Becoming an Innovator

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     Innovation is not just about having big ideas, but about the mindset and habits to make them happen. Through the learning activities this week, I realized that innovation is something you can actively develop rather than something you are just born with. Each of these questions allowed me to reflect on my own skills and how I can continue to grow.  

Two personal skills that I believe are essential for effective innovation are creativity and a growth mindset. Creativity allows thinking outside the box and coming up with new solutions, while a growth mindset keeps us open to learning and not give up immedietly when things are challenging. One emphasis that stuck with me from this week is the point that failure is part of the learning process. “Some of the best innovations in history were the product of many failures. View failure as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future rather than defeat.” (Boyles, 2022). Failing isn’t losing, it’s part of the innovation process. I can cultivate these traits by practicing viewing mistakes as opportunities to improve instead of setbacks and allowing myself to think outside the box without judging my ideas.  

To fuel my innovative thinking, it's important for me to expand my knowledge and stay up to date on certain trends and developments in my field. Innovation depends a lot on being aware of what is currently going on. Some things I can do to stay informed is reading industry articles, following professionals platforms, or attending information sessions to help keep me inspired and informed. For example, I’m wanting to be an occupational therapist, so I attended an information session about a new food therapy called Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS). This session allowed me to keep up with a current trend in OT and inspired me to do more research on the topic to grow my knowledge.  

Building a diverse network of mentors is another key part of my innovation journey. Connecting with people from different backgrounds gives me a different perspective. Ideas can be much stronger when everyone brings different ideas. I can build these relationships by joining organizations and reaching out to mentors in the field I want to pursue. By staying open to collaboration and listening to those around me I can continue to develop my innovative skills and mindset.  

References 

Boyles, M. (2022). The Importance of Creativity in Business. Harvard Business School Online. https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/importance-of-creativity-in-business  

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