It can be easy to think of innovation as a luxury, something you can indulge in when things are stable and secure but something that you need to pull back on when times are uncertain. Unfortunately, there are a few problems with this approach. One is that there will still be no shortage of others who are continuing to innovate even in tough times, and you could find yourself falling behind.
Another is that you can't always predict when times are going to suddenly turn rocky. If you fear trying something new in the middle of bigger changes, you could find yourself too paralyzed to ever make a move. Alternately, you might be unprepared when a crisis arises in the middle of an innovation cycle. It is possible to find a balance between the fear of uncertainty and the desire for transformation.
Identify Dangers
Your first steps should be to identify some of the most likely dangers, make sure you understand them and consider how to mitigate them. This can be tricky because it is all too easy to get caught up in endlessly identifying new hazards and figuring out what to do about them. That's why it's important to keep your focus tight here, limited to no more than three or four major challenges. If you really aren't sure what your biggest concerns should be, try talking to some experts in the field you're looking at to get a better idea.
If you're moving into real estate investment or even thinking about buying a home for yourself, anyone who has survived a recession driven housing crisis will tell you that it's one thing you don't want to deal with as a real estate owner. However, since you can't prevent recessions, you need to learn how to cope with them. Review a guide to learn what happens during a recession and how to tell if one might be coming. You can also learn more about how the economy is affected in various ways and what you can do to protect yourself. Finally, you can read about the likely outlook for the economy in the next few years. Preparation is key, but you may also need to get others on your side.
Succeed with Persuasion
Any time you introduce an innovation, you need to combat imposter syndrome and get others on board, but amid uncertainty, this skill becomes even more important. There's a key element in here that many people miss, which is that having a great idea, even the best idea, is not enough. You will need to get everyone else as excited about it as you are. While it's true that being naturally charismatic and persuasive can help with this, there is also one way you can go about it that will increase the likelihood of success.
Identify the various people that you will need to convince and think about what their objections are going to be. These objections are usually born out of fear. If you can anticipate ahead of time what might concern them, you can also strategize solutions. In this way, even in rocky conditions, you can introduce your new idea to broad approval.
Internal Tools
You'll need to practice some degree of self control in order to keep a cool head when uncertainty threatens to knock you, your company, or your organization off course during a time of innovation. Recognize what is and isn't out of your control, particularly your attitude toward adversity. In addition, give yourself time, not months or years, but seconds or minutes before you react to a difficult situation. Teach yourself to take a deep breath and think before you speak or react in some other way. This will help reduce the likelihood of making poor decisions under pressure.
Company Culture
Within your organization, you can also create conditions that are better suited to uncertainty. You might not be able to control the outside world, but within your organization, there can be a sense of trust and safety. Good communication and a sense that their projects and positions are not going to be pulled out from under them without warning goes a long way toward establishing this trust. When challenges do arise, respond by seeing them as problems to be solved collaboratively, building a stronger team along with increasing innovation.
