16. Which of the following innovations was not initially rejected by the business world?
a) photocopying
b) the VCR
c) the original Star Wars movies
d) the built-in car seat for toddlers
e) Velcro
17. Below are four statements. Number each statement 1, 2, 3, or 4, depending on how true the statement is about you: "4" means the statement is generally true and "1" means the statement is generally false.
____a) In conversation, I frequently use the words "totally," "always," "must," "never," and "absolutely"
____b) I frequently end conversations with an unanswered question
____c) I frequently use the words "maybe," "perhaps," "depends," "sometimes," and "relatively"
____d) I frequently end conversations with a definitive statement
18. Below are four statements about you. Rank them in order from most true to least true, with "4" being the most true and "1" being the least true.
____a) I have recently changed a belief because of a practical experience
____b) Every once in a while, I find some truth in the whole zodiac/horoscope/astrology thing
____c) I learned a foreign language after the age of 22
____d) I jump to conclusions
19. "If you want the best things to happen in corporate life, you have to find ways to be hospitable to the unusual person. You don't get innovation as a democratic process." That is a quote from:
a) Max DePree, former CEO of Herman Miller Inc.
b) Martha Stewart, CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.
c) George Steinbrenner, controlling partner of YankeeNets Inc.
d) Judy George, CEO of Domain Inc.
20. "As a CEO, it's my job to make sure my organization places a high value on change and makes it part of the organization's culture with respect to product development." Coming from your lips, this statement could best be described as
a) humorous
b) patently false
c) what Plato, in The Republic, would call a "useful falsehood"
d) accurate, I hope
Answer Key
Compute your final score based on the answer key provided below. For a thorough explanation of each question and answer, and a full bibliography of sources, go to www.inc.com/IQ.
1. a -- 2 points
2. Give yourself 2 points for each statement that you checked off
3. All four statements are true. Give yourself 2 points for each correct answer
4. a -- 2 points
5. d -- 2 points
6. d -- 2 points
7. The more the merrier. Give yourself one point for each outsider whose perspective you sought
8. b -- 2 points
9. c1, a2, b3 -- one point for each correct answer
10. c -- 2 points
11. b -- 2 points
12. c -- 2 points
13. If you picked a -- give yourself 2 points; b -- 1 point; c -- 0 points; d -- subtract a point from your total
14. Add up the numbers you gave to each statement. Divide the total by two. That's how many points you get
15. d -- 2 points
16. b -- 2 points
17. Add up the two numbers you listed for b and c. Divide the total by two. That's how many points you get
18. What numbers did you assign to statements a and c? Add them together. Divide the total by two. That's how many points you get
19. a -- 2 points
20. d -- 2 points
Innovation impresario -- 29 points and up
Make no mistake about it -- innovation is your byword. Ideas attack you while you sleep. You keep a pad and paper by your bedside to record such nocturnal epiphanies. In science class, you abhorred textbooks, preferring to learn through experimentation. In the real world, you see a process, any process, and burn, burn, burn to improve it. Well, here's to you, innovation impresario: You make the world a better place.
Innovation intermediate -- 13-28 points
You lack the impassioned stargazing of the innovation impresario. But you're not exactly the eyes-on-the-road, hands-on-the-wheel type either. It's crossed your mind, every now and then, to stop what you're doing and switch into another industry entirely -- or at the very least, take the ceramics class that your right brain has been hankering for since high school. You daydream at work, but your left brain never abandons you for too long. And that's just fine with you.
Innovation ingenue -- 0-12 points
Is there anything more annoying than someone using the term "creative temperament" to justify behavior that's just plain irresponsible? Sure, innovative thinking has its time and place. But it's hard to see just when and where. What with your employees, family, investment portfolio, and life's other obli- gations, it's tough enough finding the moment to exercise. What a shame to have wasted 10 minutes on some lame little magazine quiz.
For explanations of the answers behind the questions, please go to www.inc.com/IQ.
The Innovation Factor: Part II
Inside Innovative Minds
Innovative Minds
Your Brain on Innovation
What's Your Innovation Quotient?
Plus: The Innovation Factor: Part I
Please E-mail your comments to editors@inc.com.
