Did you know that companies that promote a culture of innovation are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their rivals, according to McKinsey? In business, if you’re not innovating, you’re often falling behind. That’s why the top companies are always looking to improve their products or develop new ones.

So, how can your company be more innovative? At BigSpeak Speakers Bureau, we work with some of the top innovation speakers in business. These keynote speakers have founded innovative companies like Siri and Netflix, written bestselling books on innovation, and taught innovation at top business schools.

If you want to get started on your own innovation journey, here are a few questions the experts recommend you ask.

1) Do you have a system to try out your ideas?

According to Marc Randolph, the co-founder of Netflix and bestselling author of That Will Never Work, the key to finding a great innovative idea is to develop a system to try out all your bad ideas so you can find the good ones.

2) Do you look for anomalies and incongruities?

According to the Dean of Innovation and Professor at the Ross School of Business, Jeff DeGraff, innovation is about seeing new patterns in things. So, are you looking for anomalies and incongruities?

3) Is your product essential?

According to Adam Cheyer, co-founder of the virtual voice assistant Siri, when you develop your new product or service, ask yourself one question: Can we do something with this new thing that we couldn’t do without it?

4) Does your innovation bring delight?

According to Jonas Kjellberg, co-creator of Skype, many companies create products that are just okay. In order for your product or service to be truly innovative, ask yourself if you’re bringing delight to your users.

6) Are you following stupid rules?

According to the bestselling author of Start an Innovation Revolution, Lisa Bodell, stupid rules impede your innovation at work. Ask your team what two rules are holding them back. For example, does your job require you to write too many reports, attend too many meetings, or include your bosses in every decision before you try something? 

5) Are you getting an outsider’s perspective?

According to Duncan Wardle, the former vice president of innovation and creativity at Disney, to innovate, you need an outsider’s perspective to look at things differently. A non-expert can see why things don’t work in a certain way and help you identify areas you need to work on, sparking new ideas.

6) Are you trying too hard to be perfect?

According to innovation expert and Chief Evangelist at Canva, Guy Kawasaki, stop trying to be perfect. If you wait to make everything just right with your product or service, the market will pass you by. However, if your idea is truly innovative, people will use it anyway. 

If you’re looking for a Top Innovation Keynote Speaker for your next event, contact BigSpeak Speakers Bureau today.

For more on innovation, read

Top 10 Innovation Keynote Speakers

The Surprising Answer to Increasing Innovation and Revenue

Inspire Innovation and Boost Productivity with Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph’s Leadership Principles