Creative Thinking Leads to Success.

• Position: Brief Article

Success in today's turbulent business environment depends on continually generating new ideas, Bill Costello, who advises firms on how to become more creative, told the World Future Society, Bethesda, Md. "Creativity is the new business currency," he maintains. By generating a flow of new concepts, companies can adjust to the rapidly changing business climate.

For example, the Starbucks coffee chain cashed in on the idea that customers would spend twice as much for gourmet blends as for plain coffee. Industry giants like General Foods and Nestle lost market share because they couldn't "think the unthinkable."

Automobile manufacturer Henry Ford was scorned for one of his creative moves--raising his workers' pay from $2.34 to $5 per day. However, the idea paid off in lower training costs and happier, more-productive workers.

Costello offers five tips for creative thinking:

* Focus on a particular objective. You need to know what you want in...