One of the most overused business terms with progressive companies is “innovation”. Announcing that your company is innovating or implementing an idea management system is the tip of the iceberg. Deeply understanding the cultural aspects and driving the right behavior of employees is the foundation of a longer term strategy. http://www.cio.com/article/2944064/cio-role/five-surprising-qualities-of-innovation-cultures.html/Read More →
never has there been such a disruptive technology as the digital tools we have at our fingertips. Companies capable of getting senior leadership and the board to get behind a digital strategy can be competitive with companies much larger than themselves. http://www.cio.com/article/2934888/it-strategy/digital-and-innovation-not-or.html/Read More →
It’s not uncommon for those who are less vocal or visible to remain in the background when there are more vocal extroverts in the organization. As today’s business world becomes more data driven and teams dispersed around the world where communicating virtually is more common, the introvert is playing and will play a much larger role in a company’s success. http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/introverts-will-soon-rule-the-business-world.html As you formally or informally create an innovation team goes without saying that you need to take personalities into account. As more and more research is showing the value of introverts in terms of innovation and success, the team consistency should be adjusted toRead More →
Back in 2013 this article hit home and it looks like we are still in a similar place. Simply soliciting ideas is not a game changer. Investing in a platform or system or just forming an innovation team is not the answer. Everyone’s got ideas, it just comes down to whether they’re tied to corporate objectives, have a likelihood for success, can be measured, The correct culture is in place and the investment is truly understood. My position on innovation, which is not unique, is that innovation is achieved only after an impact is made regardless of whether it is big or small (big I vsRead More →
It’s not easy to increase innovation at a successful company. Or to establish an innovative culture at a struggling company. Both represent challenges that require different approaches. How do you lead a crowd? Construct compromise? Spur innovation? Forbes captured some quotes on key business topics from some of the world’s top achievers. Great article at Forbes, Secrets of innovationRead More →
Big I, little i. When does Innovation start? I would propose that Innovation starts when there is a recognizable discomfort with the ability for an item or situation to meet one’s needs or when a level of excitement presents itself organically related to something that would increase the experience delivered by the particular item. Yes I realize this is wordy, but sometimes when getting theoretical excess words tend to be used, especially when trying to define a term that has been overused and has numerous similar definitions. The upfront phases of innovation can be called many things, ideation, suggestions, feedback, input, all parts of earlyRead More →
What does it mean to be truly innovative? And what is just the natural progression of product design and improvement? I have read many articles on the topic and have had many conversations as well. I believe there is general acceptance on the basic meaning of innovation. The definition I use to describe true innovation is: Non-obvious information and activity related to a product or process that yields value Let’s explore the definition. “Non obvious”, if there is a generally accepted gap or well-known weakness, the fact that a company solves it is not innovative, it’s just common sense. If a company comes out with a newRead More →
Boeing has just been awarded a patent for a force field, yes a force field. The system seeks to disrupt shock waves before they reach soldiers. Seems like an innovative approach and certainly will be the basis for future variations that take us closer to Star Trek. The patent describes a sensor or array of sensors that reacts to an explosion and then sends an immediate reaction that can come in various modes (laser, microwave, electrical arc, etc…) which generate a hot pocket of air to disrupt the shock wave. The goal is to lessen the number of occurrences of IED related Brain damage andRead More →
How does your company measure innovation? If your like many companies both big and small, it has been a challenge to measure anything but a change to top line revenue. As you formulate the processes that are part of your organizational innovation engine, consider the defining the following 4 items: A framework of capturing, reporting and making adjustments based on the key metrics related to innovation ROI related metrics evaluating all possible inputs associated with innovation Metrics related to capacity, ability and location of resources both internal and external. Process metrics such that a lean approach can be an outcome based on cycle time andRead More →
Most companies agree on a high level definition: “activity taken to create new products or product improvements”. I would add to this definition that “the activity is in line with core business objectives, achieved by utilizing a process, allows for flexibility in approach and results in a positive financial outcome”. More detailRead More →