Hello everyone, I am Dr. Sandra Johnson, and I want to share with you my ideas regarding an innovative mindset.

I have over 40 pending and issued patents. And I typically view the world as whatever I interact with, whatever I use, etc. I am constantly thinking, “How can this be done better? How can it perform better, how can it be faster, easier to use, etc.” And I approach that with every aspect of my life. And so from that perspective, it’s just an integral part of who I am, thinking about how to improve, how to make it easier and innovative. And so when I then go to the next step and dig a little deeper about something, particularly with something that I may be frustrated with because I’m running into some obstacles with using it or addressing it, etc., I go to a quiet place. And I think about it very hard and long. And then I just start writing ideas down. And that usually turns into a patent application. For example, a couple of years ago, I had been working on a project, and working hard on it and running into a number of obstacles. And I knew that I was at the cusp of some type of invention. So I actually spent time by myself. I drove to the mountains on Thanksgiving Day, believe it or not, and spent time at a bed and breakfast by myself in the mountains. And then everything started flowing. And out of that came a couple of patent applications. Another idea I had was  interacting with colleagues, just brainstorming back and forth during happy hour. On Fridays, I did this with a group of women actually, every Friday for a few weeks. And out of those happy hour brainstorming conversations came a patent. So again, it’s just an integral part of who I am to just think about, “How do I do this better?” And then for some of those ideas, I just take the time to interact with others, or go to a quiet place, write those starts down, and that is the catalyst for a new innovative invention.

[To see more of Dr. Johnson’s views, explore our Career Conversations feature “Visioneering solutions to multifaceted problems.“]

Karen Martinez Perez, Longitude fellow, Rice University:

When approaching the concept of innovation, it’s easy to get caught up among the insistent thoughts leading to a “keep striving and working” mindset. Sometimes I get a sudden burst of motivation, and I want to continue working on a project I have, but a glance at the clock tells me I should have been asleep hours ago. Often times, the best course of action involves a different approach than we expect or plan.

Rather than racing to get all of the ideas out into the world, remember also to take a moment and step back. While I don’t go as far as the mountains as Dr. Sandra did, even just walking away for a bit is enough. I’ve had instances where I’m trying to power through an assessment when suddenly, I get stuck. Instead of focusing on this one problem, the best solution would be to take note of it and come back to it later. In doing so, sometimes seeing it with a fresh set of eyes helps me realize something I hadn’t seen before. Although it seems counterintuitive, taking breaks won’t necessarily slow you down; in fact, you may be provided with new, and possibly even better, insight than before.

Dr. Sandra’s idea of hosting a happy hour brainstorming conversation also stood out to me. Collaboration and innovation go well in hand, especially when members of a team coming from a variety of backgrounds offer their unique perspectives. Knowing how to work in teams is such a valuable skill across many fields. Overall, being open-minded is essential to an innovative mindset.