Innovation Weblog

Einstein's secret to creative problem solving

Luciano Passuelo, writing in his excellent Litemind Blog, recently posted an excellent write-up on the key to Albert Einstein's prolific creativity. The key? Accurate problem definition.

How to use creative problem solving to get a job - even during an economic downturn

The late Earl Nightingale, known as "the dean of personal development," once related this story in one of his audiotapes that speaks to the challenges we face today, and why creative problem solving is more important than ever.

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The six attributes of innovation leaders

In his new book, Innovation Leaders: How Senior Executives Stimulate, Steer and Sustain Innovation, Jean-Philippe Deschamps explains that innovation leaders are unique and rare individuals who must possess a unique set of seemingly opposed characteristics.

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Coming soon: A special report on innovating in a recession

Just a heads up: Renee Hopkins Callahan and I are gathering together a selection of resources on innovating in a recession, and hope to release them shortly in the form of a special report.

How a fear of commitment is killing innovation

A lack of commitment is hindering their development of systematic innovation processes at many companies, according "Ready! Fire! Aim! Why a Fear of Commitment is Killing Innovation," a new report from innovation consultancy futurethink.

New Innovator's Toolkit book offers a wealth of tools, techniques to spur growth

I recently received a copy of The Innovator's Toolkit: 50+ Techniques for Predictable and Sustainable Organic Growth, the new book by David Silverstein, Philip Samuel and Neil DeCarlo. I am thoroughly impressed with what I've seen based on an initial skim of the book's contents.

How your firm's senior management may be stifling ideas

I recently read a manifesto on the ChangeThis website entitled The Mind of the Innovator: Taming the Traps of Traditional Thinking by Matthew May that does a stunning job of illustrating how great ideas may be unwittingly stifled by the senior managers of your firm.

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The state of innovation

Boris Pluskowski provides us with an overview of the current state of innovation in this guest post.

12 capacities of 'natural' entrepreneurs

Dave Pollard's new book, Finding the Sweet Spot: The Natural Entrepreneur's Guide to Responsible, Sustainable, Joyful Work, is now available. This book explains how to uncover what you're naturally gifted at, and how to discover unmet needs and transform them into a "natural" business that helps you to achieve your true calling in life. Not surprisingly, personal innovation is a recurring theme throughout the book.

Evaluating new to market innovations: A cautionary tale

Scott Anthony, writing in his Innovation Insights Blog on the Harvard Business website, poses a fascinating scenario between two new to market innovations, and which one has the greatest potential. Hint: the answer isn't the obvious one.

Opportunities for innovation in a downturn

According to Amnon Levav, writing in the Innovation by SIT Blog, now is not the time to curl up in the fetal position and enter a defensive, cost-cutting, wait-and-see mode. His suggestions on how forward-thinking ad agencies can weather the downturn contain numerous lessons for the rest of us.

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What keeps you up at night?

What unaddressed, innovation-related issues fill your head as you drive home from work each night? Are you worried about the future or excited? What are your hopes for the future of innovation at your organization? What opportunities do you see on the horizon?

Using technology as a tool for sharing ideas, catalyzing innovation

Best Buy is a great example of a company that has embraced the use of Web 2.0 tools to catalyze innovation.

New blog tackles intersection of creativity and productivity

There's no question that creativity is one of the most important skills that you need to have in order to thrive in the 21st century. But to really succeed you must actually DO something with your ideas. That's the thinking behind the new Lateral Action Blog.

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Innovation Road Map provides a customized 'map' to help your organization implement innovation

Innovation consulting firm Think for a Change LLC has announced the availability of its new Innovation Road Map. This service provides a detailed analysis of your organization's current innovation strategy and desired future state, delivered in a format that is reminiscent of the American Automobile Association's "TripTik" road maps.