Unexpected brightness amid a gray economy

Innovation can be easier than you think.

I have to get out more. Last month my spirits got an unexpected lift while visiting several industry supplier companies. Even though each of them said business is not great, and in some cases not even good, that was said to acknowledge reality, not in the sense of doom and gloom. They are already looking forward. But why?

They have started seeing positive signs, and not surprisingly, are charging hard on every opportunity they dig up. And they say opportunities are increasing—not booming, mind you, but getting better.

Especially significant, at least to me, is that I was in Michigan, a state first injured by its troubled auto industry, and then double-teamed by the global recession.
 
And wonder of all wonders, they even see some things stirring in the auto business. A few programs that were on hold already have been released and more look to be coming. Naturally, every bit of this positive news comes with an asterisk called unpredictability. This recovery promises to be as spotty as it is slow.

The supplier companies are following paths to recovery very much like those in use by the molders and moldmakers they serve, such as financial prudence, new technology, market expansion, lean operations, sharp customer focus, and innovation. One new technology I saw could all but eliminate a major chunk of unplanned processing machine downtime. (We’ll get info to you when it’s market-ready.)

During these conversations and while I was heading home, I kept thinking about innovation, a concept I had heard often that week. If you’ve not researched the subject, rest assured that plenty of effort has been spent trying to understand it, and how to stimulate it. Key to it all is creativity—the actual conjuring up of good ideas.

We in publishing often stare at a blank monitor screen as we search for the idea that will bring coherence to what we have to say. Beyond any shadow of a doubt, starting from scratch is intimidating. But where do you start?

I once worked for someone who believed that no one has ever had a truly original idea—and he is one of the most creative people I have ever met. He firmly believes that we create good ideas from what we see and hear around us, from the ideas of other people, or companies, or even governments. His only caution: Use the best.

By absolute coincidence, I just found a book that could help alleviate the anxiety surrounding the need to create the next great idea: "Borrowing Brilliance" by David Kord Murray. Published last month, it’s a lively read in a field ordinarily quite academic. Murray is a proven borrower of brilliance with a practical method for how to do it. (His personal back-story is also interesting.) To learn more, you can check out the informative reviews at Amazon.com and one on BusinessWeek’s website. If you’re stressing over finding the next big thing (and who isn’t?), it’s worth a look.

Rob Neilley
Editor in Chief
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