Innovation Mechanism 1: Individual Scientific Creativity

Daunted by the challenge of keeping your organization innovative? Follow my new series on mechanisms that drive sustainable performance.

Creativity fuels the innovation organization.

Research on creativity shows that long incubation, broad investigation, and wide experience enable scientists to synthesize knowledge from disparate sources to create new ideas.

Recommendation: Find creative individuals

Value broad thinking, not just subject-matter expertise.

Biopharma organizations typically look for employees, advisors, and collaborators with experience in precise technical and scientific domains. This can filter out people who can assemble novel solutions from a variety of sources.

Look far beyond your own network.

People that you already know tend to know what you already know. Don’t let your own experience limit your ability to access domains of knowledge that can increase the value of your ideas.

Seek people with deep interests outside their professional domains.

Passionate engagement in a pursuit beyond one’s specialty is a strong clue to a creative mind.

Require curiosity.

Anyone who doesn’t ask questions won’t learn enough to provide better answers.

Click here for a free download of the Kummer Consulting case study, Mechanisms of Innovation.

For a free consultation on how to improve your organization’s effectiveness contact Merle at mkummer@kummerconsulting.com