Avionics News June 2015 - 75

learned behavior, and as such, most anyone can do it
under the right set of circumstances.
Indeed, that's what happens at Google; the company
is well known for its 70/20/10 rule that's become a
model for inspiring innovation. Engineers there spend
70 percent of their time on their core job, but they're
also encouraged to spend 20 percent of their time on
potential projects and another 10 on "crazy ideas," such
as an elevator to the moon. Sure, this sounds far-fetched,
but it's why we have the email service Gmail.

and built upon by peers during "brainstorming" - for
example, when one tech approaches another to solving a
troublesome installation. This type of creativity can also
shape the zany ideas of innovators to form an actionable
tactic you might actually implement, such as an off-thewall marketing strategy.
With each type, the creative process includes five
stages, according to Chris Grivas, co-author of The
Innovative Team: Unleashing Creative Potential for
Breakthrough Results. First, you should clarify the
situation. Explore the issues at
hand, analyze data and determine
what constitutes a proper solution.
Then, generate ideas, and winnow
If you want your people to
down to the ones that best address
solve problems and ser ve
the situation. You'll be tinkering
customers, you must
with those ideas, tearing them
apart and rebuilding them in new
understand why you need
ways, until you finally polish them.
creativity, how to use it
Finally, put them into action by
in your avionics repair
developing a workable plan. You
should know when to say "when,"
shop, and how you can
to recognize when you've done
implement strategies that
a thorough job so you can avoid
inspire you and your team.
obsessing over endless options and
details; indeed, creativity operates
Creativity isn't just about
best when it has constraints of time
being clever anymore; it's
and scope.

Thinking bigger
Getting to this level of innovation
requires recognizing how creative
thinking works, as well as how the
process of creation grows ideas into
solutions. But it also necessitates
finding a way to put this practice to
work in your shop.
According to experts, creativity
actually comprises two different
styles. The first is the "aha"
moment, where an idea comes
with a light bulb of illumination,
according to researchers at
American University of Beirut.
Here, the unconscious mind makes
unexpected, unconventional
about how you can help
connections to inspire dramatic
innovation, and - boom - you
Finding inspiration
your shop thrive.
have a roll-on butter applicator or
The type of creativity you use
training wheels for high-heel shoes.
depends on the problems you
This creation occurs when
want to solve, as well as your own
thoughtful people stew over problems, often alone so
preferences. Some people are better at one or the other.
there's less social pressure to temper wild thoughts. But
Still, you can prompt either style by using creative hacks
it does demand self-motivation in the creator, plenty
that wrangle your inspiration.
of time and space to ruminate, and a work area that
1. Exercise. Walk. Whether it's taking time to get
offers a stimulating visual, physical and intellectual
up and move when you're stumped or holding
environment. This is why "creative" companies offer
walking meetings, physical motion inspires
beanbag lounges, Ping-Pong tables, and all-you-canmental activity. According to researchers at
drink espresso dispensers: so the unconscious mind can
Stanford University, subjects who walked on
wander.
treadmills generated more ideas than those who
The other kind of creativity is more systematic, as
sat, and those who walked outdoors came up with
thinkers engage problems logically. They use what they
Continued on following page
already know to generate new ideas, which are evaluated
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2015

Avionics News June 2015

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