Innovation is the key to a healthy organization’s growth, and as a small business owner and boss, you should get your team members involved as much as possible. Here’s how to tap into their creativity:

• Define your objectives in simple terms. Don’t make innovation a mystery by shrouding it in statistical language or marketing jargon. Express what you’re looking for in basic language that everyone can understand.
• Cast a wide net. Tell team members what kind of innovations you’re looking for. New products are one possibility, of course, but so is repurposing an existing product for a new customer or cutting costs in your operations. Give them lots of options for exercising their creativity.
• Design a clear process from start to finish. A good idea is just the beginning. Spell out a clear, systematic plan for developing it from concept to product, and share the steps with your workforce. For example, your road map could start with customer research, move into design work, and lead to initial testing before a full commitment, with intermediate steps as well.
• Look beyond the obvious. Inspiration can be found in unexpected places. Encourage employees to explore offbeat sources of ideas—showbiz websites instead of business journals, for instance.