Speaking at the Western Australian Local Government Association Convention session titled ‘Connecting Ideas’, scriptwriter and novelist John Harman said that creativity tends to messy, unpredictable and hard to control.
“Innovation is about renewal, whereas creativity is coming up with something totally new,” he said. “Organisations are often suspicious of creativity but they don’t need to be creative themselves, rather they need to provide an environment where individuals are comfortable
to create and come up with new ideas.
“Ideas should constantly flow up through an organisation and encouragement flow down.
“All an organsiation needs to do is allow individual ideas to blossom. At all levels of the organisation, management must become more confident in their aspiring leaders.”
During the same session Dr James Bradfield Moody, from the ABC’s The New Inventors, spoke about the process of ensuring a great idea becomes a reality. He said it is important to understand the environment you are working in and how you might progress your idea. Gathering champions around you who will push your idea is vital.
“Be prepared to get out of your comfort zone and have the courage to stretch it that little further,” Dr Bradfield Moody said.
The final speaker was CEO of Arbortech, Kevin Inkster. Kevin started out as a backyard inventor and now heads a multi million dollar tool manufacturing company.
“No-one can compete with people who love what they are doing,” Kevin Inkster said. “Seek staff who share your passion and then let them design their own work areas so they have confidence and are able to develop their
new ideas.”
