Pink Boxes, Assumptions and Innovation

I recently met up with a client. The first thing I noticed was the bandage on his left hand. I asked what happened. He said, “I was looking for a box that contained cloth napkins for a dinner party we were throwing. I went to the garage, remembering that they were in a box on a […]

The Innovation Engine Podcast

I was recently interviewed for “The Innovation Engine” podcast. The conversation was easy and a lot of fun. We discussed innovation and breakthrough thinking. During this interview I shared: how neural pathways get hard-wired into our brains stand in the way of breakthrough thinking an anecdote on how crowdsourcing and breakthrough thinking solved a 2 […]

Stop the Masochistic Resolution Ritual!

It’s that time of year again…time to set your New Year’s Resolutions. Unfortunately over 90% of people fail to keep them. What’s the solution? One perspective can be found in my Wall Street Journal article from several years ago. Happy New Year! Like dinosaurs and gas-guzzling SUVs, is the traditional New Year’s Resolution rapidly becoming […]

Your Inner Impostor May Be Hurting You

Back in the early 90’s, while working for Andersen Consulting in New York City, I was asked to give a presentation to a client project team that was creating a complex software system. They were struggling with the testing process. The project team was told that I was one of the Firm’s foremost authorities on […]

What Aren't Your Customers Telling You?

During a recent podcast, the interviewer, Fei Wu, asked me, “What is a question that other interviewers have not asked that you would like me to ask?” I’ve never been posed that question before in over 100 interviews. The conversation was being recorded and felt pressure to answer quickly. I was unable to process the […]

2 Part Interview on Fei's World

I was recently interviewed by Fei Wu for her Fei’s World podcast. She is a fantastic interviewer. It was truly a conversation that meandered to a lot of different, yet related topics. We discussed concepts such as: Innovation Asking Better Questions and Creating Better “Briefs” Confirmation Bias The Impostor Syndrome Public Speaking How to Engage […]

Mastery is Not Enough

Think about the last time you went to your favorite restaurant. Was the quality of the food the only reason you enjoyed it so much? Or were there other factors? Décor? Service? Overall atmosphere? Other intangibles? If you can, recall a time you needed technical support and were 100% pleased with the service. Was your […]

Voices of Experience Transcription

Last week, I posted the audio of an interview where I shared some thoughts about innovation in the speaking industry – and in general. You can listen to the audio, or read the transcription below. Michael: With this month’s emphasis on innovation, I can’t think of a better person to speak to than leading edge keynote […]

Be the Source

Last week while in Vegas, I saw Larry the Cable Guy off in the distance. I expected everyone in the room to be flocking to him. Although a few people went up to get their picture taken with him, he was pretty much left alone. I decided to go over and talk with him. I […]

Watch Me on USA Network

Last week, I made a guest appearance on USA Network’s show, “Partners in Crime.” This reality show follows the lives of two very colorful criminal attorneys, Mario and Lou. In this episode, the law firm’s staff are complaining about Mario and it is decided that an intervention is needed. I am brought in to hopefully […]