Several firms in Silicon Valley have installed a "five minute rule." The rule permits anyone to suggest an idea.  Then for the first five minutes after the idea is expressed only positive comments can be made.  By the time the idea is talked about for five minutes it has usually spun into an impromptu brainstorm session that cultivates truly great ideas and some form of the discussion is often implemented... More

→ Innovation-friendly Organization

 Dell Inc.

"It is really dangerous if everyone in a company starts thinking the same way", writes Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO of the Dell Computer Corporation. "The danger comes when you fall into the trap of approaching problems too similarly. You can encourage your people to think about your business, your industry, your customers innovatively. Ask a different question – or word the same question in a different way. By approaching a problem, a response or an opportunity from a different perspective, you create an opportunity for new understanding and new learning. By questioning all the aspects of our business, we continuously inject improvement and innovation into our culture."... More

→ Inspiring Culture: 5 Elements

 Hewlett-Packard Way

To create an organization that could sustain its competitive advantage regardless of marketplace whims and what their competitors were building, HP founders based their corporate culture on the integration and reinforcement of critical opposites. This became known as the Hewlett-Packard Way... More

→ The Jazz of Innovation: 11 Guiding Principles

GE Work-Out: At its core, Work-Out is a very simple concept based on the premise that those closest to the work know it best. When the ideas of those people, irrespective of their functions and job titles, are solicited and turned immediately into action, an unstoppable wave of creativity, energy, and productivity is unleashed throughout the organization. At GE, Work-Out "Town Meetings" gave the corporation access to an unlimited resource of imagination and energy of its talented employees... More

Boundarylessness: In his book Jack: Straight from the Gut, Jack Welch teaches that companies must be boundaryless to unlock their potential. Insular thinking results in stale ideas and, consequently, stale organizations. By breaking down the walls and borders that separated various departmental and functional areas at GE, Welch was able to unlock the full creativity of his people, propelling the company forward with fresh, creative approaches to problems.