Episode #3 of the Invisible Solutions podcast is now live. In it, I explore why you don’t want to think outside the box. And today we tackle a challenge submitted by one of the listeners: How can we get friendly people to work with us? Enjoy!
Episode #2 of the Invisible Solutions podcast is now live. In it, I explore the Goldilocks Principle and Going Virtual. Goldilocks wanted a bed that was “just right” and we want the same for problem statements. Also, is replicating the in-person experience virtually really the best solution? Probably not. I use the lenses to help […]
Finally I launched my podcast. This has been in the works for quite some time. Although it will be available through most podcast platforms in the near future, for now I decided to share an early preview here. In this first episode, I share a story you may have seen here: my baggage claim story. […]
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 […]
People don’t want creativity. They may say they do, but there is a strong anti-creativity bias in most organizations. And unfortunately this bias happens at an subconscious level. This video shares some interesting findings from a study by Cornell University (my alma mater) – and the implications. Note that the video talks about “newness.” In […]
Just because you KNEW your industry and customers, doesn’t mean you KNOW them. Our past experiences can limit our ability to see new opportunities. According to the World Economic Forum, complex problem-solving is the most important soft skill companies and individuals need right now. I would argue that complex problem-formulation is what is needed. The […]
Your past success can lead to future failure. If you are focused on opportunities based on your past experience, you may be solving irrelevant problems. This segment is called “Good to Gone” as we discuss some of the companies that were once the largest in their industry, but they are now gone or on life […]
Today’s videobook installment moves us down the path of reframing problems a better way. We often hear the expression, “think outside the box.” But what if the key to better innovation and problem-solving is “finding a better box?” It’s not the expansiveness of your thinking that limits your range of solutions. You are often just […]
Previously I discussed why we don’t want to ask questions that are overly abstract/broad. Today we explore why the opposite – asking questions that are too specific – can also lead to less than stellar solutions. The example in today’s video is one of my favorites: The Exxon Valdez tanker spill. For nearly 2 decades […]
I love this quote so much that I included it at the very beginning of my Invisible Solutions book. “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 a turn and they […]
