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Editor's Note: Inspiration Strikes
January 11, 2010
By Lorri Freifeld
ith the advent of a new year and decade, we decided to dedicate this January issue to the topic of innovation, a subject near and dear to the hearts of all companies looking for ways to dig out of the lingering recession. In the spirit of full disclosure, I confess that I rarely come up with my most brilliant ideas while sitting at my desk in the office. Instead, my inspiration—or innovation, if you will—occurs mainly during my 30-minute walk up Broadway back to Penn Station or while I'm in the shower. Apparently, my brain needs to be in motion or under water to get the creative juices flowing.
Another tactic I employ—particularly when struggling to come up with the perfect headline or lead—is to write down all the words or phrases associated with the subject, no matter how far-fetched or outlandish. Sometimes one of those words or phrases itself is the solution, while other times, it may push me in a direction I hadn't thought of before. At the Innovatrium, an Ann Arbor, MI-based laboratory to brainstorm new business process and strategy, participants are encouraged to write on every surface, from tables to windows, with easy-erase markers. Training Senior Writer Margery Weinstein got the chance to see innovation in progress as she sat in on an Innovatrium session for up-and-coming engineers from power management company Eaton Corporation who were strategizing ways to tap emerging growth markets (see p. 20 in the January issue of Training magazine). In addition, Alcatel-Lucent Belgium, Pfizer, and Whirlpool share their innovation strategies for success in "Innovation Acceleration" on p. 24.
Like those companies, I'm a big fan of bouncing ideas off co-workers, managers, cleaning people, security guards—anyone wandering around the halls is fair game. "To innovate, people must be able to connect with each other in a real, deeply personal way," says Kimberly Douglas, author of "Operation Firefly: Nine Ways to Ignite Innovation Inside Your Company," who asserts that innovation is the only ticket out of this recession. "If just one person refuses to open up or truly engage, he'll cause an erosion of trust. And in the absence of trust, no real progress can be made."
That sentiment is echoed by Dr. Stephen Covey and his son, Stephen M.R. Covey, in an exclusive interview with Training magazine. "Right now, there's a crisis of trust in the world, in our companies, in our institutions," says Stephen M.R. Covey. "It puts a premium on you as a leader to be able to create a culture of trust."
The Coveys will offer additional insight during their keynote Monday morning, February 1, at Training's 2010 Conference & Expo. Register today at www.trainingconference.com. I look forward to seeing you there! For presenter articles, visit www.trainingmag.com/2010preview.
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