Tony Dokoupil writes that “Over the last century and a half, the average age of a Nobel Prize winner at the moment of his great breakthrough has risen more than five years, from 34 to almost 39 years old. Run-of-the-mill inventors are also older: the average age for registering first major patents has jumped seven months per decade.”
If you are like me, you tend to value innovation and fresh thinking in your organization or your congregation. If you are like me, you also tend to associate innovation and fresh thinking with people who are young.
Could it be that we are missing an enormous resource in those who are older? How can we tap into innovation among the more experienced and seasoned in our organizations and congregations? How can we nurture such thinking among this age-group?
[Source: Tony Dokoupil, “Old People Are More Innovative,” Newsweek (Aug. 24 & 31, 2009), 55.]
