Tag Archives: Creativity

Template mentality does not equal innovation

in Creativity, Innovation

imaginationWell, well, well. My rant about innovation consultants hit a nerve. In particular, I liked this response from Roger von Oech:

The problem with reading books and then going out and suggesting what they say to do, is that by the time those books come out, the techniques or strategies that they suggest are already a best practice. And, you already know what I think about “best practice thinking”. Also, business books don’t really teach you how to think. At best, they tell you what to think. On top of that, humans are not very good at understanding context. What works in Cancun is not going to work in New York. There are cultural differences, even within countries.

Another issue I see, is that templates, like all ideas, reach their expiration date:

…

To be taken seriously, should advice giving innovation consultants be innovators themselves?

in Creativity, Innovation

Gregg Fraley and I both are  of the opinion that a non-creative innovation consultant who knows the theory, but doesn’t get his hands dirty, has no business in giving game-changing advice.

Via Gregg Fraley in response to this article about creativity gurus:

Interesting that even the experts don’t really know how, exactly, to be more creative. A nicely written, humorous, and thoughtful piece.

When I saw his response, I couldn’t help myself and not respond. Here is my on-going response with Gregg (from Facebook):…

Innovation must reads of the week: The 177 Myths of Innovation

in Must reads of the week

Innovation must reads of the week: The 177 Myths of Innovation

Storified by Jorge Barba· Sat, Apr 06 2013 16:46:39

Mega Summary: the 177 Myths of Innovation wp.me/p4vkk-3lpScott Berkun
‘[C]reativity is an import-export game. It’s not a creation game.” nyti.ms/10Frd8p #innovationArie Goldshlager
Worthwhile lessons from @andrewhargadon on "Planning for #Innovation" – bit.ly/Y3pHfMRalph-Christian Ohr
Good post by @ribbonfarm Why Habit Formation is Hard buff.ly/16hKCzpTim Kastelle
To Innovate, Find What’s Hiding in Plain Sight s.hbr.org/YSQ5wmHarvard Biz Review

If you like these links, check out all the previous “Innovation Must Reads of the Week“. And don’t forget to

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.…

Innovation must reads of the week: The Right Ideas in All the Wrong Places

in Must reads of the week

 

 

 

If you like these links, check out all the previous “Innovation Must Reads of the Week“. And don’t forget to

10 ways leaders can ignite innovation

in Innovation, Leadership

ignite innovation

Here is a short article I wrote for a Mexican Business Magazine that will be published in a few weeks.

What would happen if your company could innovate consistently? This is a worthy challenge, and, one not many can meet. But, if you have the will and drive, you will.

Innovation is the only source of new value. Yet, a lot of organizations struggle to come up with new products and services that delight their customers. There are many reasons for this, and leaders must understand that it isn’t easy either. Innovation requires courage, but most importantly, it requires drive.

Here are ten things you, as a leader, can do right now to ignite innovation in your organization:…

Innovation must reads of the week: Nine Rules for Stifling Innovation

in Must reads of the week
[View the story “Innovation must reads of the week: Nine Rules for Stifling Innovation” on Storify]

Innovation must reads of the week: Nine Rules for Stifling Innovation

Storified by Jorge Barba· Sat, Jan 19 2013 18:00:45

Very good post from @ralph_ohr and @timkastelle Four Key Issues in #Innovation Management http://buff.ly/VGeMev #innochatKevin McFarthing
A Method for Applying Jobs-to-Be-Done to Product and Service Design: http://lnkd.in/AiPNacHutch Carpenter
@mikemyatt Next practices versus best practices http://ow.ly/gSjxr #leadershipSaul Kaplan
Beware of leaders who claim to want #innovation but stop it from surfacing or succeeding. 9 traps http://bit.ly/WHODaRRosabeth Moss Kanter
Network science reveals just how innovation–much like the dreaded flu bug sweeping the nation–is contagious: http://www.fastcompany.com/3004884/lance-armstrong-stripped-his-olympic-bronze-iocCo.Lead
Want to Kill #Innovation at Your Company? Go Public. http://zite.to/WIpuNp via @ziteRalph-Christian Ohr
Introverts and Innovation: Unlocking the Full Potential http://ow.ly/gTYwe – are you an introvert?Stefan Lindegaard
Shift Your Lens: The Power of Re-Framing Problems – http://stvp.stanford.edu/blog/?p=6435Tina Seelig

If you like these links, check out all the previous “Innovation Must Reads of the Week“. And don’t forget to
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