GZZT.org - Cool links and free services

Innovation: Wake Up Your People's Creative Genius


Successful companies have innovation in their blood. The single most important element in an innovative company is the creativity of their people. Creative thinkers don't win by conforming to a given set of rules. Rather they reinvent the game by asking the 20 challenging questions and following 20 breakthrough strategies.

20 Challenging Questions to Ask:

  • What if....?
  • What do you think about....?
  • What's the next step?
  • What can we do better?
  • How can we streamline?
  • What should we modify?
  • What should we replace?
  • What should we add?
  • What should we eliminate?
  • Can we make any new assumptions?
  • What will make it work?
  • What other ideas do you have?
  • What issues should we explore?
  • What patterns can you see?
  • How can we simplify?
  • How can we improve?
  • How will the customer benefit?
  • Have we forgotten anything?
  • What else?
  • Why?
  • 20 Break Through Strategies to Follow:

  • Innovate for today as well as tomorrow.
  • Focus on what you can reasonably do?and stretch a bit.
  • Make innovation part of the day-to-day operations.
  • Develop a company-wide innovation process.
  • Assign responsibility to one person or team for the innovative process.
  • Provide incentives if you want your people to be creative.
  • Reward the whole team, not just individuals.
  • Train everyone in your company's innovation process.
  • Focus innovation efforts on market needs & opportunities.
  • Target value and results instead of novelty.
  • Abandon old and the obsolete ways, but do so systematically.
  • Set high goals, but reward small improvements.
  • Focus on "new and different" as well as "better and more."
  • Ask, "Is this the right opportunity?"
  • Establish specific accountabilities and targets.
  • Understand that innovation can require long lead time.
  • Accept innovation is an absolute survival skill.
  • Keep innovating; today's success is built on yesterday's results.
  • Remember, innovation is both hard work and fun.
  • Start small, but START.
  • Marcia Zidle, the 'people smarts' coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job - to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management.

    Subscribe by going to http://leadershiphooks.com and get the bonus report "61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers". Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks - resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs - fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.


    MORE RESOURCES:

    President-elect Barack Obama inspires an artistic flood of creativity
    Chicago Tribune, United States - 13 hours ago
    By Colleen Mastony | Tribune reporter An Ohio man drew a portrait on an Etch A Sketch. An Iowa woman carved a bust out of chilled butter. ...


    All manner of human creativity on display
    ScienceBlogs - 3 hours ago
    David Ng is Director of the Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory at the University of British Columbia - this is a just a fancier way of calling himself a ...


    Hugo Create Contest – Discover Your Creativity
    MediaSyndicate (press release) - 14 hours ago
    HUGO Create is a true exploration of creativity, an opportunity to show the world your talent, skills and strong ideas. Participants can use the ...


    Market calls for creativity, quick thinking
    Inman.com, CA - Jan 5, 2009
    By Inman News, Monday, January 5, 2009. Jacky Teplitzky is a managing director at Manhattan-based brokerage company Prudential Douglas Elliman, ...


    Creativity key in quest to help nonprofits
    Rockford Register Star, IL - 8 hours ago
    United Way interim CEO Paul Logli announces a partnership with media organizations to help raise money Monday, Dec. 22, 2008, during a press conference at ...


    The Internet is the Hottest Thing on Television
    IT Business Edge, KY - 5 hours ago
    If nothing else has been proven during the past decade, it is that the flow of creativity is relentless. Actually, there are a few types of creativity: The ...


    FileMaker Developers Win $1000 for Your Creativity
    prMac (press release), TX - 23 hours ago
    This is where your creativity will come into play. There are numerous FileMaker databases that are just waiting to be designed for use on the iPhone. ...


    Aspen Daily News

    (From the last 12 hours)
    Monterey County Herald, CA - 10 hours ago
    Your creativity could be stronger, but your ability to see past the obvious allows you to step out way ahead of others. Friends might surprise you with ...
    (From the last 12 hours) Monterey County Herald
    (From the last 12 hours) Monterey County Herald
    all 13 news articles


    BigNews.biz (press release)

    Creativity and Flexibility in Custom Branded Items:
    BigNews.biz (press release), MA - Jan 5, 2009
    This high level of flexibility and creativity is found across the board in the product offerings of Factory Direct Promos ...


    The Baltic Course

    European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009
    Cultural Diplomacy News, Germany - 6 hours ago
    is the slogan of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 (EYCI 2009), launched on the 7th of January 2009 by the Czech EU Presidency and the ...
    We have entered the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009! EurofundingMag
    EC Launches European Year of Creativity and Innovation Sofia News Agency
    'Europa moet creativiteit serieus nemen' ScienceGuide
    all 13 news articles

    Creativity - Google News

    GZZT.org | creativity home | site map