Innovation Insights
by Stephen Shapiro
Tomorrow, Friday January 4th, I will be on Fox 25’s Morning News in Boston. I am scheduled to be on at 8:20AM. I will talk about my story that appeared in the recent “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book. In
By know you know that I am a believer in setting theme-based resolutions. Every year at this time I announce my theme. After considerable contemplation, I have decided on my theme for 2008: “PLAY LIKE THE PATRIOTS” I have been
Tools are great. But giving people tools, without first changing their mindset is useless. People buy more weight loss books/diets (tools) than all other books, yet people are fatter than ever. Why? Most diets do not address the psychological reasons
January 1st is the traditional day of setting your goals for the year. Why not start 2008 right by listening to me talk about Goal-Free Living on Jim Blasingame’s The Small Business Advocate radio show. Tune in at 8:08AM New
Once again it is that time of year when we look forward into the new year. We set our resolutions. Lose 10 pounds. Stop smoking. Get out of debt. Unfortunately, most resolutions are about fixing what is wrong with you
Yesterday I watched my American football team, The New England Patriots, reach 14 wins with no losses in the season. They are only the second team in history to do so. Whether or not you like the Patriots, you have
Every year at this time, Chuck Frey at innovationtools.com asks experts/readers for the most important lesson learned during 2007 regarding innovation, creativity or brainstorming. Here is my response: Over the past couple of years, I have observed something I call
When I conduct executive training, one of my favorite activities requires participants to consider a typical set of processes common in the insurance industry: Develop Products and Services, Customer Service, Manage Revenues, Manage Distribution Channels, Market Products and Services, Underwriting,
Antony from Sydney, Australia has sent me dozens of great quotes. Today, he is providing his own personal quote. “I just realized that few of the greatest things I’ve achieved in this life were planned years before. On the contrary,
This morning I was having a conversation with an aspiring speaker. He asked my thoughts on the best ways to further his career. My response was, “Join a mastermind group.” What is a mastermind group? It is a group of
Back in the 1980’s, executives used to joke that you would never get fired for buying “Big Blue” (IBM) computers. It’s not that IBM was the best, but you knew they would not screw up. When I worked for Accenture
“I worry a lot of people fall into the trap of believing that they need to make big life decisions before they can start doing anything….Your life doesn’t need to go through a predictable story arc. It doesn’t have to
In a previous blog entry, I describe how games can turn work into play. The key is to choose a game that resonates with you. Here’s a bit from the Simpsons that shows that not all games are fun. Bart
Goal-Free Living was featured as today’s “Cool Book of the Day.” What I like about this website is that it is not your standard book review. Instead, Dan Janal, the site’s creator, posts a bit of “backstory” about the books
I’ve noticed something interesting lately. A lot of adults are playing games. No, I don’t mean Parcheesi or tennis. I mean games specifically designed to enhance one’s experience of another activity. And I am convinced that this is one of
There are 4 books I want to draw your attention to: 1. This weekend I discovered that Goal-Free Living is featured in O’s Guide to Life: The Best of O, the Oprah Magazine. In fact, the article entitled, “Are Your
Imagine the following situation. You go to your doctor for a physical examination. You test positive for a spreadable, yet treatable virus-based disease. You discover that the testing is somewhat accurate. If you have the disease, you will be
Here’s a useful innovation tip. Designworks, a division of BMW, designs cars and other products such as cell phones, computers, and tractors. Their design process is particularly interesting. Instead of starting with functions and features, they start with emotion. Designers
I am speaking in Copenhagen this weekend. On October 5 from 1PM to 4PM I am speaking at an event being organized by Alexander Kjerulf. If you speak Danish, you can learn more and register by clicking here. On October
Much literature has been written on branding. But what is a brand? Can you define it in just 6 words? No, it is not Nike’s “swoop.” It is not McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle. It is not Accenture’s Tiger Woods
Imagine the following situation. You are single and live in New Jersey just outside of New York City (NYC). Your employer wants you to work in London for a few years. You are excited about the possibility of living overseas
Once again we explore the power of language. This one was given to me by Michael Wiederman, Professor of Psychology at Columbia College. Imagine that you serve on the jury of an only-child custody case following a relatively messy divorce.
Hot off the press! My story, “Confessions of a Goalaholic,” is featured in the new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons for Loving the Way You Live: 7 Essential Ingredients for Finding Balance and Serenity. Check it out.
In my article on “build it, try it, fix it,” I mentioned I was using an iterative approach for developing my new website. Today we launched a new version. What are the changes? The unconventional thinking theme is now more
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