A quarter century ago, the US marketed 82 percent of the world’s inventions, but now it ranks behind several other countries in new product introductions. Additionally, the US has seen a 25 percent decline in patent filings (innovations) since the 1970s. Nearly half of US patents are now issued to foreigners.
In short, the United States has experienced a decline in creativity and innovation.
Creative problem solving and effective management must be improved in American business.
One way managers can be more effective is to encourage innovation in their subordinates, peers, and superiors.
What are their attitudes and behaviors in relation to problem solving, creativity and innovation? Take this short quiz and see.
Innovative Attitude Scale
Instructions
For each of the following statements, please indicate the extent to which they are true of your actual behavior or intentions. That is, describe the way you are at work. Use the following scale for your answers.
5 – Almost always true
4 – Often true
3 – Not applicable
2 – Rarely true
1 – Almost never true
Punctuation key below.
(Note: You may want to make and distribute copies of this first before proceeding.
___ 1. I openly discuss with my boss how to get ahead.
___ 2. I try new ideas and approaches to problems.
___ 3. I take things or situations apart to find out how they work.
___ 4. I accept uncertainty and unusual circumstances related to my assignments.
___ 5. I negotiate my salary openly with my supervisor.
___ 6. I can be counted on to find a new use for existing methods or equipment.
___ 7. Among my colleagues and co-workers, I will be the first or almost the first to try a new idea or method.
___ 8. I take the opportunity to translate communications from other departments for my work group.
___ 9. I demonstrate originality.
___ 10. I will work on a problem that has caused great difficulty to others.
___ 11. I provide critical information for a new solution.
___ 12. I provide written evaluations of proposed ideas.
___ 13. I develop contacts with experts outside my firm.
___ 14. I use personal contacts to maneuver in work assignments of choice.
___ 15. I make time to pursue my own pet ideas or projects.
___ 16. I set aside resources to carry out a risky project.
___ 17. I tolerate people who deviate from the organizational routine.
___ 18. I speak at staff meetings.
___ 19. I work as a team to try to solve complex problems.
___ 20. If you ask my coworkers, they’ll say I’m clever.
Source: Ettlie, John E., & O’Keefe, Robert D. Innovative Attitudes, Values, and Intentions in Organizations. Journal of Management Studies, 1982.
Problem Solving, Idea Generation and Leadership
One of the critical behaviors for success is flexible thinking: creative adaptability in different contexts. It’s having new ideas and lots of them. It is applying them to solve complex problems with multiple solutions. Problem definition and innovative solutions get results.
Innovative people tend to be more ambidextrous in their thinking. That is, they use both the left and right hemispheres of their brain. The left side deals with analytical, sequential, organized, planned, precise thinking, based on reason and logic. The right hemisphere deals with imaginative, playful, emotional, pleasurable and qualitative thinking, based on feeling or intuition.
Exercise to assess ambidextrous thinking
Look at the next two word lists. Take a minute to memorize the first list. Then write as many words as you can remember on a piece of paper.
List 1
decline
finished
certain
very
conceptual
objective
ambiguous
on
amount
means
appendix
poll
Now repeat the process with the second list.
List 2
sunset
castle
parasol
fragrance
guitar
Radar
brig
pencil
blister
bow
computer
chessboard
Most people remember more words from the second list. That’s because the second list contains words that relate to visual perceptions. They connect with both right-brain activity and left-brain activity. People can make mental pictures or fantasize about them.
The same goes for innovation. The more both sides of the brain are used, the more innovative the ideas will be.
“Things don’t change, we do.” -Henry David Thoreau
punctuation key
To calculate your score on the Innovative Attitude Scale, simply add the numbers from your responses to the twenty questions. Then compare your total score with the following normative group. Note that the percentile indicates the percentage of people who are expected to score lower than you.
percentile score
39… 5
53… 16
62… 33
71… 50
80… 68
89… 86
97… 95
Source: Developing Management Skills, Second Edition by David A. Whetton and Kim S. Cameron. Publisher HarperCollins.
conclusion
There’s an old saying in business that goes, “You manage from the left but you lead from the right.”
Paradoxically, left hemisphere thinking is usually rewarded. However, right brain thinking is often seen as dim, inferior, wasteful, and sometimes even discouraged in business.
However, as discussed here, ambidextrous thinking—that is, switching and using both the left and right hemispheres of the brain—is necessary for problem solving, creativity, and innovation.
Ironically, by failing to encourage innovation, companies may also be indirectly hurting future leadership.
Therefore, the last point to discuss is the following:
What steps can you (and your organization) take to be more effective in this area, going forward?