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Business


Clive Shearer
Management
by Design
By Clive Shearer
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May 13, 2009

Management by Design: Want to be innovative? Here's how to start

By CLIVE SHEARER
Special to the Journal

There is very little in life that is really new. Improvements are often based upon the inspirations of others, or are a refinement of something that already exists. For example, most new products are creative improvements of past models, and while some are indeed innovative, few are the result of inspired, out-of-the-box thinking. Even many “innovations” in science would be more accurately called “advances.”

Innovation in human behavior is even more rare. For example, the concept of empowerment is based upon an ancient Greek concept, radical in its day, today dressed up to look new. Even nations build upon the ideas of others. For example, the famed Swiss Constitution was developed using the U.S. Constitution as a model.


 
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