Customer service expert Micah Solomon regularly advises businesses on some keys to move their organizations forward. He has five innovation tips in particular that he recently wrote about for Forbes.

1. Lead with a clear purpose - While Solomon says this might not look like a principal tied to innovation, but it is vital that employees have direction. Once they do, they will be able to use the constructs you put in place to make the huge innovational gains that you want.
2. Expand your employees vision of innovation - A common view of innovation is that it only happens with things that deal directly with customers or the public. However, employees need to understand that positive change can occur in your product, your process and your business model. This knowledge will broaden the horizons for everyone in your organization.
3. Honor thy mistakes - Encouraging an environment of discovery in the workplace can prove vital. Accidents have led to some of the best innovations throughout time and so these moments need to be explored, not ignored.
4. Embrace negativity (sort of) - Positive people are important to any company and particularly valuable in customer service positions. This does not mean that a culture of "everything is fine" should be fostered. That mentality will stamp out innovation, so you need employees who will question your way of doing business from time to time.
5. Eliminate "gotcha" elements in your culture - In general, it is never good to have people working for you thinking that playing it safe is the way to go. You want others to feel that it is ok to look silly or risk failure. Rewarding people who take chances is a great way to show that this way of doing business is valued in your organization.

Solomon regularly contributes to Forbes.com and he has been featured in publications like Inc. Magazine and Bloomberg Businessweek. He previously had success building a company in the manufacturing and independent entertainment industry before advising others. Solomon also is lauded for his innovation expertise and he was an early investor in Apple's Siri technology. There is no industry that he cannot apply his wisdom to through a speaking engagement, workshop or consulting period. Solomon has most recently been focusing on the world of hospitality, as evidenced by his latest book, "The Heart of Hospitality: Great Hotel and Restaurant Leaders Share Their Secrets." His books have been translated into over a dozen languages. Our celebrity speakers bureau has successfully aligned talent like Micah Solomon with companies needing a guest speaker for conventions, conferences, trade shows, graduations, store grand opening, product launches and much more. >>Inquire About Micah Solomon's Availability