11. To Compete or Not To Compete (part 3)

The final section of Tip 11 from Best Practices are Stupid. Please read the first two sections before reading this. Remember, this book was written a dozen years ago, so some concepts have evolved. The first two posts talked about competition vs collaboration, and the three downsides of traditional brainstorming. Now we move to some […]

11. To Compete or Not To Compete (part 2)

Here is the continuation of Tip 11 from Best Practices are Stupid. Please read yesterday’s post before reading this. In it, I talked about competitions vs collaboration. Now we go to three downsides of traditional brainstorming (there are actually MANY more). There are several reasons traditional brainstorming sessions don’t work: 1. Serial Processing: If you […]

11. To Compete or Not To Compete (part 1)

TO COMPETE OR NOT TO COMPETE: THAT IS THE QUESTION (part 1 of 3) Tip 11 from Best Practices are Stupid. This tip will be split into three posts. Remember, this book was written a dozen years ago, so some concepts have evolved. Open-source software is a well-known collaborative community. Many developers participate solely in […]

10. WHAT DO CISCO, LG ELECTRONICS, AND GE HAVE IN COMMON WITH AMERICAN IDOL?

Tip 10 from Best Practices are Stupid. Keep in mind that this was written 12 years ago. American Idol remains a popular television shows. Why?  Partly because it is entertaining and partly because the show is able to uncover previously undiscovered talent. It is this latter reason why many organizations are employing the American Idol approach to […]

9. What Did Edison Get Wrong About Innovation

Tip 9 from Best Practices are Stupid. We dig even deeper into open innovation. While attempting to find a suitable filament to make the incandescent electric light a viable device, Edison is famous for saying, “I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways […]

8. There’s No Such Thing as a Know-It-All

Tip 8 from Best Practices are Stupid. This one further explores the needs for open innovation. A well-known healthcare company, after launching an incredibly successful new product, turned their attention to creating new complementary offerings. Multiple failed attempts later, they came to realize they didn’t have the in-house expertise to crack the code. Not knowing […]

7. The Goldilocks principle for Framing Challenges

Today is a small snippet from strategy number 7 in Best Practices are Stupid. Goldilocks enters the house of three bears and decides to go to sleep. One bed was too hard, one was too soft, and the baby bear’s bed just right. The same is true when defining challenges. They can’t be too big […]

6. The Difference Between a Pipeline and a Sewer is What Flows Through It

One day, I was having lunch with a pharmaceutical client who said, “The problem with our innovation pipeline is it is really a sewer.” Ouch. But it was the inspiration for this tip from Best Practices are Stupid. Here’s a short snippet from that chapter: We hear the expression “innovation pipeline” tossed around a lot.  But […]

5. Expertise is the Enemy of Innovation

Today we move to tip 5 from the book. People who know me, know I am a fan of open innovation and crowdsourcing – when it is done correctly. Today’s post shares why I am such a strong proponent… Expertise can be the enemy of breakthrough thinking. The more you know about a particular topic, […]

4. Don’t Think Outside the Box; Find a Better Box

This is tip 4 from Best Practices are Stupid and is the basis of my Invisible Solutions® book. It is fundamental to all of my work with innovation: Start with a well-framed opportunity. Here is a snippet of the text for this chapter… Leaders of organizations often use the expression, “think outside the box” while […]