Managing the Uncertainty of Open Innovation
February 21, 2012
One of the hottest topics in business management today is open innovation. The concept uses an open business model for companies to “co-innovate” with their partners, suppliers, and customers – in order to accelerate the rewards of innovation. For example, a small or midsized company develops a game-changing new idea and works with a larger company to bring the product to market. Through the collaborative relationship of open innovation, companies are able to leverage new ideas and products,... Read more »
Top Ten Tips for Selling Your Idea to Executives
February 7, 2012
Besides possessing creativity and resilience, the best innovators are the ones who can effectively communicate and “sell” their ideas to upper management. Innovators often have to get executive approval for support on a new product or venture. No matter how good an idea is it will not sell itself. The most important aspect of communication is to know your audience. In the case of an organization, know the structure, who the decision maker is, and who their influencers are. An innovator must speak... Read more »
How to Build an Innovation Leader
January 24, 2012
Every organization needs an Innovation champion. This very important role requires exceptional people skills and communication skills, and the ability to be a master consensus builder among all players in the organization. Innovation champions come in a wide range of styles of interaction. Renowned psychologist Michael Kirton developed the Kirton Adaptive Innovation Inventory (KAI) as a profiling tool to measure problem-solving styles. The general characteristics of innovators are as follows: * Ingenious,... Read more »
Audio Book Release of “Robert’s Rules of Innovation”
January 23, 2012
“Robert’s Rules of Innovation: A 10-Step Program for Corporate Survival” by Innovation guru Robert Brands is now available as an audio book in a 4 CD set or downloadable at https://www.cdtdigital.com/rroi/index.php In his book Robert Brands provides a step-by-step guide to implementing and sustaining Innovation in the workplace. His ideas are distilled from over 25 years of hands-on experience as an Innovation leader. Brands has successfully delivered on his goal of bringing “at least... Read more »
2012 Innovation Resolution: Turning Ideas Into Money
January 9, 2012
Innovation is an indispensable force that turns ideas into money. It is the lifeblood of any organization. In order to implement sustainable Innovation in 2012, you need to define innovation in a manner that makes strategic sense for your organization, and have the know-how to properly construct and use a process, plus the will to keep the process on course. The task may seem daunting at first, but it’s possible to develop a disciplined strategy that delivers Innovation time and time again for... Read more »
Innovation & Best Practices, Then & Now
December 13, 2011
Antarctica Thrives as Hub of New Thinking Exactly 100 years ago December 17, an explorer found glory upon the Antarctic continent. One month later, his rival met a bitter, sad end. Yet, both share lessons in the power of innovation built on best practices – and the pitfalls borne of haste and poor planning. Today, for those looking for rationales behind the need for innovation in pursuit of excellence, the race to the South Pole offers both cautionary tales and textbook examples of success and failure... Read more »
5 Tips to Innovate in 2012
December 8, 2011
Essential elements to get Innovation going As the New Year approaches, it is the perfect time to reexamine the Innovation efforts for your organization. A strategy for sustainable innovation is key to any company’s survival, and if executed successfully, will lead to profitable growth and increased shareholder value. With a new year and starting with a blank slate, it’s important to set your goals for 2012. What changes would you like to see within your organization? How do you plan on developing... Read more »
Innovation Democratization: How to Get the Most Out of Your Team
December 6, 2011
One of the first steps of achieving Innovation in the new product development process is to assemble a team. While the organization’s leader may be tempted to call in “the usual suspects”, people with a history of success in that field, it is important at this point to include fresh faces in the group. Dr. Harlan Weisman, chief science and technology officer of Medical Devices & Diagnostics at Johnson & Johnson suggests connecting people who wouldn’t normally work together* – people from... Read more »
Set the Stage for Action: The Innovation Audit
November 15, 2011
As a leader in your organization, you know how important sustainable Innovation is for increasing profit and shareholder value. It is time to take action and begin building that culture of Innovation – especially when there are competitive forces in the picture. Some signs that it may be time for an Innovation Audit The percentage of total sales from your new product introductions is stagnant or has slipped. Profitability has softened and/or costs are spiraling. Recent product development programs... Read more »
The Innovator’s DNA
November 1, 2011
Are Innovators born or made? That is the question authors Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen and Clayton Christensen address in their new book, “The Innovator’s DNA”. Through an eight-year study with data collected from 500 innovators and 5,000 executives in 75 countries including leaders from Amazon, Apple, Google, Skype and Virgin Group, the authors attempt to find the common denominator of what makes an Innovation leader. They unearthed a key finding: that innovation is not just a product of the... Read more »
Innovation Evolution
