Comments on: In Recession http://blogs.holstgroup.co.uk/greenhat_thinking/2009/10/08/in-recession/ Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:27:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Dele http://blogs.holstgroup.co.uk/greenhat_thinking/2009/10/08/in-recession/comment-page-1/#comment-1930 Dele Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:30:12 +0000 http://blogs.holstgroup.co.uk/greenhat_thinking/?p=697#comment-1930 The problem with ideas is that on the whole they are not valuable. They are neither rare nor difficult to obtain if you know how to get them. The truth is that the world needs to get away from 'inventive' thinking, real innovation is about making small, progressive steps from where we are now. Great innovations are actually only small steps for the people who made them. If Crick and Watson, having researched the subject for years, did not find the double helix structure of DNA, then who on earth would? In a recession, these small steps should be about cutting costs and increasing efficiency based on existing knowledge. Asking people to give you ideas, particularly in a stressful economic or personal climate, can be completely counter-productive if you do not first stress that you are not looking for invention. The problem with ideas is that on the whole they are not valuable. They are neither rare nor difficult to obtain if you know how to get them. The truth is that the world needs to get away from ‘inventive’ thinking, real innovation is about making small, progressive steps from where we are now. Great innovations are actually only small steps for the people who made them. If Crick and Watson, having researched the subject for years, did not find the double helix structure of DNA, then who on earth would?

In a recession, these small steps should be about cutting costs and increasing efficiency based on existing knowledge. Asking people to give you ideas, particularly in a stressful economic or personal climate, can be completely counter-productive if you do not first stress that you are not looking for invention.

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