The Creative Leadership Forum - Collaborate - Create - Commercialise & Transformational Change

"The economic downturn has hurt just about everyone: individuals, businesses, banks and even governments. But an unreported effect may have the most negative impact. The unnamed victim in this economy is 'innovation.'

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is laying off people because so little is happening.

"A reporter for the Associated Press named Deb Reichmann first spotted the problem. At a time when we are being urged to invent the new future of American business and energy, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is laying off people because so little is happening.Venture capitalists, who always underwrite the next big thing, have invested $3 billion in the first quarter of this year. But that's down by nearly 50 percent from six months ago. Just when we need a flood of innovation in America, the money to make it happen has become a trickle."

Is the situation any different in Canada? No.
Canadian journalist David Crane wrote an editorial on the release of theState of the Nation Report on Canada's science, technology and innovation system.He concluded his piece with this provocation: "The problem is very much in our business community.Far too few of our businesses pursue innovation-based strategies."I agree with Mr. Crane. I have had many conversations with executives who do not know what it means to be innovative. Outside of the traditional manufacturing areas that invest in R&D for new ideas, process and technologies that lead to tomorrow's profits, far too few organizations actually create opportunities to innovate.

Here are two good examples of organizations that proactively look for new ideas:

1. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency created an "HR Process Lab." It's a virtual laboratory to enable more creativity in human resources management. Just like an R&D lab, it is a structured environment where experiments take place under controlled conditions and where brainstorming and the generation of new ideas can take place. One component of the HR Process Lab involves "Invention Sessions." These are opportunities for diverse groups of people to brainstorm new ideas for HR management and bring them to action. Ideas are shared so that best practices can be used by others and to further an innovative culture. While the HR Process Lab is still in its first year, it sends a signal to staff that ideas are needed and welcomed.

2. After attending one of my workshops in New Zealand, Rom Rudzki, director of the New Zealand School of Export, acted on one of my ideas to host regular "idea factory" sessions to proactively tackle one important problem or opportunity for the business. Rom now organizes monthly sessions and regularly sends me the outlines of his idea factories. This idea factory was designed with the challenge of recruiting students for the school. It was designed to:
1. Review all the stakeholders of the business
2. Define what has worked in the past
3. Define what has not worked in the past
4. Define the actions that should be repeated
The resulting report had two pages of ideas and actions. The true benefit of hosting regular idea factories is that this becomes part of the regular way of working. Imagine if your organization designed regular idea factories to tackle the problems and opportunities that it faces. We need to harness the creativity of our staff members on the challenges we face. If we are not being proactive, we are letting our customers down. They deserve our attention and our best innovative solutions. Keep in mind what Akio Morita, founder of Sony Corporation said: "Our plan is to lead the public with new products rather than ask them what kind of products they want. The public does not know what is possible, but we do."

Learning to lead idea factories
I once had a dream of hundreds of businesses organizing a weekly idea factory to solve one problem or to create one opportunity. I then wrote a book to giveleaders a tool kit of ideas to design these types of idea factory meetings: I am an Idea Factory! - The Leaders Guide. You can download Chapter One for free by linking to the book. Professional Marketing magazine in the UK concluded its review of the original book with this insightful perspective:
"It's hardly a serious review of the significant research or academic information about developing creativity and innovation. For those already versed in the topic, the book may appear superficial and repetitive. But for those encountering it for the first time and looking for pragmatic guidance it will prove a relative quick, painless and profitable read. I couldn't help thinking that it would be better for our senior executives to read it - as it sells the needs for creativity management and provides a way to allocate time and space to allow ordinary employees to drive the process."
cover 12

This is a jargon-free 160-page book that talks of ideas, not "paradigm-shifting strategic initiatives" or any other management cliché that adds littleunderstanding.