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Vol. III, Num.7, Page4 ~ Online
Creating a Climate for Innovation continued
Creating a Climate for Innovation | Enhance Creativity in the Workplace
Meaning is the Key to Engaging Creativity | Negativity is the True Enemy of Creativity
Seven Sources of New Ideas | Creating an Idea Factory: Lessons from Edison
Negativity is the true enemy of creativity.
Negative self-judgment is compounded when new ideas in the workplace are systematically criticized. There is often a belief in the workplace that having a sharp critical eye is preferred by managers and leaders. Such a negative bias can kill creativity.
Social innovation and not technical innovation drives most successful companies.
ó Jim Collins

According to Ray, there are five qualities of creativity:

1. intuition
2. will
3. joy

4. strength
5. compassion

Those qualities are drawn out of people by four tools:

1. faith in your own creativity
2. absence of judgment

3. precise observation
4. penetrating questions

The paradox of success is that when things are going well thereís no need to change. Innovation needs to begin before a need is felt. Customer or client complaints when viewed objectively and not defensively can point to areas where change is needed.

Cognitive psychologists have shown that the biggest hurdle to solving problems often isnít ignorance, itís access to the right information at the right time. Information sharing within big organizations is not easy due to geographic distances, political squabbles, internal competition and bad incentive systems that hinder the spread of ideas.

Taking the mystery out of innovation:
Using old ideas as raw materials for new ideas lets companies innovate continuously. However, the key is to systematize the constant generation and testing of fresh ideas. In order to foster innovation, Andrew Hargadon and Robert Sutton (HBR, May-June 2000) advocate four steps:

  1. Capturing good ideas
  2. Keep ideas alive and accessible
  3. Imagine new uses for old ideas
  4. Putting promising concepts to the test
The paradox of success is that when things are going well thereís no need to change. Innovation needs to begin before a need is felt. Customer or client complaints when viewed objectively and not defensively can point to areas where change is needed.

Cognitive psychologists have shown that the biggest hurdle to solving problems often isnít ignorance, itís access to the right information at the right time. Information sharing within big organizations is not easy due to geographic distances, political squabbles, internal competition and bad incentive systems that hinder the spread of ideas.

Seven sources of new ideas:

Innovation is the way two ideas are brought together
to generate something greater than its sum.
ó Robert E. Knowling, Jr.
According to Peter Drucker, four areas of opportunity for innovation
exist within a company or industry
1. Unexpected occurrences
2. Incongruities
3. Process needs
4. Industry and market changes

Three others exist outside a company in its social and intellectual environment:

5. Demographic changes
6. Changes in perception
7. New knowledge

Business leaders must change how they think about innovation. They must change how their company cultures reflect that thinking. If people are given opportunities, innovation can be bolstered anywhere if people are encouraged to use good ideas from all sources inside or outside the company. Innovation and creativity are far less mysterious than previously thought. They are a matter of taking developed ideas and applying them in new situations. If the company has the right connections and the right attitude, it works.
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Copyright © 2002 Simmonds Publications

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