Category Archives: Questions

What is the most productive innovation methodology?

in Innovation, Question-To-Innovate, Questions

what is the most productive innovation methodology

This is a question I get a lot. Just like there is no shortage of creativity techniques, there are many innovation methodologies. For me, there isn’t one single way. Just like there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” strategy that every company can plug and play onto itself. I think that just like every person/company should have their own reason for existing, they should come up with their own way on how to stay relevant.

For example, Intuit, came up with their own innovation methodology. It was crafted from their own values and reasons for doing what they do and why they do it. Here is their how:…

What is the greatest impediment to creativity?

in Creativity, Question-To-Innovate, Questions

What is the greatest impediment to creativity?

Question-to-innovate Series: This the twentieth 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.

The greatest impediment to creativity is your impatience. Let me explain…

Bravery has always been associated with creativity. And, while fear is an important impediment to creativity, worse, I believe, is impatience.

The inevitable desire to hurry up the process, express something, and make a splash. Sure, the speed in how we communicate is a key driver in the pace of change in the world. This puts enormous pressure on companies to forge ahead and innovate (if they can).…

What do good failures look like?

in Creativity, Innovation, Question-To-Innovate, Questions

what do good failures look like?

Question-to-innovate Series: This the nineteenth 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.

A few weeks ago I set the record straight about the relationship between innovation and failure: Failure isn’t the goal, but it is part of the process of innovation.…

What is the most important innovation skill I should practice?

in Creativity, Innovation, Question-To-Innovate, Questions

question to innovate

This the eighteenth 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.

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to interview the authors of The Innovators DNA. One of the questions that I asked them was: Of the five skills, is there one skill in particular that is more important than all others? Why?

Before the other core innovation skills, the ability to associate is the most important innovation skill you need to master. Associating, or the ability to successfully connect seemingly unrelated questions, problems, or ideas from different fields, is central to the innovator’s DNA.…

To foster innovation, what type of network do I need to create?

in Innovation, Question-To-Innovate, Questions

question to innovate

This the seventeenth 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.

One thing every innovator needs is access to people who can help him with specific knowledge and resources. And, social media can enable innovation in a variety of ways. Explicitly, one that is rarely talked about is that you can meet people from different backgrounds and collaborate. It is an opportunity to pick people’s brains in a very interactive and transparent way.

Twitter and LinkedIn are such networks that serve this purpose. Cultivating a network that provides you with insights and ideas is incredibly, and it is something every person and organization needs to do if it wants to come up with breakthrough ideas.

Five discovery skills that drive innovation

A few years ago Christensen, Clayton M.; Jeff Dyer and Hal Gregersen published some research where they outlined the five discovery skills that drive innovation in both individuals and organizations. These five skills are illustrated below (via WSJ):…

How can we become better thinkers and decision makers?

in Innovation, Question-To-Innovate, Questions

question to innovate

This the sixteenth 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.

“The better decision maker has at his/her disposal repertoires of possible actions; checklists of things to think about before he acts; and he has mechanisms in his mind to evoke these, and bring these to his conscious attention when the situations for decision arise.” – Herbert Simon, Nobel Laureate

There are plenty of ways to make better decisions. But what about when you are dealing with complexity (which we all do)? How can you see the essence of anything quickly?…

What does it mean to be “innovative”?

in Innovation, Question-To-Innovate, Questions

question to innovate

This the fifteenth 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.

In this week’s question-to-innovate question, I’ll take a crack out of answering a fundamental innovation question: What does it mean to be “innovative”?

We, the #innochat crew, discussed this question and its related questions (see below):…