ht or flight.” When an idea that is new, foreign, or maybe even odd emerges, we’re programmed to fight it or resist it, perhaps maybe even ignore it in hopes that it will go away.
But leaders who want to encourage innovation should take a deep breath and allow themselves and their teams to think through the idea before rejecting it. They must watch out for signs they are subconsciously sabotaging innovation.
2. Practice innovation thinking.
There’s nothing wrong with traditional business thinking—it’s required to manage a modern organization. But when a new idea comes along, it’s time to switch into innovation thinking mode. Innovation thinking gives new ideas the oxygen they need to continue developing.
3. Frame and clarify the idea’s purpose.
Successful innovators often ask themselves what problem a new idea can help solve or what opportunity it might address. Sometimes this takes a little patience.
When 3M scientist Spencer Silver created a “low-tack,” pressure-sensitive adhesive instead of the super-strong glue he’d been trying for, he couldn’t imagine what it would be good for. When a colleague mentioned a problem with the slips of paper he used to mark songs falling out of his Sunday hymnal, Silver had a solution. The result was 3M’s Post-It notes, now a staple item in every office supply closet.
4. Use the POINt technique.
At this point, the promise of at least some new ideas might be starting to clarify. But to sharpen that promise and test it a bit more rigorously, you can use the POINt technique developed by Pfizer executive Bob Moore.
POINt stands for:
- Pluses: Praise the idea and consider what’s good about it as presented.
- Opportunities: Picture the opportunities and benefits that might be realized if you implemented the idea.
- Issues: While you don’t want to kill new ideas, it’s OK to consider some of their challenges and limitations.
- New thinking: Use new thinking to develop solutions for the issues you’ve raised about the new idea.
Nurturing new ideas doesn’t mean being naive about them. Rather, it means considering, with clear eyes, both the opportunities and challenges a new idea presents, and thinking through potential solutions to those challenges.
5. Connect ideas to ideas.
Not every new idea will become a fully realized product or business solution on its own. But that doesn’t mean those ideas don’t have value.
One useful exercise to get more value out of new ideas is to combine previously unconnected ideas. Brainstorming, mind-mapping, and forced connections are techniques that can be used to connect one idea to another.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Request our Driving Results through Innovation Leadership program to equip your people to drive innovation from the idea stage to successful implementation.
Or, learn more about our guidebook, How to Treat New Ideas.