HEADS UP!
Heads Up! A weekly update on the world of innovation brought to you by Innovation University, a best practices program of the Innovation Network.
Where Do Ideas Come From?
There's a lot of talk about creating an environment where
everyone in an organization can share ideas but is that enough?
What about all those ideas that might come from customers or suppliers
or that wacko on the street who just might have the idea for your next
breakthrough product? Allowing ideas from outside the organization is
one of those minefieldsthat sometimes we'd rather not think about.
But, perhaps, we should.
All of us who have dealt with ideas for any length of time know that
you never know where they will come from. So, setting up a barrier to
outside ideas because of the legal hazards, might not be the best plan.
Silicon Valley seems to have made an art-form of sharing ideas (accompanied
by a blizzard of NDAs (non-disclosure agreements)) so it's probably
time for the rest of the world to open up also.
We'd like to hear from any of you who have found a way to profit from
outside ideas. Where are you on the spectrum of outside idea acceptance?
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1. Completely closed -- no outside ideas accepted
2. Sort of open but we make the process as miserable as possible
3. Open but we don't actively solicit ideas
4. We're open and have a process that recruits idea-partners.
5. Completely open and we consider this part of our innovation strategy
Respond to ideasource@thinksmart.com
The Innovation University Fellows returned from Lima, Peru on Monday, and we'll soon have first-hand reports on cultural differences in the approach to innovation. We're now planning the next IU meeting for January 23-26 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The January meeting will focus on the impact of physical workspace on creativity and productivity. For more information,please iuinfo@thinksmart.com or call Andrea Woodward at 805-967-4893.
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| Andrea Woodward |
E-mail: andrea@thinksmart.com PHONE: 805-563-1438
Join the Innovation University Fellowship Group
Call Ruth Ann Hattori at 303-604-1981 or e-mail andrea@thinksmart.com for more information.
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