The Innovation Formula

CHAPTER 7 SUPERVISOR SUPPORT When ‘nice' isn't enough

We have all worked for a manager who, when presented with a great idea, instinctively reacts with a comment like ‘We tried that three years ago' or ‘That will never work'. But what we know is that in innovation cultures senior leaders have the opposite reaction to great ideas (and even not-so-great ones).

Dae Mellencamp, president of Vimeo, describes how she reacts to new ideas. ‘One of the things I think I'm good at is I'm a cheerleader. Not literally — I wasn't one in high school — but I get excited about ideas. I'm a complete nerd. I love a great idea and I don't care where it comes from. My standard reaction to a great idea is ‘God, that's so awesome. Let's do that!' I know that I don't always have the best idea. I have a good one occasionally. I get excited about my own ideas too. But I get really excited about other people's great ideas.'

If only all managers were like Mellencamp.

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Megan Kachur is responsible for creating new merchandise ideas for Disney's theme parks. Kachur hit the jackpot with her manager. Back in 2011, she had the idea of doing her Masters of Science in Creativity and Innovation at Buffalo State University to help with the work she was doing at Disney.

‘There was one time when I was about halfway into the course where I was having a hard time with it', recalls Kachur. ‘It was gruelling and I was getting tired. I had done the first year and I had finished the creative leadership portion. I felt ...