More businesspeople should focus on coming up with new ideas. We’re not talking about creating the next eBay here, but rather ideas that can move the business forward or even just help keep you sane They might be ideas on better ways to do things, ideas on how to expand the business or ideas about new products to launch. There are different scopes of ideas, ranging from the trivial to the transformational. For example, coming up with the idea of putting programming called HBO on a satellite to beam movies down to millions could be considered transformational. While most ideas do not transform industries, they do keep the businesses in industries running. Ideas on what kinds of people should be hired, how they should be compensated and what kinds of benefits should be packaged can impact many. However, no matter the size or the impact of an idea, it requires time and a mindset to create it. Some ideas require quiet time. This can mean closing your office door and ignoring the phone and e-mail for a bit, which can be challenging. It’s difficult to be creative when three people are talking at you and your e-mail box is filling with pressing issues. We know from our past research that there is little extra time available to come up with ideas. Some might think that working away from the office is the answer, since 61 percent of senior executives and managers have increased the amount of time spent working out of the office over the last three years. However, working away does not necessarily mean getting away. “With the increase in e-mail and voice mail volume (every message is a project), managers oftentimes find themselves filled with more work,” said one manager. “Whether you’re at home or work, there isn’t much free time to enjoy time away.” Said another: “Working away from the office allows for dedicated moments of creativity and exploration.” However, many businesspeople tend to get caught up in the crisis of the moment and miss opportunities to come up with new ideas. Since four-fifths of executives and managers have 90 minutes or less of personal time on a typical workday, there are two options. The first is for individuals to carve more time from the working day to create and consider new ideas. The second (and more practical) is to open the doors to new ideas from people throughout the organization. No one person can have all the good ideas, but there can be countless good and even great ideas that can come from throughout the ranks if managers and executives encourage it. So the next time you need an idea on how to make something at work better, for a fresh perspective ask a few people you would not normally ask to come up with something. Ask a colleague, a spouse or a friend. You might be surprised at how creative a person can be. As a colleague of mine used to say: A good idea doesn’t care who has it. So if anyone has any good ideas, feel free to e-mail them to me and we’ll share them. Related content BrandPost Retail innovation playbook: Fast, economical transformation on Microsoft Cloud For retailers, tight integration of data and systems is the antidote to a challenging economy. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 3 mins Retail Industry Digital Transformation BrandPost How retailers are empowering business transformation with TCS and Microsoft Cloud AI-powered omnichannel integration and a strong, secure digital core lets retailers innovate across four primary areas while staying compliant, maintaining security and preventing fraud. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 4 mins Retail Industry Cloud Computing BrandPost How to Build ROI from Cloud Migration This whitepaper and webcast can help you calculate the ROI and create a business case for modernizing your legacy applications to the Microsoft Cloud. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 1 min Retail Industry Cloud Computing BrandPost How to power a sustainable enterprise on Microsoft Cloud In this eBook, we’ll follow the journey of Amal Skye, a fictitious woman who is committed to living in a way that preserves the planet for the future —and how businesses like Tata Consultancy Services and Microsoft are making that possi By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 1 min Retail Industry Green IT Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe