Reward Creativity

It is usually important to reward staff in some way for creating and innovating quality solutions to problems. This need not necessarily be financial but should follow rapidly before the effort has faded from memory. In what ways would you like to be rewarded? Some organizations have instituted 'suggestion schemes' - with or without financial rewards - whereas others see creativity and innovation as a natural part of what they expect from all their employees. Sony has offered cash rewards for the 'best mistake of the month'!! This is not to encourage mistakes, because the mistake has to be written up so that others can avoid making the same error. This approach counters the typical survival response (found in 'punishmment' cultures) of trying to hide one's own mistakes.

The Japanese see problems as 'golden eggs' and welcome them and see them very much as a source of improvements and brand new solutions. Being more community-minded than the Europeans or Americans, they will also post a description of a problem in a public space (e.g. the corridor) with the expectation that colleagues will respond by helping to resolve the issue.

Quoted from 'Creative Problem Solving' by David O'Dell