Reporter’s Notebook: Thinking outside the box
We all know the importance of innovation in the business world. We also know it’s important to support an environment that fosters the growth of good ideas. So as I piece together stories for an upcoming Innovation & Manufacturing focus section (for our July 8 edition), I can’t help but wonder:
What can aspiring innovators do to increase their chances of coming up with that winning idea?
Turns out, there are a few things they can do.
Bloomberg Businessweek recently published an article titled “Six Innovation Secrets Your Boss Never Told You.” In the article, written by G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón, chief executive and president of Maddock Douglas, an innovation consulting agency, the authors suggest aspiring innovators work on inventing when they are the most inventive.
“Professional trainers track the exercise regiments of athletes, charting at what time of day they reach their peak energy and strength,” the article states. “In this way, they identify each athlete’s natural cycle so they can push him or her harder at just the right time. The creative brain has natural cycles, too. Start by tracking when you ‘think the best.’ What time of day? What time of the month? What activities were you taking part in when you had the big idea? Learn to save your toughest challenges for those times when your brain will perform at its pinnacle.”
The authors also write about failure, learning from your mistakes and to not dread making mistakes – a valuable piece of advice, and an element that reminds me of a recent CEO conversation I had with REDpoint International’s Chuck Nokes and Valerie Vance.
“I don’t believe in failure,” said Vance during the conversation. “I believe that you just get up and keep going until you get it to work.”
This is the type of attitude it takes to become a successful innovator.
Innovators must also consider the fact that you don’t have to try reinventing the wheel. Some of the best innovations stem from simple, outside of the box ideas.
This brings me to a fascinating YouTube video that went viral this week. The video comes from a UK-based grocery retailer with locations throughout South Korea, and displays a good example of innovative, outside of the box thinking. I think you’ll find it pretty interesting.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJVoYsBym88[/youtube]
Talk about thinking outside of the box!
