Three steps to innovation with your first coffee of the day!

Innovation is a mindset.

When we are asked what we do in our free time, we think “what’s that?!” because we spend a majority of our time working — especially as entrepreneurs and founders. The same thing occurs in a corporation, when an employee is asked to “innovate” on top of their many other tasks and responsibilities, they think “um when?” It’s a challenge. “Solve this problem.” “Come up with a new solution.” “Innovate.” When are they supposed to innovate? With what time? Where do they start? How can they start?

There are three steps that can help employees and entrepreneurs to innovate effectively. The first is ask the right questions before you start, and then start…with coffee and the coffee ritual!

Develop a better understanding of the problem we are seeking to solve with innovation. Two questions that can help are:

Innovation — unlike strategy which creates a clear path to the goal — is often confusing for people. They give too much information, too little information, or don’t know where to start. Or they think it means establishing no end goal at all! It is all about having a vision and then problem-solving with the right people.

Throughout history, coffee has been consumed by many great thinkers, musicians and artists. In fact, some of the most successful and acclaimed human beings to ever walk the planet were totally, sometimes painfully, nuts for coffee.

So if you want to hold yourself to the same calibre as these great innovators you can rev-up your innovation using coffee too!

To provide the clarity and focus we need to ideate, and we use the Coffee Ritual to clear the way. It’s simple, basically while we prepare and enjoy our first coffee we prepare our mindset for the day. (The six triggers conveniently spell out COFFEE so they are easy to remember! ;-))

On the days that we ask ourselves what we want to achieve that day, or how we can focus on what we really want to do, as well as remove barriers to that goal, always — always — leads to better results and creates more space for innovation.

Happy innovating!

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