An interesting post on Business Week talks about Google deals with Web Spam. It’s interesting insight into how the industry giant operates, but I found the last section most interesting of all. It talks about how Google stimulates innovation amongst its employees. Here are some things that are mentioned:

• Constant re-examination of the status quo. Looking at the way you do things today and how how they can be improved may pave the way for a brighter tomorrow.
• Take time off. Taking a bunch of smart people out of their work environment and letting them engage with one another in a fun environment can yield interesting results
• Reinvent the wheel. Never assume you have the best way to do something. There’s always a better way to do something and if you assume you’re doing it the best way possible, then you might stifle innovation.

These ideas are valid, regardless of whether you the biggest search engine in the world, or simply trying to market a new brand of herbal weight loss pills; innovation is the lifeblood of an organisation and without initiatives to keep it flowing, companies will just fade into oblivion.