Innovative Thinking – Make It A Habit!
EmPower Research
October 04, 2007
By Prashanthi Reddy
Innovation means introduction of something new or a creative idea. These ideas improve the way we create and do things to remain competitive. Some ideas are small and iterative; others can create an entire paradigm shift. Evidence shows that businesses that have the awareness to continually create, evaluate and successfully exploit their new ideas are more likely to survive and prosper in the competitive global economy.
Teresa Amabile, Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration and Co-Head of the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard Business School quotes: "All innovation begins with creative ideas . . . We define innovation as the successful implementation of creative ideas within an organization. In this view, creativity by individuals and teams is a starting point for innovation!”
According to a recent Fast Company (business magazine in US) survey, the typical manager today works 163 more hours than 30 years ago, and must field 36 phone interruptions and 52 emails per day! Sounds familiar? This increasingly fragmented, reactive, multitasking, connected work style is a real inhibitor of creativity and innovation.
A recent survey by Fortune magazine (an American business magazine) showed that top executives from 500 companies throughout the United States ranked creativity more important than intelligence for success in business today. That’s because these demanding times require leaders who can respond quickly and imaginatively to change.
It Started With An Idea
It's time for businesses to think differently. History has shown that it is possible to be wildly successful through innovative. In fact, many of the world's major brands started because of great innovative ideas - HP, Coca-Cola, Ford, General Electric, etc. What determines future success is their ability to let innovation guide them through a world of increasingly complex change.
In the recent years, Google has expanded at a breakneck pace and currently has some 13,700 employees. The company thrives on a culture of innovation: the best example is that it asks employees to dedicate 20 percent of their time to develop ideas for the company. In 2006 Google reached 13.4 billion dollars in revenue -- the third part based on Internet ads -- and profits of 3.7 billion dollars.
It’s not surprising that, around the world, creativity training is growing in popularity; teaching out-of-the-box problem solving techniques to employees at all levels. In these do-more-with-less downsized times, the need for every employee to contribute creative ideas and original solutions has never been greater.
In 2001, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Infosys Technologies Ltd. jointly instituted the Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Award (WIBTA). The WIBTA seeks to reward excellence and innovation in information technology with industry-wide impact. The award recognizes new performance trends with a potential to re-define industry and business models. It is the only global business award that combines the educational and research strengths of a world-class academic institution with the business acumen of a world leader in information technology services.
Microsoft has a ‘Microsoft Innovation Centers’ that help students, entrepreneurs, ISVs, and governments develop and deploy innovative software solutions. The global network of Innovation Centers are a key part of Microsoft's focus on supporting the development of local software economies worldwide.
A Matter of Style
Team members work more amicably when they bring unique backgrounds, capacities, or attitudes to the group. If we reduce turf-consciousness and promote a spirit of mutual assistance, the creativity of such a group can be effectively unleashed.
The achievements of the American scientists during World War II demonstrate that success also depends on group loyalty or cohesion. Because members recognized the goals as vital and energies were focused on clear objectives, egotism was suppressed. These groups were able to achieve in a few short years what otherwise would have taken much longer.
Groups also become more cohesive when they have the prospect of benefiting from success. Recently, some biotechnology firms have made exemplary achievements, prodded by the benefits they would receive from reaching their research goals.
Industrial research laboratories have begun putting such concepts of group dynamics into practice. When developing a new product, they assemble a team and assign it cost, production and marketing goals. These teams may be highly interdisciplinary--with scientists specializing, for example, in theory, materials, and process engineering. Sometimes marketing people are also included. The team spirit that often develops nourishes imagination and creativity.
Another factor is the size of a research group. Although the optimum size depends on many things, five or six is often a good one. Such groups can communicate easily, and assuming the group members have diverse backgrounds, there is immense potential for mutual education and assistance. As the group gets bigger, friction increases, internal communication becomes tougher, and talkative people tend to dominate conversations, whether they have anything to say or not. A few large laboratories have succeeded at innovation, but in terms of creativity per person, history has favored the smaller groups.
Personal Touch
Personal style is another factor in creativity. An enthusiastic team member is a blessing. Many of the most constructive events in this world have been helped by enthusiasts; not only do they achieve on their own, but their warmth also stimulates excitement and positive reactions in others.
Dedicated pessimists are another matter. Even if their logic is impeccable, they are to be avoided for their ability to smother creativity. To the same outbound boat, chronic complainers and vicious gossips can be added.
Some people are natural-born loners, whose creativity can be stifled if forced into a group. If they can be creative without outside stimuli, they should be allowed to work that way. Unfortunately, both the cost of equipment and the complexity of modern problems indicate the need for teamwork, not individual effort.
Although outside stimulation can promote creativity, there's such a thing as too much of a good thing. Creative people are often better left alone, immersed in problems for as long as a week at a stretch. Shorter periods and interruptions can reduce or destroy a researcher's effectiveness. People with potential for significant creativity, in particular, should be sheltered from interruptions.
Ms. Selwyn , from Sebastopol, California, speaks, trains and consults internationally on creativity and innovation in business. She is the co-author of Living Your Life Out Loud: How to Unlock Your Creativity and Unleash Your Joy (Pocket Books, New York, 1995). Here are six tips to help you enhance your creativity and stimulate creativity with your co-workers.
1. Open Your Mind
Have one new experience every day; no matter how small. New experiences stimulate the brain and help you make new and original connections; critical for boosting breakthroughs. Attend new forms of entertainment, read books or magazines you’ve never read before, take a class in a subject you know nothing about, listen to music you profess to hate, go somewhere really different on your next vacation, talk to people you normally don’t have a chance to meet. New experiences become the raw material for new ideas. The cross-pollination of diverse ideas is a primary stimulator for creativity.
2. Diversify
Involve others in your problem-solving efforts, who bring a different perspective or cultural experience than yours. In addition to picking the brains of experts and knowledgeable colleagues, talk to people who are unfamiliar about the issue. By using this approach, you’ll be asked “dumb questions” that can often help you question assumptions, and see your challenge from a different angle with fresh eyes and a more open mind.
3. Mental Floss
Take time to clean out your “mental plaque” by flossing daily; unplugging and taking time out to relax. Studies have shown that our intelligence and creative problem-solving abilities nosedive about 25% when we’re stressed out. Stress, exhaustion, boredom and even pain can block our pathways to creativity.
Creativity often seeps in through the cracks. By allowing yourself time to quiet your mind each day, the solutions beneath the surface will bubble up and you’ll be available to catch them. Twenty minutes of uninterrupted incubation time daily will produce a plethora of ideas.
4. Stop Looking For the Right Answer
Look for many right answers. Multiple solution thinking can help you strengthen your creative muscle, while generating more ideas, which always leads to better ideas. In gold mining, it takes nearly 200,000 ounces of ore to produce just one ounce of gold. It’s no different with ideas. Mine with perseverance and patience, and you’ll be richly rewarded.
5. Discover Your Creative Rhythm
Everyone has creative performance peaks daily. Some of us get our best ideas during our morning commute; others wake up in the middle of the night with thunderbolts of genius. Unfortunately, most of us don’t honor this fertile idea-harvesting time. Start paying attention to when you get your best ideas. If you aren’t sure, keep a log for a week and jot down what time of day you are most mentally productive.
It’s been said that the difference between creative geniuses and “normal” people is that creative have more effective capturing techniques. They pay attention to their best ideas and record them before they have a chance to slip away. Once you discover your creative rhythm, make sure you have a tape recorder, laptop, or pad and pencil nearby to capture your ideas.
6. Health Makes Wealth
A wealth of new ideas can be yours if you exercise regularly and eat well. Regular exercise not only benefits your body, it boosts brain performance as well.
One study found that 20-minute aerobic sessions twice weekly, kept up for eight weeks, brought about significant changes in creativity tests in college students who had not previously exercised. A well-oxygenated brain functions more effectively.
Everyone is creative, and everyone can strengthen their creative powers with practice, persistence and patience. By acknowledging how creative you really are, and using these simple suggestions, you’ll be well on your way to your next breakthrough.
References
www.infosys.com
http://technorati.com/tag/innovation
http://www.ideacrossing.com/index.php
http://www.alberi.co.uk/
Innovation means introduction of something new or a creative idea. These ideas improve the way we create and do things to remain competitive. Some ideas are small and iterative; others can create an entire paradigm shift. Evidence shows that businesses that have the awareness to continually create, evaluate and successfully exploit their new ideas are more likely to survive and prosper in the competitive global economy.
Teresa Amabile, Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration and Co-Head of the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard Business School quotes: "All innovation begins with creative ideas . . . We define innovation as the successful implementation of creative ideas within an organization. In this view, creativity by individuals and teams is a starting point for innovation!”
According to a recent Fast Company (business magazine in US) survey, the typical manager today works 163 more hours than 30 years ago, and must field 36 phone interruptions and 52 emails per day! Sounds familiar? This increasingly fragmented, reactive, multitasking, connected work style is a real inhibitor of creativity and innovation.
A recent survey by Fortune magazine (an American business magazine) showed that top executives from 500 companies throughout the United States ranked creativity more important than intelligence for success in business today. That’s because these demanding times require leaders who can respond quickly and imaginatively to change.
It Started With An Idea
It's time for businesses to think differently. History has shown that it is possible to be wildly successful through innovative. In fact, many of the world's major brands started because of great innovative ideas - HP, Coca-Cola, Ford, General Electric, etc. What determines future success is their ability to let innovation guide them through a world of increasingly complex change.
In the recent years, Google has expanded at a breakneck pace and currently has some 13,700 employees. The company thrives on a culture of innovation: the best example is that it asks employees to dedicate 20 percent of their time to develop ideas for the company. In 2006 Google reached 13.4 billion dollars in revenue -- the third part based on Internet ads -- and profits of 3.7 billion dollars.
It’s not surprising that, around the world, creativity training is growing in popularity; teaching out-of-the-box problem solving techniques to employees at all levels. In these do-more-with-less downsized times, the need for every employee to contribute creative ideas and original solutions has never been greater.
In 2001, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Infosys Technologies Ltd. jointly instituted the Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Award (WIBTA). The WIBTA seeks to reward excellence and innovation in information technology with industry-wide impact. The award recognizes new performance trends with a potential to re-define industry and business models. It is the only global business award that combines the educational and research strengths of a world-class academic institution with the business acumen of a world leader in information technology services.
Microsoft has a ‘Microsoft Innovation Centers’ that help students, entrepreneurs, ISVs, and governments develop and deploy innovative software solutions. The global network of Innovation Centers are a key part of Microsoft's focus on supporting the development of local software economies worldwide.
A Matter of Style
Team members work more amicably when they bring unique backgrounds, capacities, or attitudes to the group. If we reduce turf-consciousness and promote a spirit of mutual assistance, the creativity of such a group can be effectively unleashed.
The achievements of the American scientists during World War II demonstrate that success also depends on group loyalty or cohesion. Because members recognized the goals as vital and energies were focused on clear objectives, egotism was suppressed. These groups were able to achieve in a few short years what otherwise would have taken much longer.
Groups also become more cohesive when they have the prospect of benefiting from success. Recently, some biotechnology firms have made exemplary achievements, prodded by the benefits they would receive from reaching their research goals.
Industrial research laboratories have begun putting such concepts of group dynamics into practice. When developing a new product, they assemble a team and assign it cost, production and marketing goals. These teams may be highly interdisciplinary--with scientists specializing, for example, in theory, materials, and process engineering. Sometimes marketing people are also included. The team spirit that often develops nourishes imagination and creativity.
Another factor is the size of a research group. Although the optimum size depends on many things, five or six is often a good one. Such groups can communicate easily, and assuming the group members have diverse backgrounds, there is immense potential for mutual education and assistance. As the group gets bigger, friction increases, internal communication becomes tougher, and talkative people tend to dominate conversations, whether they have anything to say or not. A few large laboratories have succeeded at innovation, but in terms of creativity per person, history has favored the smaller groups.
Personal Touch
Personal style is another factor in creativity. An enthusiastic team member is a blessing. Many of the most constructive events in this world have been helped by enthusiasts; not only do they achieve on their own, but their warmth also stimulates excitement and positive reactions in others.
Dedicated pessimists are another matter. Even if their logic is impeccable, they are to be avoided for their ability to smother creativity. To the same outbound boat, chronic complainers and vicious gossips can be added.
Some people are natural-born loners, whose creativity can be stifled if forced into a group. If they can be creative without outside stimuli, they should be allowed to work that way. Unfortunately, both the cost of equipment and the complexity of modern problems indicate the need for teamwork, not individual effort.
Although outside stimulation can promote creativity, there's such a thing as too much of a good thing. Creative people are often better left alone, immersed in problems for as long as a week at a stretch. Shorter periods and interruptions can reduce or destroy a researcher's effectiveness. People with potential for significant creativity, in particular, should be sheltered from interruptions.
Ms. Selwyn , from Sebastopol, California, speaks, trains and consults internationally on creativity and innovation in business. She is the co-author of Living Your Life Out Loud: How to Unlock Your Creativity and Unleash Your Joy (Pocket Books, New York, 1995). Here are six tips to help you enhance your creativity and stimulate creativity with your co-workers.
1. Open Your Mind
Have one new experience every day; no matter how small. New experiences stimulate the brain and help you make new and original connections; critical for boosting breakthroughs. Attend new forms of entertainment, read books or magazines you’ve never read before, take a class in a subject you know nothing about, listen to music you profess to hate, go somewhere really different on your next vacation, talk to people you normally don’t have a chance to meet. New experiences become the raw material for new ideas. The cross-pollination of diverse ideas is a primary stimulator for creativity.
2. Diversify
Involve others in your problem-solving efforts, who bring a different perspective or cultural experience than yours. In addition to picking the brains of experts and knowledgeable colleagues, talk to people who are unfamiliar about the issue. By using this approach, you’ll be asked “dumb questions” that can often help you question assumptions, and see your challenge from a different angle with fresh eyes and a more open mind.
3. Mental Floss
Take time to clean out your “mental plaque” by flossing daily; unplugging and taking time out to relax. Studies have shown that our intelligence and creative problem-solving abilities nosedive about 25% when we’re stressed out. Stress, exhaustion, boredom and even pain can block our pathways to creativity.
Creativity often seeps in through the cracks. By allowing yourself time to quiet your mind each day, the solutions beneath the surface will bubble up and you’ll be available to catch them. Twenty minutes of uninterrupted incubation time daily will produce a plethora of ideas.
4. Stop Looking For the Right Answer
Look for many right answers. Multiple solution thinking can help you strengthen your creative muscle, while generating more ideas, which always leads to better ideas. In gold mining, it takes nearly 200,000 ounces of ore to produce just one ounce of gold. It’s no different with ideas. Mine with perseverance and patience, and you’ll be richly rewarded.
5. Discover Your Creative Rhythm
Everyone has creative performance peaks daily. Some of us get our best ideas during our morning commute; others wake up in the middle of the night with thunderbolts of genius. Unfortunately, most of us don’t honor this fertile idea-harvesting time. Start paying attention to when you get your best ideas. If you aren’t sure, keep a log for a week and jot down what time of day you are most mentally productive.
It’s been said that the difference between creative geniuses and “normal” people is that creative have more effective capturing techniques. They pay attention to their best ideas and record them before they have a chance to slip away. Once you discover your creative rhythm, make sure you have a tape recorder, laptop, or pad and pencil nearby to capture your ideas.
6. Health Makes Wealth
A wealth of new ideas can be yours if you exercise regularly and eat well. Regular exercise not only benefits your body, it boosts brain performance as well.
One study found that 20-minute aerobic sessions twice weekly, kept up for eight weeks, brought about significant changes in creativity tests in college students who had not previously exercised. A well-oxygenated brain functions more effectively.
Everyone is creative, and everyone can strengthen their creative powers with practice, persistence and patience. By acknowledging how creative you really are, and using these simple suggestions, you’ll be well on your way to your next breakthrough.
References
www.infosys.com
http://technorati.com/tag/innovation
http://www.ideacrossing.com/index.php
http://www.alberi.co.uk/
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