Thinking Outside the Box nnovation is the spark that keeps organizations moving ever onward and upward, We innovate to (1) improve products and services, (2) find a new way to do something, (3) make a task easier or faster, (4) save money, (5) enhance our jobs, and (6) increase our promotabil- ity. Without innovation, new products, new services, and new ways of doing business would never emerge, and most organiza would be forever stuck doing the same old things the same old way. It has been said that 98 percent o| nization’s problems can be solved rou- tinely. However, the remaining 2 percent of an orga lems —coincidentally, the problems that have the greatest effect on the organization—require employee innavati Despite the undeniably positive benefits of innovation within organizations, it seems that roadblocks to thinking creatively abound, Ac- cording to a UC LA study, al age five, we en- develop “wiratit™ gage in creative tasks 98 times aday, laugh 113 | | Scones, times, and ask questions 65 times, By the age of 44, however, the numbers shri nization's prob- jo surmount Aske “what iff” or & Consider approaches k to 2 creative you've never thought tasks a day, I] laughs, and 6 questions. Further- | | about before. more, the UCLA study found a 91 percent nega- © Brainstorm with fue response rate among is exposed to new others ideas. Creativity and innovation flourish in an @ Boa champion of environment that encourages them to grow and | |" ait a ta blossom, but all it takes is frown or a nega~ | | oz sremkalwaye te tive word to shut them down completely.