Innovation Management ? IBM Opens Lid On Its Treasure Chest

IBM, which registered 3248 patents last year, has decided that sharing technology can sometimes be more profitable than jealously guarding its property rights on patents, copyrights and trade secrets (Herald Tribune, April 11 2005).

International Business Machines have come to the above conclusion 205 years after the invention of electric light ? thus clearly illustrating that even the 19th largest company in the world (fortune.com) with a market capitalization on $141 billion (nasdaq.com) is still only learning about creativity and innovation.

Of course the issue of control is important but a quick history lesson indicates that the above should not have taken so long!

The first electric light was made in England by Davy, in 1860 Swan attempted to devise a long lasting light using carbon paper, in 1877 Brush lit up Cleveland Ohio and in 1879 Edison began work on a practical light bulb that would eventually glow for 1500 hours.

Recently, Linux ? open source software developed through collaboration on the Internet ? has grown to the extent that it is closing in on Microsoft's market share (news.com).

The above two examples indicate a number of factors about creativity and innovation that IBM should have learned a long time ago, some of which include:

a) Creativity (problem identification and idea generation) and innovation (idea selection, development and commercialisation) can take years and use huge resources ? collaboration, networks and shared tacit knowledge rapidly reduce investment and rapidly increase speed to commercialisation.

b) Radical changes result from incremental improvement.

c) Radical shifts require the input of new knowledge.

d) New knowledge and incremental improvements result from eliciting tacit knowledge from a broad knowledge base.

e) New knowledge and incremental improvements result from eliciting ideas from a number of sources, a number of diverse sources and a number of novel sources ? by utilising networks.

f) New knowledge and incremental improvements result from eliciting ideas from a number of sources, a number of diverse sources and a number of novel sources ? through collaboration.

In conclusion, the probability of producing world changing innovation in-house is low. The knowledge pool is simply too shallow. And that can be said without considering motivation, group structures etc etc etc.

This topic is covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com. You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com.

---

Year 2010: Permanent Employees No Longer Required

Jack Welch joined a conference that was held in Duke... Read More

Outsourcing Quiz: Cheap Vs. Good

Someone can say, 'Why do you oppose this?' So I'd... Read More

Dont Hire Squirrels to be Your Top Dogs

Bad hiring decisions cost organizations, both in dollars and lost... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management ? Hierarchies

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Use Every Weapon You Have

One of the strongest weapons available allows business, non-profit and... Read More

When Change Is In the Wind...Heads Up!

In these days of takeovers and mergers, of downsizings and... Read More

Weaknesses of Wishing

When you're starting a business, you might wish for a... Read More

Five Problem-Solving Success Tips

The ability to solve complicated problems quickly is more important... Read More

Project Management - Preventing Project Slips

Can Project Managers prevent projects from slipping?Ask a techie to... Read More

The Few & the Many: Free Trade, Outsourcing, & Communication

Have you noticed that some sound ideas get bad publicity?... Read More

5 Ideas To Leverage The 3 Stages Of Career Development In Your Organization

In most industrialized nations, the average age a student graduates... Read More

Turnaround or Terminate? How to Deal with Problem Employees

Do you struggle with a "problem" employee? If so, join... Read More

Group Discussion Guidelines

DISCUSSION METHODS: There are two basic types of discussion methods;... Read More

Write Winning Proposals For Venture Capitalists

You need to secure money for your project. You visit... Read More

Making Assumptions - A Critical Communication Mistake In Business And In Your Personal Life!

We draw conclusions about people through observation, their behavior, past... Read More

Tales From the Corporate Frontlines:The Importance of a Competitive Wage and Benefit Package

This article relates to the Compensation and Benefits competency, commonly... Read More

Hows Your Company RQ (Reputation Quotient)?

In light of recent corporate scandals, from Enron and Global... Read More

Business & Family Safety and Health Rating

For good reason, practically every endeavor in life is rated.... Read More

Dialogue vs. Discussion

Have you ever sat in a meeting where everyone is... Read More

Are You A B.O.S.S. -- Boisterous, Omnipotent, Self Indulgent, Sociopath

Boisterous, Omnipotent, Self- indulgent Sociopath. Avoid the B.O.S.S. syndrome with... Read More

11 Strategies on How to Work in An Open Plan Environment

Many work environments now are open plan, with only a... Read More

Successful Managing Through Delegation

Managers should avoid the tendency to constantly delegate to the... Read More

Bringing Ideas to Life: Seven Principles for Pulling Together

You're so excited you're practically bouncing off the walls. This... Read More

Human Resource Employee Risk Profile - Management Risks Explained

Human Resource Employee Risk ProfileIs your business at risk? Do... Read More

First Things First -- Process BEFORE Technology

Here's a brief story I encountered while leaving Newark International... Read More

Success in Business Means Managing Negative Emotions

You may have the MBA but if an internal critic... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines:Choosing an Effective Employee Recognition Program

This article relates to the Recognition competency, commonly evaluated in... Read More

Integrity... Should It Matter?

In our fast paced work culture, manned by technology savvy... Read More

ISO 9001 2000, Getting Started on The Route To Registration

ISO 9001 2000, Getting startedBefore starting the ISO 9001 2000... Read More

The 10 Realities of Change

I've seen several articles that begin with lines like "the... Read More

So, You Want to be in Management? Five Essential Factors that Will Determine Your Chances

The following information is based upon over 500 interviews with... Read More

5 Steps to Continuous Process Improvement

Part One of Creating Well-Defined Processes SeriesWhat if your sales... Read More

Presenteeism: The Hidden Costs of Business

(prez.un.TEE.iz.um) nPresenteeism, a relatively unknown concept, is the complement of... Read More