The psychology of innovationWhy are so few companies truly innovation? Innovation is key to business survival, and companies put substantial resources into inspiring employees to develop new ideas. There are, nevertheless, people working in luxurious, state-of-the-art centres designed to stimulate innovation who find that their environment doesn't make them feel at all creative. And there are those who don't have a budget, or much space, but who innovate successfully.For Robert B. Cialdini, Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University, one reason that companies don't succeed as often as they should is that innovation starts with recruitment. Research shows that the fit between an employee's values and a company's values makes a difference to what contribution they make and whether, two years after they join, they're still at the company.One of the most famous photographs in the story of rock'n' roll emphasizes Ciaidini's views. The 1956 picture of singers Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis jamming at a piano in Sun Studios in Memphis tells a hidden story. Sun's 'million-dollar quartet' could have been a quintet. Missing from the picture is Roy Orbison, a greater natural singer than Lewis, Perkins or Cash. Sam Phillips, who owned Sun, wanted to revolutionize popular music with songs that fused black and white music, and country and blues. Presley, Cash, Perkins and Lewis instinctively understood Phillips' ambition and believed in it. Orbison wasn't inspired by the goal, and only ever achieved one hit with the Sun label.Managing innovation is a delicate art. It's easy for a company to be pulled in conflicting directions as the marketing, product development, and finance departments each get different feedback from different sets of people. And without a system which ensured collaborative exchanges within the company, it's also easy for small 'pockets of innovation' to disappear. Innovation is a contact sport. You can't brief people just by saying, "We're going in this direction and I'm going to take you with me."Cialdini believes that this 'follow-the-leader syndrome is dangerous, not least because it encouraged bosses to go it alone. 'It's been scientifically proven that three people will be better than one at solving problems, even if that one person is the smartest person in the field.'To prove his point, Cialdini cites an interview with molecular biologist James Watson. Watson, together with Francis Crick, discovered the structure of DNA, the genetic information carrier of all living organisms. 'When asked how they had cracked the code ahead of an array of highly accomplished rival investigators, he said something that stunned me. He said he and Crick had succeeded because they were aware that they weren't the most intelligent of the scientists pursuing the answer. The smartest scientist was called Rosalind Franklin who, Watson said, "was so intelligent she rarely sought advice"'Writing, visualizing and prototyping can stimulate the flow of new ideas. Cialdini cite scores of research papers and historical events that prove that even something as simple as writing deepens every individual's engagement in the project. It is, he says, the reason why all those competitions on breakfast cereal packets encouraged us to write in saying, in no more than 10 words: "I like Kellogg's Com Flakes because…" The very act of writing makes us more likely to believe it.Authority doesn't have to inhibit innovation but it often does. Many theorists believe the ideal boss should lead from behind, taking pride in collective accomplishment and giving credit where it is due. Cialdini says: "Leaders should encourage everyone to contribute and simultaneously assure all concerned that every recommendation is important to making the right decision and will be given full attention." The frustrating thing about innovation is that there are many approaches, but no magic formula. However, a manager who wants to create a truly innovative culture can make their job a lot easier by recognizing these psychological realities.The example of the 'million-dollar quartet' underlines the writer's point about.A.recognizing talent.B.working as a team.C.having a shared objective.D.being an effective leader.James Watson suggests that he and Franc is Crick won the race to discover the DNA code because they.A.were conscious of their own limitations.B.brought complementary skills to their partnership.C.were determined to outperform their brighter rivals.D.encouraged each other to realize their joint ambition.The writer mentions competitions on breakfast cereal packets as an example of how to.A.inspire creative thinking.B.generate concise writing.C.promote loyalty to a group.D.strengthen commitment to an idea.In the last paragraph, the writer suggests that it is important for employees to.A.be aware of their company's goals.B.feel that their contributions are valued.C.have respect for their co-workers' achievements.D.understand why certain management decisions are made..