Thinking outside the box might not be as easy as it sounds, but there are ways to get your innovation engines revving, says Harvard Business Review.

The Management Tip of the Day offers quick, practical management tips and ideas from Harvard Business Review and HBR.org (www.hbr.org). Any opinions expressed are not endorsed by Reuters.

"To innovate, you need to think differently. If you find yourself struggling to get something started or you're stuck in the middle of a project, try to get into a new frame of mind:

1. Get inspiration from outside. Think about what problems your customers are trying to solve. Spend time with them to understand what they actually need and how you might help them.

2. Learn from mistakes. There's no such thing as a perfect plan. Assume your first idea is partially right and partially wrong, and then reassess your approach.

3. Resist the pull of the core. Don't shift ideas toward how you currently operate, even if that's what you're most comfortable doing."

Today's management tip was adapted from "Four Ways to Think Like an Innovator" by Scott Anthony.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/30/us-management-tip-idUSBRE8480ST20120730
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