| News on Creativity and Innovation related
topics | |
 Autumn 2007
| | |
News
Creative4business.co.uk
will be undergoing some modifications over the next month or
two. Disruption will be kept to a minimum but if you are
unable to access the website please try again later.
The 'rough and ready' survey of the major barriers
to creativity within organisations is still located on my Home Page. If you currently work, or have
worked for an organisation then I would appreciate it if you
could take the time to click on two
buttons. | |
|
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the Autumn 2007 edition of Innovation
Matters. A lot has happened since the last edition. I have
been in Mexico yet again, this time making
new friends at Espartec, experts in
monitoring and control systems for the oil and gas industries.
I have also been setting up a network of partners to sell and
deliver Innovation related products. In time there will be a
Mexican website but click here to see
details of partner companies.
In September I spoke at the Mastermundo
event at the Royal Academy of Art and Design in the
Hague. Those of you familiar with the
TED conference in the USA will understand the
idea. Whilst there I met a number of interesting people
including Zachary Jean Paradis, co author of
the forthcoming book Naked Innovation. For
more information visit his
website.
I hope you continue to enjoy these articles and the
regular trivia/tips items.
Happy reading Derek Cheshire
| |
 Understanding
The Innovation Equation
To see my innovation equation please take a look
here at where you
will see the various components explained. This equation is
both simple and profound. It states that innovation is simply
a blend of creativity (coming up with new ideas), managing
know how (the things we already know) and the frameworks that
we put in place to help these processes along.
Note that I have not mentioned Research and
Development, High Technology, Science or any of the other
keywords that both companies and governments like to use in
their strategy documents.
Cutting edge R & D is simply applied
creativity with the emphasis on the 'R' whilst Product
Development uses some Creativity but using existing ideas and
Know How. Production is simply a physical manifestation of
Know How. This may not suit those who have a drum to beat but
it does keep things nice and simple.
|
 Do I Need To be
Creative?
The
answer to this question is 'No'. Refer to the Innovation
Equation and you will soon understand why. An Innovation
System is desirable from the point of view of developing new
products, services or processes but it takes a wide variety of
skills to make such a system work effectively. The only real
requirement is for you, and those around you to have an open
mind and be open to the possibility that the way you have run
your company up until now may not be the same as the way it
needs to be run from now onwards. This applies even if you
currently run a successful business.
So
the answer is 'No' but what should you be aware of? Well you
will need to take a look at the staff you have and see what
their strengths are and fill any gaps. They may need to be
reorganised, either logically or geographically. Employees may
need some sort of training but they will almost certainly
require your 'permission' to behave and think in new ways.
If
you are not one of the creative people yourself then you might
need to widen your leadership and management skills.
|
 Why
Does My Organisation Need Creativity?
When was the
last time you got into a difficult situation? Have you ever
forgotten a present for a special occasion and found yourself
making elaborate excuses? Well this is your creativity at
work. Some people have more than others but we all have at
least a spark. But why is this useful to your
organisation?
Like people,
organisations find themselves in difficult situations due to
increased competition, global trading conditions or just
increased pressure from stakeholders to perform better. There
is no manual to escape, no 'get out of jail free' card. You
will need to rely on the creativity of people at all levels
within the organisation, not just management, marketing or
your research and development team.
Unlike
computers, people can process huge amounts of information
instantaneously and then apply something completely illogical
- intuition. Intuition is not crystal ball gazing but is
decision making based on knowledge that cannot be currently
expressed externally.
|
|
| |
