Creating Innovation - Part 2

I just finished reading Weird Ideas That Work by Robert Sutton. I thought I would post 1/2 of the ideas that the he suggests are important for sustaining innovation in an organization.

• Hire "slow learners" in respect to organizational conduct and code.
• Hire people you find uncomfortable or even people you don't like.
• Use job interviews to get ideas, not to screen candidates.
• Encourage people to ignore and defy superiors and peers.
• Find some happy people and get them to fight.

I know what your thinking, there is no way in the world you would want to do all of these things because they all have possible risks. To be an innovative organization, you need to be willing to experiment and take the risks. You need to have employees that have the permission to look at situations in many different ways. To quote Thomas Edison, " To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." I love that quote! Let me know what you think of these ideas. I will post the second set sometime next week.

- Michael Bauer
http://www.creativeleading.com