7 Strategies for Generating Ideas

http://bx.businessweek.com/management-trends/view?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.innovationexcellence.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F10%2F31%2F7-strategies-for-generating-ideas%2F

This is a great article that shows 7 strategies companies should use to generate new ideas.  The ideas are made up of: Invite everyone in the quest for new ideas, involve customers in the process of generating ideas, involve customers in new ways, focus on the needs that customers don’t express, seek ideas from new customer groups, involve suppliers in product innovation, and benchmark idea-creation methods.  These methods are all intended to help organizations create ideas that will keep them active in the market.

The article pertains to this class because a successful OB would consist of all of these different strategies.  You definately want all of your employees to know that they are involved in the quest for new ideas.  We learned in MQM 221 that it is easier to accomplish creative tasks when you have more minds working on the same task.  The next 4 ideas consist of involving customers in idea generation.  This makes sense because the customer is who you are trying to satisfy so it makes sense to try to create the things that they desire.  Suppliers are an important part of organizations and it is important to try to build a lasting relationship with a supplier that will benefit both parties.  And finally benchmark idea-creation methods means making sure that someone is in charge of keeping idea-generation fresh and new.  You want to make sure that you are thinking of creative ideas that will help your company grow.  All of these strategies would be important in staying ahead of  your competition in the business world and are things that I will hopefully be able to utilize in my career.
-Kenny Palmer