Category Archives: Innovation

How do you encourage employees to share ideas?

How do you encourage employees to share ideas?

in Innovation, Question-To-Innovate, Questions


This is the second of a series of weekly posts where I will answer a few common questions about innovation. Please feel free to add your own response. Also, if you have any questions you think we should discuss, let me know.

Good ideas can come from anywhere, but just asking for them doesn’t mean everyone will speak their minds. I think this is where a gap exists between activating innovation and simply talking about it. It’s also why it is important for leaders to be open and share their thought process with others to encourage dialogue.

Beyond the Here are a few more ways:…

10 TED Talks That Will Help You Become an Innovative Leader

in Innovation, Leadership

leadership ideas worth spreading

I don’t remember ever doing a post like this. But, I’ve recently been thinking about and discussing with a client the topic of innovative leadership. As in what makes an innovative leader. And if you aren’t one, what do you need to do to become one.

With that said, here are a few TED talks that I think will helps us become the leaders of the future. Let me know what you think in the comments!

Shawn Achor: The Happy Secret to Better Work

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question to innovate

Why is innovation so hard for large companies?

in Innovation, Question-To-Innovate, Questions

question to innovate

This is the first of a series weekly posts where I will answer a few common questions about innovation. Please feel free to add your own response. Also, if you have any questions you think we should discuss, let me know.

There are many reasons why large companies don’t innovate. But to simplify, it is because most companies are designed to execute, not innovate.

There are a few that do “get” innovation. But, traditionally companies are founded to make money as an outcome, not to last. And, even if companies make money and have both resources and assets, it doesn’t mean that they will innovate. To innovate, you must change. And to change, is something most don’t plan to do or are willing to do.…

What is the purpose of innovation?

in Innovation

innovation on purpose

This question may be similar to the question “what is innovation?“, but it isn’t.

Why innovate?

Before answering, lets consider what innovation is. Two weeks ago I argued that because innovation means different things to different groups, that you should come up with your own definition of what innovation is.

For me, innovation is ideas transformed into value. I don’t get into whether it’s radical, incremental, disruptive or any other buzzword you can come up with because it makes it more complex for those who are not in the know.…

You must own change before it owns you

in Innovation, Leadership

Back when I was an IT Consultant, I knew that “preparing for what might be” was my “one thing”, and it just came natural for me. And today, one of the cool things about the work I do is I get prepare my clients with “what if’s” all the time.

Most don’t like it because they don’t want to consider that their business might change. They want to keep things the way they are. This is not unusual. It is actually the every day norm for those of us who are in the business of shaking things up.…

Is critical thinking irrelevant because of social media?

in Creativity, Innovation, Leadership, Questions

developing critical thinking skills

Here’s my answer Steve:

It’s a circular orbit in every sense. It has made more obvious what we already know: Critical thinking is non-existent on the web. Or anywhere else for that matter.

And it comes back to the same tune we’ve talking about for what seems like forever: Where all think alike, nobody thinks too much.

We’ve gotten to the point where people are passing around dogmas freely. Even in areas where there is supposed to be critical thinking, there is a complete lack perspective. I’m also starting to see that most think that the only ones who should have perspective are scientists, poets, philosophers and such. Simply because they have more “free time” to think.

In reality, time for reflection is a valuable skill we should cultivate in others.

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