Every once in a while it's a good idea to make sure you're not—inadvertently—making it harder for either yourself or your team to be innovative. Here are three sins even the best managers commit occasionally. (We have been guilty of them ourselves.) We also offer suggestions how to guard against, and recover from, these pitfalls.
Sin No. 1: Saying "enough already."
We like to call the most innovative employees—the ones who can come up with countless ideas at the drop of the proverbial hat—"idea monkeys." We could say countless wonderful things about idea monkeys, and here are two of our favorites: They have boundless energy, and they are flexible. You want more ideas? Great! You want to brainstorm about something else? Even better! Your job in managing these kinds of employees—the ones who say, "We could do this" or "What about that?" and "Wouldn't it be so cool if"—is to focus their energy, not cut it off. So instead of yielding to the temptation to yell, "Please stop coming up with something new every 20 seconds," you should direct them where you want them to go. Suggest specific areas where you need innovation help. Discuss the outcome you want and explain the hurdles standing in your way. Be specific about the things that have you "stuck." Then strap in and enjoy the ride.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Three Sins Against Innovation - BusinessWeek
