Bestselling author reveals 4 simple steps to become indispensable at work: "It really works"

The most highly valued individuals at your workplace likely possess the ability to consistently generate innovative, "non-obvious" ideas, according to bestselling author and marketing expert Rohit Bhargava.

Bhargava tells CNBC Make It that employers highly value individuals who can anticipate future trends and adapt to new situations, rather than being stuck in routine tasks.

Coming up with innovative ideas that others haven't thought of is easier said than done, but Bhargava, who has experience as a marketing executive at global firms Ogilvy and Influential and an adjunct professorship at Georgetown University, suggests a four-step process called the "SIFT" method.

Bhargava and DuPont's upcoming book "Non-Obvious Thinking" promotes the concept of SIFT, which stands for "space, insight, focus, twist," to encourage creative thinking instead of relying on old ideas.

"Coming up with something new and original requires more effort, which can be intimidating. However, Bhargava believes that this is because our minds are not adequately prepared. Despite the challenges, he suggests that this process enables us to adapt to future changes and become more valuable to our teams."

According to Bhargava, the four steps to become more creative and consistently generate excellent ideas are:

1. Give your brain a break

Taking a break from daily distractions for just two minutes can give your brain a creative break and more space for new ideas, according to Bhargava.

Often, we feel overwhelmed with our busy lives and lack the time to engage in new thinking or try something different, as he states.

His second suggestion: "Explore the benefits of deep breathing. Recent research suggests that taking longer and deeper breaths can improve oxygenation and stimulate the mind to think differently."

Experts in mindfulness and wellness frequently suggest breathwork as a way to alleviate stress and anxiety. Additionally, studies indicate that it can enhance creativity.

2. Put your phone down

Bhargava suggests a simple yet challenging task: to put down your phone and focus on the world around you.

He mentions Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO, whose global business empire was inspired by an Italian espresso bar stroll.

""If Schultz was sending that text message while walking down the street, we might be missing out on a billion-dollar idea because we're not paying attention to it," Bhargava says."

3. Isolate the real problem you want to solve

Bhargava advises focusing on the most important details to better understand the problem that your idea could solve after observing something that might lead to a great idea.

Bhargava and DuPont suggest in their book that individuals should "think about their frustrations" by considering the daily annoyances and imperfections they encounter. Afterward, they can generate ideas for improvement.

To improve efficiency, consider the routine tasks and procedures that consume the most time for you and your colleagues. Analyze the reasons for their length and explore the possibility of eliminating or restructuring any redundant steps.

The "five why's method," created by Toyota founder Sakichi Toyoda, is also suggested in the book. This technique involves asking "why" five times to uncover the root cause of an imperfection.

4. Identify a twist

Bhargava suggests that the final step is to identify a unique twist on the insights you've gathered.

Although it may seem challenging, he claims that coming up with something unique and unprecedented is actually easier than it appears.

Bhargava suggests a creative problem-solving strategy that involves doing the opposite of conventional wisdom by imagining the "worst idea possible" and figuring out how to make it work.

He suggests doing something that few people have done before and that we could do uniquely.

James Dyson, the founder of Dyson, got the inspiration for a bagless vacuum cleaner by observing a large machine called a cyclonic separator at a sawmill. Instead of developing a new technology from scratch, Dyson improved upon an existing design by shrinking it down to create a groundbreaking product.

Bhargava states that making a new idea succeed, a side hustle succeed, or turning a current job into a desired job often requires only enough effort.

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