Professional Documents
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HOW CAN
YOU BEST
GENERATE
INNOVATIVE
IDEAS?
2007 Global Creativity Corporation. All rights reserved.
Innovation Stylesis a trademark of the Global Creativity Corp.
8
As you focus on a wide array of innovation challenges, heres how to lever-
age your Exploring strengths:
If you are doing strategic planning, be sure to inquire:
How could we rewrite the rules of competition?
If you are developing new products or services, be sure to look for:
What could break the rules of the ways things have to be in
our industry?
If you are improving work processes, be sure to seek out:
What could totally re-engineer our processes and practices?
The key to fostering the most comprehensive as well as
creative set of solutions to innovation challenges is for
you to go beyond your favorite questions and be sure to ask:
What can we do to refine and optimize what weve already invested
in?
What has been done before that we can improve upon?
What would simplify this?
Perhaps the greatest obstacles to generating new ideas are idea-killers:
statements we make that judge new ideas (our own or others), usually with-
out giving the new ideas a chance to be fully thought out. In this regard, you
could have a tendency to censor your own ideas, or object to others ideas,
that seem to you to be:
too conventional not expansive enough too much like the status
quo
Based on your secondary styles, and depending on the nature of the chal-
lenge you are facing, you might also censor ideas that seem to you to be:
too timid not bold enough too limited
too idealistic unlikely to happen too risky without testing it first
If you only focus on your favorite Exploring style, you will miss the opportu-
nity to generate a well-rounded set of solutions. Rather than objecting to
ideas that seem too conventional, the key is for you to patiently include
ideas that:
focus on realistic, short-term success
build on what others have done, without reinventing the wheel
Individual Advisor
HOW CAN
YOU BEST
GENERATE
INNOVATIVE
IDEAS?
9
2007 Global Creativity Corporation. All rights reserved.
Innovation Stylesis a trademark of the Global Creativity Corp.
New projects create change for the managers who approve them. New
products create change for the customers who buy them. Whether youre
proposing a new project to your boss or a new product to your customer
either formally in a proposal, or informally remember: they have their own
ways of approaching innovation and change (i.e., their own Innovation Style
preferences). They will want to hear how your concept fits with their own
approach to innovation and change.
Given your emphasis on the Exploring style, when you develop and present
a concept your tendency is to clarify:
how it is radically new and distinct
Remember that your listeners also have their Innovation
Style preferences. They will want to hear how your con-
cept fits with their own approach to innovation and change. If you only em-
phasize how your style approaches the idea, you might miss giving your
listeners what they also want to hear. Therefore, the key for you in develop-
ing and presenting the most complete, well-rounded concept is to be sure
that it also states:
how it taps into your listeners aspirations
how it provides workable and credible solutions
how it builds on what you are already doing
Individual Advisor
How it taps into your
listeners aspirations
How it provides workable and
credible solutions
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WHAT DO YOU
BRING TO
DEVELOPING
AND
PRESENTING
A CONCEPT?
2007 Global Creativity Corporation. All rights reserved.
Innovation Stylesis a trademark of the Global Creativity Corp.
10
Learning stimulates innovation. Learning is like the inhale of breath, while
innovation is like the exhale we need a rhythm of both to be at our innova-
tive best. When it comes to learning opportunities, you will typically choose
those that:
provide the opportunity to learn new skills
offer personal growth experiences without pre-planned goals
Secondarily, you might also engage in learning where you can:
directly relate to achieving a bold vision for the future
gain practical, up-to-date knowledge
The key to rounding out your learning is to also be open
to opportunities that build upon and refine current skills.
Individual Advisor
WHAT
LEARNING
OPPORTUNI-
TIES ENHANCE
YOUR INNO-
VATIVENESS?
Learning that directly relates to
achieving a bold vision for the future
Learning that offers practical,
up-to-date knowledge
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11
2007 Global Creativity Corporation. All rights reserved.
Innovation Stylesis a trademark of the Global Creativity Corp.
Certainly, we all prefer work assignments that are meaningful and fit our
skills, interests and personal values. In addition, when those assignments
require innovative thinking (as most assignments do), we are at our best
when the nature of the assignment fits our preferred ways of approaching
innovation.
With your preference for Exploring, you will want to seek out new assign-
ments that require:
new and novel approaches to handling a challenge
allow working in spurts on whatever seems intriguing
decisions that incorporate many new perspectives and alternatives
Secondarily, based on your inclinations in the moment and the nature of the
assignment itself, you might also feel inspired by assignments that require:
well-planned progress towards an ideal, far-reaching outcome
practical ways to overcome barriers to progress
Of course, it may not be possible to have assignments
that provide these types of opportunities all the time.
While you may not be thrilled with the idea, a key to help you optimize your
own (and your groups) innovativeness is to be a willing contributor when a
project requires standard approaches to improvement, with a single, best
solution.
Individual Advisor
Independent, futuristic thinking
Putting together various elements
in new combinations
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WHAT KIND
OF ASSIGN-
MENTS ENER-
GIZE YOUR
INNOVATIVE-
NESS?
2007 Global Creativity Corporation. All rights reserved.
Innovation Stylesis a trademark of the Global Creativity Corp.
12
Being innovative is not rocket science. Remember, by
emphasizing your own Innovation Style strengths while
also developing your versatility in all four Innovation Styles, you will enhance
your ability to generate innovative solutions to your work challenges and
bring out the innovative best in everyone you work with.
To support your continued learning, you can contact your Innovation Styles
Practitioner, who can provide you with a wealth of resources, such as the
Team Advisor feedback, coaching materials, workshops, pocket cards,
games and more.
Individual Advisor
IN
CONCLUSION