The announcement of Apple's iPad is turning many people's thoughts to the innovations behind big ideas.
Innovations such as these play a critical role in a company's future, but companies often hinder themselves by focusing on finding the next big thing, when in reality, the next small thing might be more beneficial.
The more that employees are encouraged to think creatively and apply that creativity, the more flexible in practice and nimble in responsiveness a company becomes. When you take pressure off people to come up with a "big" idea, you encourage the creativity that can bring about incremental innovations.
As a result, a new service or product offering may emerge, but it's more likely that you will optimize your operations for cost, quality, efficiency, and speed.
Please follow the link below to read the entire article:
http://blogs.hbr.org/baldoni/2010/01/how_to_encourage_small_i_innov.html?cm_mmc=npv-_-DAILY_ALERT-_-AWEBER-_-DATE John Baldoni is a leadership consultant, coach, and speaker. He is the author of eight books, including Lead Your Boss, The Subtle Art of Managing Up. 
