Making sense of ideas: The model route to innovation

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Ideas are the raw material for innovations that have become so vital to achieving and then sustaining business success. Generating ideas is often the easy part. It is putting them into action that poses the real challenge. As former US politician Ron Brown once remarked, “every new idea is an impossibility, until it is born”. Effectively articulating ideas is a constant problem within many organizations. Having an inspired thought is one thing, while making others see the light appears a different matter altogether. Using words and numbers is an obvious starting point. But this method alone sometimes does not produce the desired effect and meaningful understanding frequently remains somewhat elusive.

Practical implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Social implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that can have a broader social impact.

Originality/value

This briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

Citation

(2010), "Making sense of ideas: The model route to innovation", Strategic Direction, Vol. 26 No. 11, pp. 25-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/02580541011087954