Innovation thrives on a diet of news ideas. It needs new views, fresh thinking; a different perspective from across the organization, from the center to the edge. According to John Hagel and John Seely Brown for the Aspen Institute Roundtable Discussion in 2012, the place where innovation is most likely to flourish is not at [...]
Why is success so hard to sustain? In order to succeed, everybody should be involved and engaged in innovation. Innovation should be broad; from innovations in the product or offering, to innovations in the process, delivery, and/or finance. For many years, innovation was seen as the development of new products. However, creating new products is [...]
Value creation is the performance of actions that increase the worth of goods, services and businesses. It benefits customers, who receive improved products and services, as well as shareholders of the company who wish to see their stake appreciate over time. How does a company create and maintain value? Through innovation processes that build [...]
How does your company engineer sustainability? Do you track new product sales objectives? Is your NPD pipeline as robust as you’d like it to be? Do you reward people who contribute good ideas to your organization? Do you have a reward system in place for creativity? Do you recognize staff for creativity and accomplishments [...]
Innovation is constantly taking place around us, from the mundane and simple, to the abstract and grand. Last night I was watching a video for Samsung’s newest screen prototype, the oled bendable plastic screen under the Youm brand name. This morning I am sitting in a coffee shop using webbeams – free Wi-Fi provided with [...]
Of the 10 imperatives of Robert’s Rules of Innovation, Observe and Measure is one of the most vital. Innovation is ultimately about Return on Investment. A system of metrics will objectively show your progress and success each step of the way. It’s essential to follow a course of action that produces ongoing improvement, and sustainable and [...]
When was the last time you approached your business as a customer? Have you ever placed an order for your own product, and followed its path from start to finish? It may be time to start. It may be time for a Gemba Walk. Competitive business strategy requires effective planning, development and growth. It demands innovation [...]
Vision leads to the mission, from which is developed the strategy. Inject vibrant ideas, and stir in some climate and culture, process, and technology. The result: Sustainable Innovation About those vibrant ideas, where do they come from? You can wait for that “divine spark,” or you can make it happen. Often the hardest part of [...]
Innovation is a product of human activity. Innovation keeps life interesting, yet it begins first, with ideation. The creation of a new thought or idea. If ideas are the seeds of innovation, idea management is the formalization of the processes involved in gathering, sharing, analyzing and executing the ideas generated within an organization and its [...]
At the beginning of every year, I pick one solid quote to live by for the year. This year, my quote comes from Neil Gaiman. Gaiman himself never graduated from college. He never even enrolled in college. Yet, today, he is one of the most celebrated and prolific writers working today. “I hope that in this year to [...]
