THE VALUE OF INNOVATION: HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE & ENCOURAGE IT IN YOUR ORGANIZATION?? 

Innovation has always played a pivotal role in the history of mankind. Be it the discovery of the wheel, making fire, the first towns of the new civilizations or the discovery of the first vaccine and all other breakthroughs in modern science & technology, it can all be attributed to that one factor: the innovative mind!! 

The innovative process begins with the determination of a creative person tomove away from contemporary reality by making something new. Developing creativity begins with asking questions about the present situation: Have I tried my best? Is the current situation ideal? Isn"t there a better method? Such probing stimulates one"s latent creativity: the more one probes the greater will the results be. 

In corporate management, innovation refers to the creation and introduction of new things, better use of goods and more efficient services and systems. A concerted, planned and organized effort is required if an innovation is to be fully developed and completely implemented. Within industry, the first step towards this objective is to make innovation one of the prime objectives of the company and to allocate resources in that direction. 

Management can promote innovation with more success if they can identify beforehand individuals who can generate creative ideas and think of novel approaches to problem solving. Psychometric tests can play a major role in identifying those individuals with ability for divergent thinking and a knack for coming up with original ideas. These individuals if provided with environments conducive to their inquisitive minds and "will find the answer" attitudes are capable of taking the organization"s success to new heights. 

Recognition and remuneration are extremely important in prompting and sustaining innovation. Employees cannot be expected to develop their innovative skills if they believe their efforts will not be appreciated. Any idea that shows promise in furthering the organization"s limits should be encouraged by the management however strong the pressures for conformity and continuity may be. After all, history confirms that innovation almost always brings worthwhile benefits to business and industry. 

Glue like Mindsets, die hard Habits and concrete wall like Attitudes are key hindrances to creativity.