ESA Skills 11 & 12: Innovation & Influence
- The Open Mind Institute
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Turning Ideas Into Impact
Over the past ten weeks, our ESA Skills Series has explored the essential capabilities that help individuals and teams not just survive change, but thrive through it.
We’ve unpacked emotional intelligence, adaptability, critical thinking, collaboration, leadership, and resilience. Together, these skills form the foundation of modern performance and culture.
Now, in our final week, we turn to the last two: Innovation & Creative Thinking and Influence & Stakeholder Management. Two distinct yet interconnected skills that transform good teams into great ones.
Skill 11 - Innovation & Creative Thinking: Seeing Possibility in Every Challenge
Innovation isn’t just about invention or technology—it’s a mindset. It’s the courage to ask, “What if?” when others say, “That’s how it’s always been.”
Creative thinking invites curiosity into the everyday. It challenges assumptions, reframes problems, and opens the door to better ways of working.
In fast-paced organisations, creativity becomes the oxygen for progress. Teams that foster it don’t wait for inspiration—they create the conditions for it.
Practical ways to encourage innovation:
Make curiosity a daily habit. Ask better questions, not just faster answers.
Create psychological safety. People share ideas when they feel safe to fail.
Celebrate experiments, not just outcomes. Innovation thrives where learning is valued more than perfection.
This is a reminder that the future belongs not to those who know it all, but to those willing to explore what’s next.
Skill 12 - Influence & Stakeholder Management: The Art of Guiding Without Forcing
Ideas, no matter how brilliant, only drive change when people are on board. That’s where influence comes in.
Influence isn’t manipulation; it’s connection. It’s the ability to align, inspire, and build trust across people, teams, and priorities.
In today’s collaborative workplaces, results depend less on hierarchy and more on our ability to engage others in a shared vision.
Ways to strengthen influence:
Build credibility before persuasion. People follow those they trust, not those who talk loudest.
Seek to understand before being understood. Listening is one of the most powerful influencing tools.
Connect ideas to values. Influence deepens when others see how your goals align with what matters to them.
When influence is grounded in empathy, it moves people as well as processes.
The Takeaway: Beyond the 12 Skills
As we close this 12-skill journey, we just want to reiterate that what we call “soft” skills are, in fact, the hardest to master, and probably the ones that matter most.
Technology will continue to evolve. Markets will shift. Teams will change. But the ability to think creatively, communicate clearly, connect authentically, and lead with empathy will always define the difference between good and great.
At TOMI, we believe these 12 Essential Skills are not just workplace capabilities but the foundation of human potential.
So as you reflect on this series, ask yourself:
Which of these skills has become a strength?
Which one will you focus on next?
And how can your team continue to grow together with purpose, trust, and creativity?
Thriving teams don’t just happen. They’re built. Intentionally, skill by skill.
💡 Thank you for joining us on this journey through the 12 Essential Skills for Thriving Teams. Here’s to building workplaces that are not only high-performing, but deeply human.
If you’re ready to explore what’s possible with ATAR, we’d love to start that conversation.
Xin Yi Ng (Michelle)
Research & Development Lead