Starting and sustaining a business has never been more difficult. Countless companies start and fail within a relatively short amount of time, often because people simply aren’t prepared to run an entire business. When you really want to be successful, the key is to make sure that your company focuses on ways to be innovative. Below you will find three ways that you can instill and improve innovation at your company.

A diverse culture

One great way to improve innovation at your company is to hire people who are diverse and have a range of different backgrounds. When you have employees who have various ways of thinking and approaching problems, then you will be better equipped to move forward with new ideas and ways of operating.

You also want to make sure that the employees you hire share a vision of what your company is and could be. You want people who are dedicated to your company and who bring diverse ideas to the table to push the whole business forward.

Don’t overwork yourself

With the advent of technology, it is often difficult to disconnect yourself from work. From emails to texts, even when you’re not at work, you’re working. But taking time off to recharge and refresh your brain is important. When you and your employees are run down and stressed, you’re not going to produce your best work. Taking vacation time or random days off can be that stress reliever your employees need in order to be happy and well-rested, which in turn will make them better employees.

In the same vein, creating a stress-free work environment can do wonders for your success. You don’t have to have a strict 9-5 timetable for your business. Different people are productive at different times of the day. As long as work is getting done and employees are committed, then you can create a flexible environment that works for everyone.

Sprint to the finish line

Some of the most innovative and successful companies employ a strategy called sprinting. Basically, this idea means that you set aside a specific amount of time to finish a project. Emails, phone calls, and meeting are all put on hold so that your team can focus on getting things done. You can even get out of the office, into nature, or go to a coffee shop to facilitate your sprint.