Monthly Archives: April 2010
Our special guest columnist today is C. Mudgeon III, CEO of Dumbleton & Dorfly. C. Mudgeon is an Alumnus of the Machiavelli School of Business at Screw U.I think that we can all agree that Innovation is a tremendous waste of time. The money that we all waste on these initiatives could be much better spent on cappuccino service for the executive boardroom or cashmere toilet paper for the restrooms on the top floor. These upstart “Innovators” challenge our assumptions, threaten the status quo and upset the delicate political stagnation that we’ve worked so hard to cultivate over the decades.So how do we shut these programs down without being tagged as an “Enemy of Innovation” (like that’s a bad thing?)It’s actually not that difficult. I have a few sure-fire suggestions for undermining your innovation programs, destroying that pesky enthusiasm and still making it look like you’re supporting the program.Starve them … Continue reading
As a person who works with a number of firms attempting to improve innovation capabilities, I am constantly astonished by the disconnect between what senior executives say they want and what actually gets done in most businesses, at least within the context of innovation. As they say in government, the President proposes and Congress disposes. Most executives I interact with say they want innovation, but the force of their desire and the clarity of their vision doesn’t translate down to the people who will actually do the work. I think there are at least three reasons for this.First, most senior executives aren’t innovators themselves. Most senior executives grew through the organization and moved up by being effective stewards of the company’s funds, resource and culture. Most of them were respectful of the history of the company and the brands. They progressed by doing things well, and doing things efficiently. Few … Continue reading
It is simply impossible to become a great leader without being a great communicator. I hope you noticed that the previous sentence didn’t refer to being a great talker – big difference. The key to becoming a skillful communicator is rarely found in what has been taught in the world of academia. From our earliest days in the classroom we are trained to focus on annunciation, vocabulary, presence, delivery, grammar, syntax and the like. In other words, we are taught to focus on ourselves. While I don’t mean to belittle these things as they’re important to learn, it’s the more subtle elements of communication that are rarely taught in the classroom (the elements that focus on others) that leaders desperately need to learn. It is the ability to develop a keen external awareness that separates the truly great communicators from those who muddle through their interactions with others. In today’s … Continue reading
Beyond the core and adjacencies, how do we identify and map out the most relevant elements of future competitive space?by Idris MooteeWhen people talk about exploring white space in innovation, often they refer externally to unserved markets or businesses that are outside their core. It is basically where unmet and unarticulated needs are uncovered to create innovation opportunities. White space is where where products and services don’t currently exist based on the present understanding of values. White space is also a tool that allows us to look at the landscape with new lenses. White space can moreover be defined as a unique set of attributes, identifying new openings where your competitors currently aren’t focusing or it is being considered part of what traditionally considered a remotely different industry. White space is also an important outcome of a customer inquiry and discovery process that leads to new profit growth opportunities by … Continue reading
This is the fourth of several ‘Innovation Perspectives’ articles we will publish this week from multiple authors to get different perspectives on ‘How should firms develop the organizational structure, culture, and incentives (e.g., for teams) to encourage successful innovation?’. Here is the next perspective in the series:by Dan KeldsenIn the absence of explicit top-level innovation support, how can you go from an “innovating army of one” (always useful, but frequently not sufficient), to building out innovation teams? And not just collections of people who want to innovate, but who are the best people for any particular challenge/problem that you are looking to overcome?Heading: Right or Left? We Need Whole Brains on the JobThe old myth of “right-brain” vs “left-brain” continues to hurt us all in the business world. There has been an immense amount of research into the psychology, skills and strengths of innovators and creative problem solvers in the … Continue reading
