No business will be successful unless its product, service or process is innovative on some level.

Innovation is what differentiates companies within the same industry from one another.  It isn’t something that can be purchased or built, but it is something that can be encouraged and fostered within a company culture.

Just because an idea doesn’t revolutionize a product or service doesn’t mean it isn’t innovative.  If an employee sees a way that the amount of time spent on a task can be cut in half, that idea can save money and pad the bottom line.  This is why it is important to listen to any idea, big or small, because you never know which one will turn into gold.

Check out these <a href="http://www.dalecarnegie.com/talent-management-employee-engagement/">corporate team building</a> tips you can make sure your employees know that innovation is something that your company takes seriously:

<strong>Create a team</strong>

Maybe the best way to show that your company takes innovation seriously is to dedicate a team to this initiative.  The responsibilities of this team can go beyond fostering ideas amongst themselves, but to also gather ideas from company employees.  Building diversity into the group, by seniority or department, is a great way to ensure a wide variety of ideas and opinions.

<strong>Hold meetings</strong>

Bringing people together to discuss ideas is a great way to develop them.  One way to get people to be comfortable enough to share their own ideas is to lead with an idea of your own.  Once people see that your business encourages sharing ideas, this process will become more fruitful.

<strong>Learn from failure</strong>

Just because an idea doesn’t lead to a new product or service your company can offer doesn’t mean it was a waste.  There are lessons to be learned from failures and treating them as constructive events won’t turn people away from sharing their ideas.

<strong>Reward success</strong>

While you don’t want to react negatively towards ideas that don’t pan out, you absolutely want to reward those who come up with a successful idea.  More than anything, this will motivate others to continually look for ways to be innovative.

<strong>Be open to change</strong>

In order to come up with new ways to save money and create products or new services, it is almost guaranteed that changes are going to have to be made.  Showing your employees that you are willing to make changes and adapt in order to try new ideas and innovation will help to open the door to new possibilities as well as improve <a href="http://www.dalecarnegie.com/employee-engagement/">employee engagement</a>.