The Top Five Innovation Skills for Generating New Ideas

Are we born with the ability to innovate, or can we learn and acquire it over time? A recent study of 72 innovative entrepreneurs and 310 executives found that innovators consistently demonstrated five key innovation skills, four of which were physical skills, suggesting that innovation skills can be nurtured rather than being innate. According to author Jeff Dyer's book, The Innovator's DNA, the five skills include: associating different ideas, questioning, observing your customer, networking for ideas, and experimenting. To become better at associating, try to create connections between ideas from different genres, while trying out question-storming sessions or rewriting statements into questions can improve your questioning skills. Observing your customers' environment and networking with people possessing diverse perspectives are some ways to acquire ideation skills. Finally, experiments are vital to innovation success as they provide insights.