In preparing to kick off a big client strategy project with a growing international firm in the building products space, I was reminded that the best work is always developed with well thought out collaboration. I’ve been reflecting on what it takes to have a great outcome, and this is true not just for me […]
I enjoy consuming lots of audio during my travels, the most recent of which was the latest installment of Chris Brogan’s Podcast on Stitcher. On the show, he did a delightful interview with two winsome ladies who have started a new health and fitness movement around the idea that you need to do what you […]
I was talking recently with a C-level R&D leader in a larger public company. By all external measures this company is quite successful, yet they were asking what it takes to build an innovation culture that has sustained momentum. By momentum, he was asking what steps he might take to have more consistent output from […]
The first third of 2015 has been a solid year in business and now we’re looking into the front edge of summer. If you’ve been following this blog, you may have used this post to help structure your Q1 operations review, giving you a nice concise set of actions that your team is executing on. […]
If you are in a position of accountability for the growth of your firm, recent tidal shifts will make you want to stop and take note. Three recent moves – the sudden reversal of oil prices, the strengthening of the US currency, and the weakness in the BRIC economies – have flipped long-standing narratives on […]
One of the most subtle and recurrent traps that organizations fall into repeatedly when launching new innovation is an over commitment of resources to those things they know how to do, as well as an under commitment to those areas that are truly new to the firm. The dismal 25% success rate we talked about […]
It may be surprising that it has taken us until our fourth installment to talk about who is actually doing the work. However, experience shows us that without good leadership, structure and a clear mandate, it won’t matter how good the team members are – the project will not reap the return you’re looking for. […]
If you’re like me, the year has flown by. Yet, there were moments in 2014 where engagement, clarity and challenge created a punctuated moment that is worth reflecting on. For this post, I want to share 12 of the most recent posts that, based on feedback I’ve received, triggered those events for you, my regular […]
This is the second in a five-post series on how to build a cross-functional team that delivers. If you missed the first post in this series, you can find it here. If you have done your homework using the process we’ve discussed in previous newsletters, you are now ready to put your plans into place. […]
I had a great dialogue with a colleague this week about the very deep and broad impact that big data is having on disruptive business model discovery. This applies to those businesses that are just forming, as well as innovation programs in larger enterprises. There is a massive change underway that is in the blind […]
