Imagine this: your employees wake up excited to come to work. They feel valued, heard, and empowered to do their best. Collaboration flows naturally, and creativity sparks around every corner. This isn’t a utopia – it’s the reality for companies that have unlocked the power of culture – their secret weapon for success.
Category Archives: Innovation
Seeing Opportunities Through the 4 Lenses of Innovation
Ideas don’t matter, execution does. Yes, of course. Ideas by themselves don’t have value unless they’re grounded on a unique insight or perspective. How do you generate unique ideas? Let’s look at four approaches from the book The 4 Lenses of Innovation: A Power Tool for Creative Thinking by Rowan Gibson.
The Blinding Power of Assumptions: How They Block Opportunities
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a business partner that served as a stark reminder of the dangers of assumptions. We were preparing for a visit to a prospective client, an industrial laundry owner, and I outlined my goals for the visit.
When You Shut Down Ideas Too Quickly, Your Best Innovators Take Their Creativity Elsewhere
Leaders who don’t create an environment where people feel safe and excited to share ideas will quickly be surrounded by people who don’t speak, and who will eventually leave. In the fast-paced world of business, the ability to innovate is not just a luxury; it’s a necessity for survival and growth. However, innovation doesn’t thrive in a vacuum. It requires a nurturing environment where ideas are welcomed and explored. Unfortunately, many organizations unknowingly stifle this creative spirit, leading to a significant loss: their best innovators taking their creativity elsewhere.
Focus on the Problem Customers Have, Not What the Competition is Doing
I recently had a conversation with a friend who owns a marketing agency. My friend, although very smart, has a very deep tendency to see what competitors are doing and is constantly reacting to what others do. This puts him, and his business, in a bad position. Most business leaders run their businesses the same way, looking at what others do.
How To Think What Nobody Else Thinks
Independent thinkers are highly valuable to both organizations and society. Breakthroughs in technology, new business models, and game-changing strategies don’t originate from conventional thinking. They originate from fresh and unconventional thinking. Thinking independently is crucial in today’s world where information is abundant and opinions are rampant.
Build Your Strategy Around These 12 Things That Won’t Change
Most businesses base their strategy on what is, rarely looking out into the future to consider what’s going to change. Better businesses look out into the future, embrace it, and base their strategy around it. The future is uncertain, it’s a range of possibilities, which makes it difficult to plan for. It’s why most business leaders want to know “What’s going to change in the future?”, it’s a common question. But, a better question is “What’s not going to change in the next ten years?”