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 […]
Is your organization a cult? Most are, and this high level of commonality can hurt your innovation efforts… The recruiting and retention efforts of most organizations are not designed to attract and retain a diverse group of innovation personalities: analytical, methodical, creative, people-oriented. They are designed for one style only–the style that is consistent with […]
You can create an environment where everyone can contribute to your company’s innovation efforts… How do you structure your innovation teams? If you are like most companies, you put your most creative people in a room to develop ideas who then hand off those ideas to a team of implementers. But is this always the […]
Contrary to conventional wisdom, opposites don’t attract–and this is bad for innovation…. I remember speaking with a recruiter who once turned down a candidate I had recommended. I asked why and was told, “He didn’t fit the mold.” In other words, unless you fit our cookie cutter requirements, you won’t work here. This point of […]
In the past few videos I discussed the personalities of individuals and what this means to high-performing teams. In today’s episode I discuss the personality of the organization. And no, this is not the average of the personalities of the people. It’s something completely different. And understanding this is critical to the success of your […]
Here are the transcripts for the last two innovation minutes. Innovation Minute #26: Is your team playing with a full deck? Twenty years ago when I started getting actively involved in the world of innovation, I thought there were some people who were innovative, and then there was the rest of the people. What I […]
In the last video I shared why diversity, although critical, can actually have a negative impact on the organization if people are not given the tools to appreciate one another. In today’s Innovation Minute, I share the tool I developed: Personality Poker. I explain how it can be used to understand personalities and I provide […]
In the last video I shared why diversity is critical to innovation. However, diversity on its own can have a deleterious effect on an organization’s performance. You need one key ingredient to go from dysfunctional to innovative. Learn what it is in this installment of The Innovation Minute. Be sure to watch the previous videos!
The question, “Do you really think for yourself?” isn’t as easy to answer as you might think. When a challenge or problem arises at work and you’re unsure of an answer, you probably rely on the judgment of others. But what if you know the answer to the problem? How likely are you to be […]
Back in 1996, I was conducting an important three-day “train the trainer” session for a program we were launching at Accenture. I was personally training 200 top client partners and managers. It was critical that we got everyone’s buy-in. At the end of day one, the partner in charge of program, Bob, asked me how […]
