The Innovation Skills and Attributes I Look For When Hiring Innovators

Do you think of life as a game? It's more than just an analogy. Life really is a game, and there are rules. Rules that can help us survive and thrive. This article will show you how to win this one-in-a-million chance at life by knowing how to make others aware of your innovation skills and abilities so you can achieve career success.

I will share what I look for when hiring people on my teams. There are skills, attributes, and habits that distinguish those who innovate from those who don't. There are many people with good ideas. But not everyone has what it takes to bring their idea to life and make it thrive in the real world. What separates the two is a set of skills, habits, and mindsets that allow them to have good ideas and take the actions to see their idea through and make them a success.

I break these down to:

• 3 Innovation Skills
• 10 Attributes of Innovators

3 Innovation Skills I Look For When Hiring

Skills are the abilities that you need to do something. We learn skills from skilled practitioners and then practice them and get better at them over time. So, if innovation is a skill, what innovation training should you consider to build your innovation skills? And what are the key high-level skills you need to be innovative?

1. The ability to see things differently

In order to be innovative, it’s essential to see things differently. You need to look at problems and challenges from a new perspective and come up with creative solutions.

Here are three ways to see things differently:

• Ask “why?” — When you encounter a problem, challenge, or opportunity, ask “why?” Why is this happening? What is the root cause of the problem? Asking “why?” can help you get to the heart of the matter and come up with more creative solutions.
• Challenge assumptions — Challenging assumptions is another way to see things differently. When you challenge assumptions, you force yourself to think outside the box and come up with new ideas.
• Look for patterns — Another way to see things differently is to look for patterns. Look for similarities between unique problems or challenges. By finding patterns, you can often find new ways to solve problems.

2. The ability to think outside the box

Many of us are conditioned to think inside the box, which might not be suitable for innovative thinking. The box is actually a metaphor that depicts the “constrained way of thinking” and any creative idea can be best expressed if learners will allow themselves to question their assumptions from time to time.

As an illustration, Albert Einstein was once asked how he came up with his theory of relativity. He replied, “By thinking outside the box.”

Here are some ways to think outside the box:

• By making unusual or unexpected associations between things — When you combine things in new and unexpected ways, you can often come up with innovative ideas. For example, a few years ago I was working on a project that involved developing a new product. I was having trouble coming up with a good idea for the product, so I made a list of random associations. I came up with a list of things that were unrelated to the project, such as “butterfly,” “balloon,” and “kite.” Then I started thinking about how I could combine these things in new and interesting ways. As a result, I came up with the idea of a product that was a cross between a butterfly and a kite.
• By questioning everything you take for granted — With innovation, one of the most important things to do is to question everything you take for granted. Too often, we accept things as they are without really thinking about them. We just go with the flow and don’t challenge our assumptions. But if you want to be more innovative, you need to question everything.

3. The ability to take risks

In order to be innovative, it’s essential to have risk-taking skills. Many great ideas never see the light of day because people are too afraid to take risks. But if you want to be more innovative, you need to be willing to take risks. Here are some tips for taking risks:

• Be prepared to fail — When you take risks, you need to be prepared to fail. Failure is a part of the innovation process. If you’re not willing to fail, you’re not likely to succeed.
• Be flexible — When you’re taking risks, it’s important to be flexible. You need to be able to adapt and change course if things don’t go as planned.

Learn from your mistakes — When you take risks, you will make mistakes. But it’s important to learn from your mistakes. Mistakes can often lead to new and innovative ideas.

10 Attributes I Look For In Innovators

Leaders are constantly on the lookout for those with certain attributes that label someone as an innovator. They realize these skills are essential for the success of their company.

In my experience, team members who will have innovation success share the following attributes:

1) They have a growth mindset.

People with a growth mindset are always looking to improve and learn new things. They see challenges as opportunities for growth, and they aren’t afraid to make mistakes. This type of mindset allows them to be more creative and innovative.

2) They embrace change.

In order to be creative and come up with new ideas, you need to experiment and try new things. You also need to be open to change, ready to adapt when things don’t go as planned. If you’re resistant to change, you’re likely to miss out on new opportunities for growth.

3) They are comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty.

Being comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty is key to being innovative. If you’re constantly worried about what might happen if you try something new, you will not be very successful. You need to take risks and experiment, even if you don’t have all the answers.

4) They take smart risks

You need to be comfortable taking risks. This doesn’t mean blindly gambling on your team’s success on a whim, but taking calculated risks that have a good chance of payoff. One way to take smart risks is to make sure your ideas are well thought out by using critical thinking skills. Before you implement a new idea, take some time to think about it from all angles. What could go wrong? What are the potential benefits? By taking the time to think through your ideas, you can avoid costly mistakes and increase your chances of success.

5) They are great collaborators.

Being a great collaborator is key to innovation success. In order to come up with new ideas, you need to work together with others and exchange ideas. This means being open-minded, flexible, and willing to compromise. You also need to use critical thinking and offer constructive feedback. By working together as a team, you can bounce ideas off of each other and come up with solutions that are better than what you could have come up with on your own. An underlying sub-skill for collaboration is excellent communication skills.

6) They have a strong work ethic.

In order to come up with new ideas, you need to put in the time and effort to make them a reality. This means working hard and staying focused, even when things get tough. It also means being willing to take risks and experiment, even if you don’t have all the answers.

7) They are resilient and adaptable.

Being resilient and adaptable are essential skills for innovation success. If you’re not able to bounce back from setbacks and adapt to change, you’re going to have a hard time being successful. This is especially true in the world of innovation, where things are constantly changing and evolving.

8) They are lifelong learners.

In order to be successful in the world of innovation, you need to be a lifelong learner. This means always being open to learning new things and constantly expanding your horizons. It also means being willing to try new things and experiment, even if you don’t have all the answers.

9) They have a positive outlook.

When people are happy; they are more productive and have high emotional intelligence. They also have easier time-solving problems and coming up with new ideas. This is because when you're feeling good, your brain releases dopamine, which makes you feel energized and motivated. It also helps reduce stress levels and improves your mood so that you can better approach challenges in a positive light.

10) They are solution-focused.

By looking at problems in novel ways and working together as a team, more potential solutions can be found, compared, considered, and the best course of action is selected, given the innovation resources available. They are continuously revising their personal creative process to help them remain solution-focused.

Managing Your Innovation Career

In today’s fast-paced, constantly-evolving world, it’s more important than ever to have innovative skills and attributes. These are the skills and attributes that enable you to think creatively, come up with new ideas, and execute those ideas by creating innovations that have an impact. If you want to succeed in the workplace, you need to innovate.

An organization that wants to achieve success is looking for employees who stand out from the crowd with innovative skills and attributes that allow them to make a positive impact on the company.

If you can show that you prioritize time to improve innovation skills and exhibit the right innovators attributes, your boss will be more likely to promote you. And if you’re ever looking for a new job, employers have added innovation skills and innovators attributes as part of the job application process. They will be more likely to hire you if you have a track record of innovation success.

So how do you make others aware of your innovation skills and capabilities?

1) Showing innovation skills on your resume

In order to show that you have innovation skills, you need to highlight your accomplishments in this area. On your resume, list the projects you’ve worked on, the ideas you’ve come up with, and the successes you’ve achieved.

If you have a portfolio of innovation you've developed, be sure to include it with your resume. This will give employers a concrete example of your skills.

2) Showing innovation skills in an interview

When you’re interviewing for a job, be prepared to talk about your creative thinking and strong innovation skills. Have a few examples ready to share of times when you came up with creative ideas or used your problem-solving skills in creative ways. If you have the option, have something to show your own innovation skills during the interview, like a prototype of an innovative product you created.

3) Showing innovation skills on the job

If you want to be successful in your job, you need to continuously show your innovation skills and innovators attributes. This means always being on the lookout for new ideas, suggestions, or solutions. When you see a problem, come up with a creative way to solve it. Be open to trying new things and experimenting. And always be learning so that you can keep up with the latest trends.

4) Developing innovation skills

If you want to be successful in the world of innovation, it’s important to continuously improve your skills. This means always being open to learning new things and expanding your horizons. It also means being willing to try new things and experiment, even if you don’t know if it will work. Be curious and ask questions. Be persistent and never give up. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to fail—because that’s how you learn and become better.

So What?

In order to achieve success in your career, it's important to have skills and attributes that set you apart from the competition. Today, innovation skills are one of the most important skills an individual can possess. If you want to succeed in your job and be promoted, it's essential that you continuously improve your innovation skills. And if you're ever looking for a new job, employers will be more likely to hire you if you have a track record of innovation success.

The first step towards improving innovation skills is to commit to practicing innovation skills every day. This means being curious and asking questions, being open to new ideas, and always being willing to experiment. By continuously working to improve innovation skills, you'll be more likely to succeed in your career and have a positive impact on your organization.