In a recent article at C-Net, Chris Hatherly at Walt Disney Company sat down to answer some one on one questions about his thoughts on innovation and how innovation works at Walt Disney.
Hatherly defined innovation as understanding what people need, and then giving them the best solution even though they don't know they have a problem yet. Creative people must be everywhere, so that creativity is at the core of the company. Also essential is the fact that management has to respect and drive innovation or a company is never going to be successful at innovation. Management must also be tolerant with time, as innovation may take a while to complete itself.
Hatherly also took time to explain the innovation he's most proud of at Dinesy. Clickables, the new toy product launching soon, is a device that connects kids real lives with online lives. On the premise that online worlds can be dangerous for children, the Disney's Faries World makes new friends when you click your bracelet with someone else'. The came up with this idea by bringing 50 different people together of varying professions in the Disney company and brainstormed. By the end of the second day, they'd come up with an idea that turned into Clickables.