There is no innovation without experimentation…
A while back, Dan Ariely wrote a thoughtful column in the Harvard Business Review about why businesses don’t experiment:…
Tag Archives: psychology
5 toxic assumptions businesses make about people
in Innovation
Though business leaders say they want innovation, the vast majority hate the concept of creativity.
But as much as us innovators are fed up with this, the truth is that it isn’t the executives fault because people are wired to reject uncertainty; no matter how smart they appear to be. Fears and biases stand in the way of a boss that talks a good talk, but doesn’t walk.
But, there is a flip side to all of this: business-as-usual, no matter how predictable it may feel, is littered with biases too. …
31 things you should know about me as a leader
in Leadership
Self awareness, the one characteristic that can help you improve very fast. I consider myself quite self-aware, and last month I published a post where I laid out a simple tactic anyone can use to develop culture, think about it like a manual for me. It also laid out some accompanying examples from other people who use a similar tactic, which I found interesting.
It’s been quite some time since I filled out a form, questionnaire, and the like about myself, so last week when I came across an article on INC about the 31 things every leaders needs to know about themselves, I jumped on the opportunity to the answer the questions.
Here they are:…
What a 16 year old magician can teach you about exceeding expectations
Imagine seeing an ad about a restaurant that makes fish tacos. Now imagine seeing a comment on Facebook from a friend about a restaurant he is at that not only sells fish tacos, but also poetically entertains you. And, next to that text is a picture of a hand written poem by the waiter that serviced him.
Which one makes you more curious?
Exactly!…
Culture tells us what to do when the leader isn’t in the room
in Leadership, Strategy
Culture tells us what to do when the leader isn’t in the room. We’ve all heard this before, and being able to achieve this is one of the daunting challenges of leadership.
It is not unusual to be in a strategy session and come up with all kinds of great quotes and soundbites, that are quickly forgotten when everyone leaves the room. The key is to be able reduce those great quotes into “concrete behaviors” that happen on a daily basis.
For me, the challenge is ongoing. And to face this challenge, I use a code: FLUSH.…
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 Sherlock Holmes can teach us about decision making
in Behavior, Psychology
I’m a sucker for anything that has to do with decision making. And, I’m also a sucker for anything that has to do with Sherlock Holmes. The two go together nicely. That is why I was excited to buy Maria Konnikova’s new book, Mastermind: How to think like Sherlock Holmes.
I found this excellent video where Maria talks about some of the ideas behind her book as well as some tips on how to make more rational decisions. …