You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore .” — AndrĂ© Gide, French author (winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1947). “ An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all .” — Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright and poet. 1. Foster an open, creative work environment http://cliffartstudios.blogspot.com http://cliffartstudios.blogspot.com . To foster creativity, some companies provide workers with snacks, games, and “time off” during work hours. Google allows developers to work on their own projects one full day per week. Among other things, this has resulted in nifty services like Google News—so obviously, the approach works. You may not be able to offer that much freedom, but at least you can encourage communication , a positive attitude, and a low-stress environment. All these can support the greater mental flexibility and unshackled thought that result in profitable innovation. Team bonding events like...