The art of innovating: How to overcome the fear of uncertainty?

Innovation is an inherent and fundamental process for the evolution of companies. Any business that intends to be sustainable over time requires high doses of creativity and innovation to adapt to the new times and contexts that emerge in a society that advances faster and faster.

Sometimes the task of innovating imposes. In fact, it's not strange to feel a certain fear when facing the challenge of evolving your product or business since, the certainties, are much lower than the uncertainties that we will have to solve and, together with this, The more than understandable fear of failure may appear.

Given this scenario, uncertainty management is a key element for The success of innovation projects. I hope this post can be useful When facing the challenge of innovating in your product or service.

Techniques to face uncertainty

To start I will tell you that there are certain techniques and ways to face the innovation that will help you travel this path and that can help you reduce that uncertainty that paralyzes you. Some points to consider finding certainties Within this scenario and that will be of great help are:

Analyze the risks

Investigate, identify and evaluate the possible risks associated with the project. Do it from the principle as this will help you detect and anticipate possible ObstaclesThanks to this early detection you can prepare contingency plans to address them from the beginning.

Flexibility and adaptability

In an innovation environment, circumstances can change from one moment to another. Keep an open and flexible mentality. You have to be willing to Adjust the course of the project as you walk the way. This mentality It is key when facing uncertainty and reducing the frustration it can suppose that The results do not occur exactly as you had raised something that, on the other hand, is what more normal, especially in the initial phases.

Therefore, try not to stress more and enjoy the way.

Iteration and continuous learning

It adopts an iterative approach in the development of the project. Whether you are barming in your Head a new revolutionary idea or that you are part of a team allow you, or to your team, learn from mistakes and adapt the solutions as The project is developed.

Continuous iteration and learning will help you reduce uncertainty since You can adapt the solutions along the way with all the learning that you have acquired in the same.

AGILE AND TROCEO DEVELOPMENT OF INCERTAINTY

Use agile methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban, can help you manage the uncertainty. These methodologies will allow you to divide the project into smaller and more manageable deliverables. A good application of These forms of work will help you address the challenges of innovation in a way much more limited.

Talk to experts

A conversation with someone versed in the subject you are willing to address is one of The most profitable actions for your idea or business. Have a variety of resources and collaborators who know of the subject in which you are willing to innovate It will help mitigate the impact of uncertainty.

Take advantage of the experience of different equipment and disciplines can provide a security network additional. Include expert points in each of the areas of Whatever be creating will give you very valuable information when finding data and fundamentals that reduce uncertainty.

There is no failure and learning

Failure is only failure if there is no learning. Therefore, it fosters and values ​​the experimentation, learning and adaptation as they will help you to reduce the fear of failing and promoting an innovative spirit in you and your organization.

Promoting this culture of "no fear of failure" you will allow you and teams with whom you collaborate to be more receptive to uncertainty and, under this mentality, You will be much more willing to assume risks.

The art of innovating and managing uncertainty

How you will have seen in this post and in others of my site there are techniques that you They can help in the process of innovating but, the basis of everything is a series of capabilities intrapersonal that allow you think different.

In my experience I have given myself on many occasions with a recurring question and that is based on the Uncertainty and fear of failure Is this really the path we must take? and my Answer is always the following. I hope it serves you as a reflection.

“Based on the data we have at this time, it seems that this is the path. But the most important thing about this decision is, above all, that we know for What we are taking it. Therefore, if we fail, we will analyze the data and know for What we are failing . . . ”

In short, uncertainty management in innovation projects requires A proactive and flexible approach. By anticipating and addressing risks in a way strategic, stay receptive to change and learn from experience, You will reduce uncertainty and increase the chances of success of that project or business.