Innovation or Bust

Leaders say they want innovation and creativity but have no idea how to get them. Companies the world over spend millions on innovation workshops with little impact.

How do you get people to think? To be more creative? To bring ideas to the table.

Well, working their ass off is not a good way to do it.

I am finally back home after my convention (and two days to play a bit of golf). I have PAGES of ideas and things to do. On the final flight home I started writing and the ideas started flowing. Some of the list are things I learned from someone else. Some are ideas I generated having had the booster shot of learning and camaraderie.

The point for you is you need to create space for all this to happen. People only have so much to give and when they are going all out – as most contactors are these days – it is hard to find that creativity gene.

The challenge now is to implement the ideas. I know I will not get to all of them but I also know I will get to many of them and that has been my plan for 20 years in business. And it has been all the difference between success and failure. Incremental improvement every year. I might have hit a home run or two over the years but far more small wins, singles if I was playing baseball, are great too.

What do you do to recharge and refresh so you are a better employee/leader when you are done?