The Breastflow Bottle Feeding System emulates the interaction of a baby’s mouth with a mother’s breast.

It was then determined that compressing the nipple against an inner component would simulate a milk duct. The suggestion arose to use check valves and the team created a simple two-piece design. The team also produced a manufacturable concept for the molding of the nipple. The Breastflow Bottle Feeding System is now a successful product with positive feedback from breastfeeding mothers.

Guide, don't stifle

Leading a brainstorming session is a delicate balancing act. On one hand, a leader must strive to get the wheels of innovation turning and encourage creativity. On the other side, the leader must prevent entering dead ends. Formal rules stifle creativity, but a careful definition of goals and a continual focus are important for good results.

A major obstacle to innovation is “group think,” and leaders must take steps to prevent it. A concept developed by Irving Janus, group think happens when team members strive to minimize conflict and reach a consensus without truly analyzing ideas. Participants instead rationalize poor decisions. Other negative results include irrational or hasty decision making and the pursuit of infeasible ideas.

The leader must also build trust among team members, usually within the first 10 minutes of the session, and often with a group of strangers. Building trust entails introducing everyone, breaking the ice, and acknowledging each participant's expertise. Leaders who can use humorous approaches coupled with technical seriousness usually foster friendly, creative environments.

Thought-stimulating group activities can also guide creative thinking. One technique is to send teams out with a camera to take a picture of six random items. Once back, team members are encouraged to somehow relate the items in the photographs to the issue at hand, whether it's a sneaker or a new heart valve. This activity forces group members to think differently, and ideas are born.

Innovation is not a finite task, with start and end points. An innovative culture begins with the hiring process. Managers should implement a reward system to recognize employees who think out of the box and generate solutions. Companies should base promotions on creativity and results because doing so motivates individuals to produce new ideas. Creative employees are in high demand, so make sure to recognize them internally. And include all the inventors when filing a patent application.