Leadership and organizational strategies to increase innovative thinking.

摘要

A child's imagination has long been a source of amazement and wonder. Our society encourages childhood creativity and hardwiring of magical thinking in children. Somehow in the complicated world that is adulthood, creative thinking ends up being stifled and innovation impeded. This societal shift raises the question: What would happen if imagination, the flame for innovation, were left ignited and allowed to burn? Instead of ending up with adults who feel over committed and bombarded by conflicting demands, it would be desirable to end up with adults who have the vivid imagination of a child. How do we resurrect the imaginative kid in each of us? To facilitate creative thinking and innovation requires an intentional process. The flame for innovation ideally should exist throughout our lifespan and be something that is woven into the fabric of our lives both at home and at work. The purpose of this article is to introduce the KIDS approach to innovative thinking, a leadership framework to foster creative thinking in individuals within organizations. Because most adults spend the bulk of their days in the workplace, the KIDS approach has particular relevance to the work setting. Professional nurses, especially clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), can potentially use this leadership framework to increase innovative thinking in their daily practice.