Five Questions to Ask Before Mapping Out an Innovation Plan
May 9, 2012
By focusing effort in the right places, companies can avoid oversight and increase their chances of innovation success. There are plenty of reasons to innovate. Especially now more than ever before, sustained innovation is the means to developing marketplace showstoppers that lead to profitable growth. Innovation is not a luxury that can be placed on the back burner, even for today’s successful companies. So before beginning your next innovation effort, here are some key questions to consider for mapping... Read more »
Tax Innovation: The Path to Long-Term Prosperity
May 2, 2012
By Robert Brands and Martin Kleinman We Americans need to wake up – now – and stop acting like spoiled, immature children. Elected officials need to put aside partisanship – now – and do what’s in the best interest of our country and speak the truth to the electorate. And we all must do this without fostering and perpetuating certain convenient misconceptions and without coddling us like soft, over-indulgent parents afraid to say “no.” We are in an economic fix... Read more »
Three Issues that Stifle Innovation, and How to Overcome Them
March 6, 2012
As an innovation leader, you know how important a culture of sustained innovation is to the survival of your organization. However, there are many factors that can challenge the innovation process. These issues may come from team members, executives, or the general culture of the organization. Here some common challenges that companies deal with, and solutions for overcoming them. 1. The culture of the company is to keep doing things the way they’ve been done in the past – there is a lack... Read more »
Small Biz Radio Host Jim Blasingame with Robert Brands
February 28, 2012
Robert Brands joins Jim Blasingame on the Small Business Advocate radio show to discuss how to inspire Innovation. As the life cycles of innovations get shorter and shorter each year, it is truly an “innovate or die” world for businesses everywhere. Consumer expectations drive the need to innovate, and Robert Brands shares the best practices for bringing about that change in an organization. Innovation is all about passion, and is not for the faint of heart. As an innovation leader, you have to... Read more »
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 »
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 »
Should You Reward Bad Ideas?
September 6, 2011
Some ideas are crazy. Some are underdeveloped. Some will fail. How can you deal with them without squelching your employees’ creativity? True or false: There’s no such thing as a bad idea. Of course bad ideas exist. In retrospect, the AOL-Time Warner merger was not the wisest idea. Neither is photocopying your face. But ask any number of innovation experts and they’ll all give you a different answer. Of course there is such thing as a bad idea. Or:Every idea has its merit. Or: It depends… Within... Read more »
$4 Per Gallon Gas = Energy Innovation
June 7, 2011
Long lines at the gas pump weren’t the only product of the twin energy crises of the 1970s. A legislative push toward energy conservation and innovation were also born as a result. And that’s why one expert believes the skyrocketing price of oil will do the same in 2011. “History has proven that innovation in the energy industry has almost always been driven by high consumer prices,” said Robert Brands, a veteran corporate executive who now consults with companies worldwide and author of Robert’s... Read more »
Key Innovations of 2010
December 22, 2010
The end of the year is a great time to reflect on your companies Innovation performance. Did you deliver your Innovation Goals, maybe the “One new Product or Service per year”? As a business leader, what are your New Year’s resolutions for your company? As you think about the future of your company and how to make your business grow, implementing sustainable Innovation should be your top priority for 2011. Innovation is the lifeblood of any company and the only way to stay ahead of the competition. Let’s... Read more »
Is Your Team Held Accountable?
December 12, 2010
Before the start of any project, do you ask yourself, “Are my team members held accountable? Do they feel a personal responsibility to deliver the goods?” If you haven’t made the steps to communicate that message yet, it is essential to lay down that foundation in the beginning. For that reason, Accountability is the most important of the ten imperatives in Robert’s Rules of Innovation. In his book, Robert Brands describes the ten factors that must be achieved in order to create and... Read more »
Innovation Evolution
