"Innovation," Plain and Simple
So, what exactly is “Innovation”? In the corporate gold rush to innovate, it appears that few, if anyone (including no doubt the vast majority of CEOs and senior managers) are pausing long enough to comprehend what the word “Innovation” actually means?
Read More…Innovate or Perish: The New Darwinism
At a time when the even the most fundamental elements of business success are being reevaluated and redefined, one thing becomes increasingly clear: innovation is no longer a “nice to have;” it’s a “must have.” It’s what we call The Innovation Imperative; if innovation distinguished between leaders and followers in the recent past, today it increasingly distinguishes between survivors and the barely breathing.
Read More…Can Creativity Be Taught? Part One: Asking the right question
One of the most significant revelations companies will experience on their road to organizational transformation is that realization that while innovation is indeed the driving force in business today— behind the scenes, it’s creativity that drives it. Once this epiphany has occurred it inevitably leads organizations to ask the simple yet paradoxical question, “Can creativity be taught?”
Read More…Can Creativity Be Taught? Part Two: Mastering the Creative Process
Many people believe that highly creative individuals possess some sort of rare, special, almost magical talent. Somehow, mysteriously, they are able to conjure up new and remarkable ideas, produce extraordinarily inventive work and make a profound impact on the world. Such individuals are viewed by many as favored by Mother Nature and blessed with a special gene, the one most of us missed out on.
Read More…The Relationship Between Creativity and Innovation
Creativity and innovation are not synonymous; there is a clear and important distinction between them. It is especially critical for businesses to understand this distinction before instituting a new organization-wide innovation imitative.
Read More…How To Brainstorm Better: 7 Power Tips for Improving Your Brainstorms
The most widely used tool for generating and developing new ideas in organizations is group brainstorming. Literally hundreds of thousands of brainstorm sessions take place in offices and conference rooms across the globe, every single day. The problem is, most people need help in how to brainstorm better.
Read More…Are You Innovation Inept? Why Most Organizations Just Aren’t That Innovative
Recently Fast Company published its 2009 list of the 50 Most Innovative Companies. Team Obama topped the list (which could, and probably will be the subject of another post). But as amazing as that news was, what struck me was that 33 of the previous year’s 50 did not make the list.
Read More…What Do Your Customers Really Want? Let Us Give You An Idea.
A recent article at emarketer.com, “Americans Want Brands that Inform,” focused on findings in the “Global Web Index” from Lightspeed Research. The third most important action a brand can take to make itself relevant to consumers is “Provide me with new ideas and thinking.”
Read More…The Innovation – Communication Connection: Why So Many Great Ideas Get Shot Down – And What You Can Do About It
Communication is the often forgotten, essential component of innovation. True, it’s not as sexy as all those other components we love reading about, things like creative ideation, strategic implementation, enhanced value, disruptive technology, elegant design and a dozen or so other overused buzz words. But in the end, if your big idea is not clearly and persuasively presented to your collaborators and decision makers, it will simply wither on the vine.
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