Most people are hostile to most new ideas, and are at their most inventive when thinking up objections to new ideas. They are in favor of creativity in the abstract, but detest the concrete products of creativity. So, to the creative, invention is the mother of frustration..

The standard responses in the progress of a new idea:

• 1. It won't work.
• 2. It's not needed.
• 3. It's obvious.

Innovation Index is the degree of receptivity or hostility of an individual to a new idea proposed by someone else. It is a useful score kept in the mind of an innovator to allocate his/her efforts in promoting a new idea.

5 is most receptive (extremely rare), 3 is average, and 0 is most hostile. These are typical expressions; there are many others with the same spectrum of receptive to hostile. The numerical values given are arbitrary - one cannot persuade people to submit to a test - but they are suggested guides for you to use in judging other people.

Except for bitter amusement, why pay attention to a person's Innovation Index? The reason is to minimize your own frustration and to make your own time more efficient. It is wasteful and frustrating to try to sell a new idea to a person with a low Innovation Index but it may be rewarding to spend your time selling your new idea to someone with a high Innovation Index.

See how many of these have already been thrown in your path:

• From the most sympathetic to the most hostile:
• 5. Let's try it.
• 5. Excited voice.
• 4. This is how we can improve it.
• 4. I think we should tell __ about this.
• 4. What if...some good effect.
• 4. Prove it. [Implying acceptance if proved]
• 3. How can you test it?
• 3. They wont pay for it.
• 3. Would it work?
• 3. Interested voice.
• 2. Well...
• 2. I think someone already did that.
• 2. __ thought of that already.
• 2. It's impractical.
• 2. Authority X disagrees.
• 2. It must be an old idea.
• 2. It's an old idea.
• 2. Bored voice
• 2. Who needs it?
• 2. The trouble with that is...[pause to think up a trouble]
• 2. What if...[some bad effect].
• 2. What we do now is just as good.
• 2. It would cost too much.
• 2. Someone used to do that. (Implying abandonment)
• 2. If it were any good we would have done it already.
• 2. There must be a reason they don't do it now.
• 2. Someone must have tried it already.
• 2. If it were any good, one of the big companies would have done it already.
• 2. It's merely engineering, not science.
• 2. We tried it and it didn't work.
• 2. There is no budget.
• 1. Changes the subject
• 1. Polite laughter
• 1. Derisive laughter
• 1. Silence
• 1. It wont work.
• I'm busy
• 0. Anger and hostility
• 0. What a stupid idea!
• 0. You are a fool! [& other invectives]
• 0. Ridicule

Suggested additions:

• You're on the wrong track
• Not enough return on investment
• Let's shelve that idea for a while
• Who is going to do it?
• What do you know about it?
• I don't understand what you are trying to accomplish.
• How does that concern you?
• So what else is new?
• The boss will laugh.
• We tried that two years ago.
• Competition has taken the lead.
• It's great, but..
• Who asked you?
• We're too big (or small) for that.
• The public is not ready.
• It won't fit our operation.
• The sixth floor wont like it.
• It won't hold water.
• It's too risky.
• We already have too much to worry about.
• You're too young to know anything about that.
• Someone must have done it.
• Be sensible.
• I thought of that last year, we didn't use it then.
• You've got to be kidding.
• Who needs it?
• That's against all of our combined logic.
• What for?
• You'll never get approval.
• We tried that 25 years ago.
• It's not a new concept.
• I can't sell it.
• It's probably illegal.
• The public will laugh at us.
• Let's check on it later.
• We've got enough problems already.
• Why?
• Someday there may be a need for this.
• What are you? Some kind of nut?
• Why do that now?
• (Unspoken) It was Not Invented Here (The NIH Factor)

The employed engineer or retained consultant usually gets a hearing because he may be solving a problem to which he has been assigned or which he recognizes as an insider. The independent inventor is a nuisance, and he may become a source of legal problems. He should read The Independent Inventor

• For other essays on creativity, Consulting engineering

• e-mail your comments to: ljkamm@ljkamm.com