How to Embrace Phygital – the Blending of Physical and Digital
Combining the digital and physical worlds enhances both. Let’s get phygital is not a song by Olivia Newton-John. It is about how your organization can leverage the blending of the physical and digital worlds. For most of history, we were a physical society. We met in person and all interactions occurred with physical products. Then, […]
When to Follow ‘Best Practices’–and When to Ignore Them
Be skeptical any time someone tells you they have a best practice… While speaking at a conference several years ago, I tried an experiment. I told the audience that I had discovered the five best practices that nearly all successful people have in common. I printed these practices on a sheet of paper and invited […]
Stop Worrying About the Novelty of Your Ideas
Innovation does not need to be new or original. It just needs to be valuable… One of my favorite quotes comes from Mark Twain: “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them […]
Why Innovation Is Booming and Always Has Amid Crises
Disasters and crises have lead to some of our best innovations–just look at the history behind ATMs… We often hear the expression “Build it and they will come.” With innovation, a more accurate statement is “Eliminate a pain and they will come.” The ultimate success of the automatic teller machine (ATM) is a great example of this. The story […]
Answer These Key Questions to Improve Your Virtual Meeting
The key to good virtual meetings is to avoid replicating what you do in real life… The way we conduct meetings changed over night. Or has it? Given we are no longer able to meet in person, event organizers and professional speakers have been scrambling to recreate their live meetings using virtual platforms. In other words, automate what has […]
Why Your Best Innovation Ideas Might Come From Nature
Don’t just look to other companies for inspiration, look in your backyard… Here in the United States, it’s Memorial Day Weekend. A time when we are outdoors enjoying nature. Maybe this is a great time to find some new innovations. Expertise is often the enemy of breakthrough thinking. The more you know about your company, […]
Why You’re Missing an Opportunity for Innovation–and It’s Huge
Innovation is an analytical process that involves more than just the creative few on your team… When you think about innovation, there are usually a few creative people on your team that you turn to first for a conversation. But if those few individuals are valued more than others, you’re missing a huge opportunity. The […]
How to Grow Your Company Without Spending Any Money
Sometimes the best strategy is to give someone a slice of your business…. Do you ever feel as though you never have enough time, money, or resources to make your business as successful as you know it could be? As a small-business owner myself, I struggle with this dilemma frequently. Although I could take out […]
Service Businesses Offer 3 Types of Products. The Most Powerful Ones Are Tools–Here’s Why
Sometimes the best way to grow your business is to stop telling customers what to do… No matter what business you’re in, you want leverage. Leverage simply means getting the greatest returns with the least amount of energy. I’ve spent my entire career running service businesses, as either a business consultant or keynote speaker. There […]
Is Your Writing Style Color-by-Numbers or Puzzle-Assembly?
There are two different ways to write a book. Be sure to choose the best one for your style… Writing a book can be intimidating. For some, it may seem like an insurmountable endeavor. But I assure you it is not. Over the years I’ve met hundreds of authors. And one thing I’ve discovered is […]