Fresh, innovative thinking is essential for business growth, and most
people—not just a few gifted “visionaries”—are capable of it. So says
the Wharton School’s Adam Grant, whose research shows that you can
develop this skill in your organization by creating a culture of
nonconformity. Start by giving employees license to let their
imaginations run wild: A large quantity of diverse ideas will ultimately
yield the highest-quality ones. To help people dream up a multitude of
new products, strategies, or solutions, encourage them to adopt the
mindset of a competitor, for example, and have them generate ideas
privately (group brainstorming tends to conform to the majority’s
taste). Once lots of ideas are in, get feedback on which one to pursue
from the right people: other innovators with a track record of spotting
winners. You might even stage a contest to find the best ideas, and have
peer judges and other subject-matter experts vet the submissions and
suggest improvements. Sustaining a culture of originality is as
important as building it. So focus, too, on balancing cultural cohesion
(which can improve decision making) with creative dissent (which
prevents a strong culture from becoming a cult). Long-term, it’s the
combination of the two that brings great ideas to the table. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]