1. In my opinion, people are not innately innovative but humans do have an innate ability to think. This cognitive engagement leads to learning practices and as a result develops innovative people. Innovative people create innovation in organizations. People learn from and adapt to the needed and necessary changes and new ideas and developments required to continue organization success. Therefore, innovative individuals can be taught to be more innovative under specific organization or business conditions.
To retain innovative people organizations must create an innovative culture. They should foster creative thinking, incentives and rewards systems that encourage innovation. This would build company/employee relationships. A relationship that reflects support, gratitude, value, and respect. For example, in my profession annual Continuing Educational Units are required to remain a licensed educator within the state of Illinois. Companies that provide their employees with the opportunities or have financial reimbursement opportunities are supporting innovation. This is creating a strategy to continue to meet legal requirements for educators to remain licensed and to be up to date with the innovation of the beauty industry.
Mitra, J. (2017. The Business of Innovation. ISBN:978-1-4462-1080-2
2. A innovative person that I admire would be my mother. My mother has dealt with and managed to survive through the innovations of life. My mother was born and raised during a time where gender equality in education and the workplace had not been achieved. As a young African American girl, she was denied education and was kept home for chores and work. At a young age, the girls were not allowed to be educated in schools, but received basic education from home.
By her early teenage years her life was a success according to the social stigma. She had married a military young man. With the racism and other inequalities they migrated north for better living opportunities. My mother worked housekeeping. I remember walking to work with her as a child while listening to English classes and math tutorials. I remember signing her and my fathers signatures for them and helping them read mail or instructions.
Today in 2021, my mother is a retired Engineer who currently has been owning and operating her own cleaning business for over 25 years. She has adapted to the cultural, legal, political, and ethical changes of her country. Her eighty plus years of life as a black woman has been an innovative experience. She had to gradually adapt to not being allowed educational or work experiences due to race and gender to receiving her general education, working, attending college, and being promoted. Any American of this age of any race or gender has had the opportunity to witness and experienced innovation in America. They have learned to use a type writer, computer, laptop, chrome book, cell, phone, internet etc. Throughout all of this innovation, my mother received her Associate Degree and was able to reach COO of her company before retiring. Most of her training, certificates, and education was driven by the company and the CEO’s innovation.