Monthly Archives: August 2010
Following some recent discussions in the Imagination Club forum and with some friends in the innovation business, it has become obvious to me that the innovation profession lacks something most other professions take for granted: a common language. A good example given by one member of the club is two computer programmers talking about their work. To people with little knowledge of computer and software technology, it will seem like the programmers are speaking a foreign language. They will use words unfamiliar to non-experts and use commonplace words in strange ways. Yet the programmers will understand each other very well. This is because both experts will know the terminology of their profession and will not need to define these terms in order to have a deep technical conversation. Yet in the innovation business, such a common language does not really exist. Indeed, it can often be difficult to find two … Continue reading
The idea of bringing customers into the process of defining the products and service of your organization is one that is gaining a lot of steam. One manifestation of that is the increased interest in Social CRM. In this scenario, companies engage their social customers for feedback and marketing purposes. Taking it a step further, Mark Tamis and Esteban Kolsky see the higher purpose as organizing the business around the newly social customers. And then there’s Stefan Lindegaard. Stefan is a leading open innovation consultant and author of the recently published book, The Open Innovation Revolution. He sees things advancing even further. From page 13 of his book: Open innovation is about integrating external partners in the entire innovation process. This should happen not just in the idea or technology-development phase but also in all other phases toward market acceptance. User-driven innovation is great because it directs your innovation efforts … Continue reading
This is the fourth of several ‘Innovation Perspectives’ articles we will publish this week from multiple authors to get different perspectives on ‘What do you consider the most important single development in innovation methodology?’. Here is the next perspective in the series: by Drew Boyd Could the greatest innovation of all time be a method of innovation? Roger Smith proposed this in The Evolution of Innovation. Is such a method out there? The answer is yes. Suppose you want to come up with a new product idea. Where do you begin? What method would you use? Conventional thinking suggests three possible directions. First, we could seek insights from our customers through research and observation (Voice of the Customer). Second, we could emulate what inventors like Edison and Disney did to create new ideas (Voice of the Expert). Or we could seek ideas from competitors and …
Books on business strategy are usually packed with vague abstractions and useless buzzwords. That’s why I enjoyed Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson’s book Rework so much. It’s a no-nonsense collection of business wisdom from the two founders of 37signals, a wildly successful software company. Like any provocative book, I found plenty to disagree with, but I also found a lot of smart advice. For instance, Fried and Heinemeier Hannson advise business leaders to “Ignore the Real World.” This is their reply to all those pessimists who insist that a new idea could never work in the “real world.” The authors get it exactly right when they explain that “the real world isn’t a place; it’s an excuse. It’s a justification for not trying.” Or, as I like to put it, be a radical optimist. Saatchi & Saatchi is guided by a single core belief: Nothing is Impossible. If this … Continue reading
I was leading a class this week for a client on innovation tools and techniques when one of the participants asked “How can I generate better ideas every day?” This was a question from the heart, so I answered in the best way that I knew. I told that person to focus on two things: first, interact with everyone and every information source or idea possible. Second, become more aware of what’s happening and more attentive to the information you receive. Evidence indicates that many innovative ideas happen at the margin between two technologies, two industries or two concepts not previously mashed together. But all too often, managers and executives remain in their own silos and pigeon-holes, ignoring or worse, completely unaware of what is happening in their industry and outside of their industry. What we need to do is set aside time to intentionally understand …
Creativity scares the s#!t out of lots of authority figures! Hand them some toilet paper and keep going!!! Creative variation is more than okay. Creative variation is wondrous!!! Explain something you’re familiar with to someone who has no idea about it. Use pictures. Or act it out. Or make it a song. Find a few moments for creative silence today – think, pray, nap to give yourself a break. Don’t email the same old memo. Do a diagram, mind map, or sketch of your points and use it instead. When known for complete unconventionality, sometimes you have to be blatantly conventional to stay truly unconventional. Surprise somebody today. Give your brain a break by thinking about something completely frivolous right this very instant. Don’t miss an article (1,600+) – Subscribe to our RSS feed and join our Continuous Innovation group! Mike Brown is an award-winning innovator in strategy, communications, and … Continue reading
