IdeaConnection :: Interviews with Innovation Authors

Optimizing Ideation Performance

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:52:20 -0800

"…the problem with traditional brainstorming is that its methodology violates many of the psychological and sociological principles regarding how human beings work best together in a group setting." Brainsteering, page 134

The Right Questions

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:07:13 -0800

"While the lessons and ideas spawned by others who came before you may not solve your entire problem, they can certainly give you a substantial jump-start on it by being the source of great questions that help you focus your thinking." Brainsteering, page 36

How is your Annual Report?

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:54:20 -0800

January isn’t called January for nothing. Named after Janus, the Roman god who faced both forward and backward, it’s a time to look ahead and define new goals, as well as a time to look back at what we accomplished – or didn’t accomplish – in the last calendar year.

Efficiency — The Innovation Trap

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:35:29 -0800

"…I've attempted to demonstrate how a firm can achieve "innovation flow" by rebalancing the operating model between efficiency and innovation, and by refocusing middle managers and encouraging them to embrace innovation." Relentless Innovation, page 196

From Success to Significance

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:41:42 -0800

"…a strength overused becomes a weakness, and nowhere is that more apparent than in personality." GPS (Goals & Proven Strategies) for Success, page 6

40 Ways To...

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:26:08 -0800

"The smartest organization will not survive. The company with the most money can quickly fall from grace. But the organization that adapts and evolves to address ever-changing market conditions will thrive in the long run." Best Practices Are Stupid, page 1.

New and Improved

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:27:34 -0800

"Every approach to innovation costs something – every kind of creation involves creative destruction – which is why some of the most effective decisions to enable innovation are more about stopping current practices than starting new ones. You just can't afford to carry around commitments and attitudes that don't help you reach your innovation goals." Innovation You, page 88

The 20-80 Rule

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:50:14 -0800

"When you start thinking of your entire life as a portfolio of innovation 'investments', you take a crucial step in becoming a lifelong innovator. You stop thinking of innovation as something you do in individual projects and shift to the overall journey." Innovation You, page 207

Navigating from the Future, Creating Magical Performance

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:11:38 -0800

From space, the astronauts tell us, national boundaries vanish, the conflicts that divide us become less important and the need to create a planetary society with the united wills to protect this "pale blue dot" becomes both obvious and imperative. Even more so, many of them tell us that from the Overview perspective, all of this seems imminently achievable, if only more people could have the experience.

Turning Waste into Value

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:36:32 -0700

Stephen Johnson’s excellent book “Where Good Ideas Come From” devotes a lot of ink (or pixels if you prefer the digital version) to the correlations between the way we innovate in business and culture and the patterns of innovation we find in biology. “Nature’s innovations” he writes, “rely on spare parts” – they are based on “taking available resources and cobbling them together to create new uses”.

On the Other Side

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 07:18:29 -0700

"Instead of asking, 'How do I make this very important initiative a success?' they [businesspeople] ask, 'How do I make innovation happen throughout my organization?' But you have to learn to walk before you learn to run." The Other Side of Innovation, page 16

The Hunt – An Innovator's Perspective

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:13:21 -0700

"It is not uncommon that the most strategic inventions evolve based on the entrance of a new material or technology being available that, if combined with an existing product, improves the utility." Fred Thomas

Inner Work Life

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 18:08:50 -0700

"Inner work life is the confluence of perceptions, emotions, and motivations that individuals experience as they react to and make sense of the events of their workday….Creativity, productivity, commitment, and collegiality are all higher when the three components of inner work life are positive." The Progress Principle, pages 20 and 51

The Intangible Beast

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:30:33 -0700

"I want to change the creative landscape of the world. That's it. And I would love you to join me, because I can't do it alone." Herding Monkeys, page 134

Red Rags, Poison, and Food

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 17:48:38 -0700

"The truth is that creativity is very difficult to define. And there lies a trap: the very act of defining creativity destroys the essence of what it is." Herding Monkeys, page 28.

The Right Moment

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 17:34:10 -0700

"Many new products which are launched on the market are only 'new to the company' and usually a variation or, or a successor to, an existing product, or a direct copy of a product form the closest competitor. Research into the introduction of 24,000 new products onto the European market has confirmed this theory." Creating Innovative Products and Services, page 10

Solving Customers' Frictions

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 10:11:39 -0700

"People are actually 'creatures of habit' and are not inclined to change. Yet they are the people to whom we want to introduce new products or services. It can only work if the new product or service actually is attractive to them and solves an existing and relevant friction. Creating Innovative Products and Services, page 106

The Innovation Genome

Sun, 08 May 2011 13:32:37 -0700

"An organization can grow in two ways. The first way is through acquisition – buying another company or product, or hiring away a competitor's best people….Companies can also grow organically. This type of growth is fueled by innovation, which makes an organization better and new." Leading Innovation, page 3

2,500 Innovation Articles

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 11:55:44 -0700

"One of the lesser-known innovation truths is that a true innovation is often more than just a single idea, but is often several ideas coming together to serve a new key insight." Stoking Your Innovation Bonfire, page 52

Quality Innovation Execution

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 10:22:41 -0700

"While generating ideas is important, organizations that can turn those ideas into a mature product or service that the marketplace finds useful and valuable will be successful." Stoking Your Innovation Bonfire, page 78