My job - quite literally, these days - is to come up with ideas. So of course I measure an article like this against my own practice. First: think outside your discipline. "Read — and not only in subjects that are directly related to your profession." Yes, but don't just read (that traps you into linear thinking). But seek out things like Idea City and soak in the wisdom of a hundred disciplines. Second: "Check the fit" by evaluating the idea and, according to the article, ask, "is the idea aligned with your sphere of influence?" Piffle. If you're not allowed to do it, do it anyway. If you can't do it, convince someone who can. Never be limited by what you're allowed to do. Third: "Try to anchor the idea in as many places inside the company and with as many customers that are important to the company as possible." This is "planting seeds" and, yes, I do that. But my experience is that I have to grab them by the root and yank them out of the soil before they'll grow. Then the other seeds take notice. Fourth: "Fly under the radar... use small pilot projects to build support for idea..." That's nice if you want to build better wheels for trains. Doesn't work at all if you want to build an airplane. This article misses the most important thing of all: catch a vision, a way things could or should be, and fly with it. This article hits one and a half out of four. I hope they're not being paid to create ideas.
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