototypes and, thereafter analyzing feedback from the market.

Ever wondered why a new product from a company turns out to have the lowest sales?

Lack of proper research on what the market wants results undesirable products hence less sales. Top companies have always ensured success in the industry by initiating design thinking among its production team. Their actions are usually based on the needs of the customer to reduce the risk and uncertainty of innovation.  

Design thinking does not only lead to new products, but can also change the way the companies perform their daily routines. For instance, on how the human resource department works with the employees or even the process of production.

Fostering inquisitiveness and design thinking is the reason that some major players find themselves overtaken in the market. It is because this is a significant step in recognizing business gaps and trying to solve them, and it helps top players to be agile and remain relevant.

Steps of initiating design thinking and inquisitiveness.

The spirit of inquisitiveness and design thinking can be endorsed within the workplace through the following steps:

Targeting to disrupt the normalcy in the office

You can achieve this by inspiring your team to be on the lookout for new ideas. They can make this happen by keeping up with the latest trends, processes, and technology.

Recognizing and rewarding positive behavior

The best motivation that employees can ever have is when their managers notice an initiative they took at the office. Giving out tokens of appreciation in that direction is one way to boost their morale.

Encourage a climate where employees can ask questions freely

In doing this, employees will share ideas and correct one another. Such forums will guide the team to discover issues in the product market, dwell on them and come up with a solution. This will also go far in bonding the team. A united team can accomplish many tasks with quality output.

Measuring progress and steps taken towards creativity

Reviewing how your team performs when it comes to quantity is important, but a review on innovativeness is better! A survey can be taken in this direction and later on, the management can work to improve on the low scoring areas as discovered.

Engage the workforce in making decisions in the office

Employees may at times have productive ideas that will aid in decision making and even strategizing a way to success. It is always a bad idea leaving employees out of the loop when it comes to information concerning them. Generating a culture where employees can air out their opinions and give feedback will work in making them valued, hence boosting their drive towards company development.

Generate an ambitious feeling among the employees

A team that has set their targets far ahead than their rivals often reaps plenty of success in form of profit. An ambitious team is never complacent and always seek to be a step ahead in the competition at hand.

Concentrate on customer needs

Sometimes companies come up with products that no one wants to buy, all because they had not done their homework on the needs of their target market. A know-it-all attitude is the beginning of failure and should always be avoided at all costs.

Empathy

Finally, as a leader, you need to develop empathy towards employee activities. This is the cornerstone to design thinking in top performing brands.

How companies maintain their relevancy in the market

A company that has effectively fostered inquisitiveness and design thinking has employees who have freedom and support to create new products. All it involves is taking the risk of promoting a new product with various advertising methods including social media, traditional marketing like flyer designs & brochures, billboard advertising, and then waiting for the reaction of the market forces.

Experience tells that it takes a mere day for the stocks or sales of a company’s brand to fall from top of the charts to rock bottom.  Creating an environment based on sharing information and problem-solving is a key ingredient in the recipe towards success. Such companies enjoy a pool of ideas that if tested and implemented will always win the heart of the client base.

A leader is acknowledged by their ability to act in a manner that provokes their employees to dream, learn, do and achieve more. It is only in doing this that the company may develop an edge against their competition, as well as taking the lead in a field that many had feared.

“Design is a really loaded word… most people think it’s about how they look, but it is about how they work.” - Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc.