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Creativity Comments by Winston J. Brill, Ph.D.

02/03 Creativity Comment

What's in Common to Great Ideas?

In the last Comment (01/03), I told you about a janitor’s idea that was crucial to a new pharmaceutical, a secretary’s idea that solved an automobile design problem, and a statistician who thought of a great advertising theme in a food company.

This, of course, shows us that it is not always the expert who has the great idea.  In fact, when I was managing R&D teams, frequently a technician, rather than the well-educated Ph.D., forwarded ideas that were key to solving important problems.

Is there anything in common to people, whether experts or not, who think of and propose great ideas?

Yes, from my study of 350 great ideas (see Comment 03/01), I find that the “Eureka!” person was, in each case, very enthusiastic about work.  These are people who don’t spend most of their energy on office politics or figuring out how to get more from themselves while doing as little as possible.  These are people who don’t dart out of the building when the minute hand strikes 12 at the end of the official workday.

Just think of the great ideas to be proposed, and pursued, if you and your staff become more enthusiastic about work responsibilities.  Creativity is all about appropriately directed enthusiasm.