Creativity and Innovation Questions

Do businesses want employees at every level who develop ideas to solve problems and embrace opportunities?

Yes.

In a range of studies since 2003, The Accenture Institute for High Performance found that the highest performing companies in the world encourage staff at every level to solve problems to make things new and better.

The Ernst & Young Connecting Innovation to Profit report (2010) found that fast-moving, agile companies recognise the importance of creative thinking skills, concluding that “the ability to manage, organise, cultivate and nurture creative thinking is directly linked to growth and achievement."

The IBM Global CEO Survey 2010 interviewed more than 1500 CEO’s from 60 countries and 33 industries, concluding that creativity is the most important leadership trait for the future. They suggested that “more than rigor, management discipline, integrity or even vision – successfully navigating an increasingly complex world will require creativity.”

Innovation is the application of creativity to give rise to a new concept, product, service or process delivering something new and better to the world.

When we innovate, we work with the creative ideas we have developed and put them into practice. Innovation is NOT just about making new gadgets and fancy widgets. We can be innovative in New Product Design, but in many other ways too. New concepts, like how to lead and motivate people at work, as well as new services and processes.