http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:07:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Whether on a billboard or inside your organization, language matters. Find out why the words you use can help make the difference between winning and settling for second best. Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/09/are-you-a-tourist-or-resortist/ Click on Part 1 or Part 2 if you missed them Purpose and Passion Ultimately, successful and sustainable innovation is all about purpose and passion. The people in your organization have to be clear on what the purpose of the organization is. Ideally, that purpose has to be something bigger than the individuals and something that people can get passionate about, because first and foremost, as Jeffrey Phillips has said, “ You can ’ t force a disinterested person to innovate. ” Passion is a prerequisite not just for getting started with innovation; people leading innovation projects must have enough passion to fight through, over, around, or under any obstacles they may encounter in their effort to make a new idea a reality. Passion-based organizations stop at nothing to accomplish their goals and are able to attract people and resources to their causes. That got me thinking. Over all of … Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/09/making-innovation-sustainable-part-3-of-4/ Each organization seems to favour one design approach over another when it comes to how they innovate. It favours either the more comfortable repeatable zones or is determined to push the boundaries out on its innovation activities. We often talk about simply incremental and radical, yet we do have other choices such as a more ‘distinctive’ design or one that sets out to be ‘disruptive’. Let me offer this for thinking through on your fits on the innovation path you want to take and ‘flag’ some areas you need to consider. Each degree of innovation (or type) has considerable organization design issues to think through. We have different designs for innovation and they have implications Let me explain these a little more Degree is the scale to increase the intensity of innovation- incrementally, distinctively, radically or disruptively. Each of these ‘degree’s’ have implications and aspects for the organization to consider. … Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/08/the-organizations-dominant-innovating-design/ Large enterprises have massive pools of technical talent, have clients, and a global market reach. So why are we not seeing more innovation from large companies? Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/08/evolving-from-delivery-to-growth/ The name Apple is synonymous with innovation. Long has the Silicon Valley giant brought childlike excitement into the tech industry, thanks largely to the vision of its late CEO, Steve Jobs. Remember the launch of the Apple II? We don't either, but it was one of their crucial first steps towards greatness. Arguably though, Apple's greatest achievement came in 2007, when the company flipped the smartphone world upside down and back to front with the launch of the very first iPhone Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/08/why-apple-changed-the-smartphone-world/ When I wrote Relentless Innovation, I hoped to uncover some of factors that allow firms like 3M, Google, Apple, P&G and Gore to sustain innovation over time, while remaining efficient and productive. In the book I identify two factors that sustain efficiency and can become barriers to innovation: “business as usual” operating models and middle managers who sustain business as usual. In this article, I’d like to build on those two factors by examining other, less evident barriers and conflicts that a modern business creates for innovation. Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/08/beyond-business-as-usual/ We should consider a new certification program for innovation consumer electronics: Fair Trade Electronics. Do you have a cell phone, TV, iPad, GPS or laptop? Odds are good that most of your gadgets are the fruit of an elaborate, global supply chain hired and managed by big, brand name tech companies as HP, Dell and Apple.[i] Behind most sleek, cutting-edge consumer gadgets is a chain of good, old-fashioned human workers. Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/08/fair-trade-electronics-responsible-innovation/ Business has been static or regressive while the commercial environment has been really tough. For those still standing there is good news - innovation is back on the agenda big time. Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/07/innovation-just-isnt-what-it-used-to-be/ I had the opportunity to interview GE's Chief Marketing Officer, Beth Comstock, recently as she was on her way to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. With the Global Innovation Barometer for 2011 just out, I wanted to probe a bit further on what some of the key takeaways were and to get some of her insights on the importance of governments and other members in creating thriving innovation ecosystems. Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/07/cultivating-the-innovation-ecosystem/ In practice, design is the easy part—creating an organizational context for design is what separates the linchpins from everyone else. We’ll explore methods to deal with this problem, and share practical ideas for becoming agents of change within our organizations. Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/07/effective-interaction-designers-change-organisations/ Apple vs. Google… Creativity vs. Science… Convergence and Collaboration. If you’re curious where the world is heading and what is top of mind for global leaders, there’s few better vantage points than from Davos, Switzerland and the World Economic Forum. World-changing innovation is also discussed at Davos. This year, there was an interesting discussion about innovation by consultant John Kao... Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/07/innovation-at-world-economic-forum-apple-vs-google/ The middle manager is so focused on the delivery of short term results through effective organization and pursuing efficiencies they have little ‘slack’ within the system to learn and build innovation into it. Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/07/unfreezing-the-middle-for-innovating/ Pessimists are usually right and optimists are usually wrong but all the great changes have been accomplished by optimists. Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/06/on-optomism-innovation-and-hope/ Besides possessing creativity and resilience, the best innovators are the ones who can effectively communicate and “sell” their ideas to upper management. Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/06/top-ten-tips-for-selling-your-idea-to-executives/ it’s not surprising that the path to innovation is shrouded in mystery, something only to be undertaken by those with dazzling intelligence, incredible daring and a certain flair. However, in truth, there is an astonishing amount of agreement among experts on how to go about it. Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/06/an-innovation-roadmap/ Everyone knows that CEOs want to convey big visions, and occasionally don't follow up grand plans. Good middle managers understand their role is to ascertain what's important to the CEO and implement it. Given the predilection for grand pronouncements sometimes not carefully thought out, many middle managers will wait for confirmation on an unusual or dramatic request. Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/06/waiting-out-the-ceo-on-innovation/ The role of the innovation strategy is that of an aligning mechanism which can assist an organization in the execution of its overall strategy, and in achieving their ultimate goals. But what is Strategy? And, what is an Innovation Strategy? Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/06/make-ideas-happen-the-role-of-innovation-strategy/ Jacky Fisher joined the Royal Navy penniless at age 13 and worked his way through the ranks to reach the position of First Sea Lord...In his 50 years of service, Fisher was a constant proponent of transformation. Among his list of innovations were the following... Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/05/royal-navy-innovator-excellent-1841-1920/ I have had a number of discussions with clients and colleagues lately that point to the profound risk people are facing of burnout and the cost we experience when this happens. Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/05/vision-and-values-the-antidote-to-burnout/ If you are really serious about creating sustainable innovation in your organization and engaging more than just a handful of people in the generation of ideas, you not only need to have a group of people to manage the process (either part - time or full - time), but you also need systems to manage the idea generation, idea evaluation, and idea development processes. Continue reading →]]> http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/05/making-innovation-sustainable-part-2-of-4/