Monthly Archives: July 2010
Keeping the boss away increases innovation by Paul Sloane Billions of dollars are spent on developing and launching new consumer packaged goods (CPG) products each year, and some companies see tremendous success while others – don’t. Why? One secret appears to lie in the degree of senior management involvement in the creative process, according to a study by The Nielsen Company. Nielsen’s research of the innovation processes at 30 large CPG companies operating in the U.S. reveals that companies with less senior management involvement in the new product development process generate 80 percent more new product revenue than those with heavy senior management involvement. Companies that employ this and other best innovation practices derive on average 650 percent more revenue from new products compared to companies that do not. Nielsen’s research shows that simply being physically near corporate headquarters can stifle new idea generation. In fact, it turns …
Nicholas Carr’s new book The Shallows has sparked a lively debate over how the Internet affects our brains. Carr believes that twitter feeds and blog posts have rendered us less able to concentrate on involved intellectual tasks like reading novels or watching opera. In fact, many notable thinkers have voiced this concern in recent months. Playwright Tom Stoppard recently lamented that, as a result of our “world of technology . . . the printed word is no longer as in demand” as it has been in the past. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has warned that, in the Internet age, “information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment.” Certainly the content explosion that the Internet has ignited can erode our ability to concentrate. But only if we let it. What makes the Internet such a liberating medium is that individuals can decide for … Continue reading
I’m going out on a limb here, limiting myself to four innovation viewpoints. I’m sure there are many readers who’ve already decided that there have to be far more than four. Perhaps there are, but stick with me to understand my thinking. I’m writing today about how innovation consultants and service providers think about the innovation space – how they divide up the innovation decision makers and how they attempt to influence the decision makers and their thinking. I’ve divided these up as: strategy, design, marketing and PR, and process. The big strategic firms – McKinsey, BCG – and the smaller niche innovation strategy firms like Innosight approach innovation as if it were a strategic problem. And it is. Innovation should always support a business strategy, strategic goals and strategic intent. However, innovation isn’t just a strategic problem. Innovation is also an operational problem, …
“Constraint” is most often an excuse rather than a constraint. In fact, there are very few true constraints, with most of them living in the domain of physics. A constraint is when something cannot be done. It’s not when something is difficult, complex, or unknown. And, it’s not when the options are costly, big, or ugly. There are no options with a true constraint. Nothing you can do. The Physical Constraint If your new product requires one of its moving parts to go faster than the speed of light, that’s a physical constraint (and not a good idea). If your new technology requires a material that’s stronger than the strongest on record, that’s a constraint (and, also, not a good idea). If your new manufacturing process consumes more water than your continent can spare, that’s a constraint. (This may not be a true constraint in the physics sense, but it’s … Continue reading
Creative blocks are maddening, but having a readily available strategy to get your creativity back when one happens turns it from crippling to a mere nuisance. Here are 25 creativity strategies to get your Brainzooming when you’ve hit a creative block. Pick as many strategies as you need to get your creativity going again: Switch to a Bare Wall – Completely change the “canvas” on which you’re trying to express your creativity by switching to a new, blank one. If you’re stuck on a computer, get a new notebook and start handwriting. When you’re not able to draw something with a pencil on paper, switch to painting on an oversized canvas. Stop Everything – Walk away from your creative block and take a 30 minute nap (or whatever length leaves you refreshed). Let your mind wander and imagine anything at all as you go to sleep. Come back to your … Continue reading
Classical “Not Invented Here (NIH)” approaches are usually associated with a secretive and highly protective approach to business. Such companies are keenly aware of the risk of disclosure, the danger of handing even the most minor advantage to competitors and the personal career risk of doing something wrong. The default position is usually legally-driven, involving heavy nondisclosure agreements (NDA), concern about only reviewing non-confidential information, invalidating Intellectual Property and not letting junior people loose. One of the dilemmas these organizations face in the early stages of implementing Open Innovation is to decide just how open they want to be. This is not intended to belittle genuine concerns. Every company should be professional about Open Innovation relationships and yes, that does include ticking all the legal boxes. Any company representative meeting prospective partners should be appropriately trained and experienced in the legal side of things, and know the right time to … Continue reading
