"Innovative" does not necessarily mean radical or expensive, nor do the best ide
Fords open policy towards employees ideas "generates tens of thousands of e-mails a month", according to Ed Sketch, the director of training and development in America and Europe. The company has even employed people to sift through them. Money-saving brainwaves are rewarded with big bonuses or a new car.
Companies might want to recruit innovative thinkers, but do they really want nonconformists on board? Peer Granger, the head of Insight Training, which runs innovation workshops for companies, believes that the risk of not having them on board is greater. "Its not like the old days, where companies could churn out the same old product year after year and customers would buy them. If companies dont innovate, they die. Just look at the high street. And almost by definition, you have to be difficult in order to innovate because it is about challenging the status quo."
The problem is that innovators are usually seen as trouble-makers and are often the first people to go if a company is downsizing. Theres such a blame culture that people are scared to step outside the norms. In our workshops we show people the value of breaking rules."
However, Granger thinks that difficult, innovative people would crumble without their conformist colleagues. "Crikey, you need the other people to say, Hang on, maybe this isnt a good idea, which can save you a lot of hassle later. And turning an idea into reality may involve office politics, which difficult people may not be good at."
The example of the woman whose suggestion was popular indicates that______.
A.everything that is beneficial to people can be said to be innovative
B.even the common people can put forward an innovative suggestion
C.people are easy to accept new things that are helpful to them
D.the ideas from the top sometimes are not as good as those from ordinary people