Hi, Tom.
I read your post early this afternoon and have thought about it a lot
since. I believe I am a creative thinker, at least I was in the
computer software area and perhaps can shed some light from my
experience. I think still have some creative problem solving ability
left after 34 years in the computer industry.

From my experience, the key is knowing in detail and in depth the
tools and material you have to work with. Without knowing and
understanding how a computer language functioned, how an operating
system worked, what the limits and options were, I would not be able
to create new solutions to solve someone's problems or create a
totally new product.

What background do you and your people have? Is there educational
facilities available educate on metalurgy, chemistry, physics? Are you
willing to pay your people to attend? Are you and your people fluent
in geometry, algebra and trig? Do you and your people really,
thoroughly know the functions and limits of your equipment? Do your
people have access to magazines relating to the industry? Do they have
personal copies? Are they in the bathroom? Can you get vendor salesmen
and technical people in to hold seminars. You don't HAVE to buy! Are
there any professional organizations in your area that you or your
people can attend? Have you or your people ever attend an industry
related vendor show?

In other words, you have to have the tools to think outside the box.

Do you give credit to the person actually providing the idea you use?
Do you have an employee that steals others ideas and calls them his
own? This will stop creativity immediately. Do you offer rewards for
ideas and then screw the person offering the idea? I recall a guy who
used to be a field engineer (repairman) for a major computer
manufacturer. The company offered a reward of 10% of the annual saving
to anyone in the company who came up with valid viable ways to save
the company money. Well, Dale did and the savings for the company was
a LOT of money. When asked about where the reward was, he was told his
idea was "obvious" and they would not pay. Needless to say, the word
quickly got around and the idea submissions stopped.

All the other postings are great and I hope you are able to move the
company along and make a lot of money doing it.

Best regards,
Paul Drahn, President
Jodeco, Inc.
Redmond, OR




On Sep 4, 9:24*pm, "Tom Gardner" wrote:
....snip...
.. *How do you attract those "other" ideas?

Is there a method or exercises to develop creative thinking? *Cutting metal
and drilling holes is the easy part, how do you completely forget an idea in
order to "see" a new idea? *This may come easily for an intelligent person
but I struggle with my mental limitations.