Thinking hats on! - Cover story

One of the greatest lines in the history of the cinema was uttered by Michael Caine at the end of The Italian Job. The gang had successfully stolen the gold and were celebrating on the way home when their coach skidded and ended up balanced precariously on the edge of an Alpine pass. It was, in all senses of the word, a cliffhanger. The line was, of course: “Hang on lads, I’ve got a great idea.” How do you get those ‘great ideas’? And when you have them, how do you develop them? And what relevance do they have to the innovation process? Unsurprisingly, there’s a body of people dedicated to helping all sorts get those good ideas. And the techniques have been around for many years. Why the fuss, however? Leslie Anne Rubenstein is chief executive of the Thames Innovation Centre (TIC), which has recently been established in Erith, Kent. The centre is intended to support technology businesses in the London area. She said: “For technology companies around the world, the ability to innovate is crucial to their success. Yet the processes and techniques that are required to achieve true innovation are often ad hoc and left to hope and chance.” Looking to highlight this apparent deficiency, TIC recently hosted a Creative Thinking Workshop, with the highlight being a presentation by guru Simon Middleton. According to Middleton: “I now travel all over the UK and Europe helping businesses of all kinds to become more innovative. I’m mainly working with these clients in the area of brand meaning and creative thinking. What I’m learning is that creativity becomes increasingly important as each month passes, particularly as we enter a tough economic period. It’s not the strongest who will survive, but the most creative!” So, how can companies improve their ability to innovate – not just in terms of product design, but also in terms of their business model and branding?