The John Adair Handbook of Management and Leadership

Chapter 4: Creativity and innovation 71

The Generation of ideas

It is interesting to note that organisations can get ideas from, amongst

other sources:

• R&D (internal or external)


• Staff


• Competitors


• Suppliers


• Customers


• Quality circles.

One survey demonstrated that SMEs (small and medium sized

enterprises) can get ideas from, in order of importance:

1 Staff

2 Customers

3 Market and competition

4 Board and Planning Group

5 Sales Department

6 Suppliers

7 Managing Director

8 Consultants

9 Shows and exhibitions.

Ideas have to be sieved – by individuals or by teams – to choose and

refine the selected ideas to then develop them and take them to

market.