KEEPING INNOVATION ALIVE

OVERVIEW: The concept of innovation presents business with a paradox. Innovation can spur growth, but growth cannot be commanded. The best a ny organization can do is to create a climate that allows innovation t o flourish. The key requirements are: To encourage, reward and recogni ze innovative individuals and tolerate the mistakes they inevitably wi ll make as learning experiences, instead of reason for punishment. 3M, which obtains 30 percent of sales from products new within four years , offers an example of how a culture of innovation can ta,Tce root and become integral to the continuing success of a company after nearly a century.