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Forbes contributor Chunka Mui posted an interesting article that addressed a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. The results of the study found that creativity negatively affected perceptions of leadership potential. In a series of experiments conducted among working adults in India and college students in the U.S., individuals perceived as “creative” were repeatedly seen as less effective leaders.
Topics: creativity, Lorie Lin, Innovation, Compelling Case for Innovation, 9 Critical Success Factors, creative problem solving, leadership
I'm going to go out on a limb here and postulate that Monday mornings are the bane of the working (wo)man's existence. No matter how many cups of coffee you down, E-mail notifications you silence, or meetings you skip, there's just a heavy mood that permeates the planes, trains, and automobiles that brought us to work this morning -- with no reprieve in sight.
Topics: creativity, Ideas, Amanda Hines, divergent thinking, DIY, Innovation
Product launches are complex. That was the main takeaway of the PDMA 2010 Lab E – Launch for Commercial Success which I had the privilege of attending today. The session kicked off with an apt and literal example: a NASA shuttle launch. When NASA launched the Saturn V rocket, its engineers were depending on the successful integration of 2 million distinct systems. 2 million! And, as Richard Koppel pointed out, NASA operates in a space (get it?) where getting it right the first time is “mission critical” – if something goes wrong, not only are millions of dollars wasted, but people die. Fortunately, product launches are not as high stakes as shuttle launches, but you still want to ensure your innovation is brought to market as seamlessly as possible. So how do you launch successfully given all of the variables, risks and uncertainties inherent in the process? Here are the top 7 themes of the day which will help you make sure all systems are go when you blastoff.
Topics: Innovation Roadmap, Launch, Product Launch, Design, Brand Experience, Chris Dolan, Innovation, Cross Functional Teams, Risk, M.A.S.H, Test & Learn
Topics: creativity, culture, Sarah Feloney, training, skills, Innovation, strategy
Newton did it lounging under an apple tree. Archimedes did it soaking in a bathtub. Einstein did it while shaving. Those are the settings in which these great minds did their best thinking (at least according to legend). The common theme is that they were in the state of relaxed concentration. Rather than sit at your desk hammering away at a problem, it is often wise to let your mind wander. In his terrific book The Element Sir Ken Robinson describes the process:
Topics: Chris Dolan, creativity, Ideas, Relaxed Concentration, creative thinking skills
Leadership often involves making decisions in the face of insufficient information. This is especially true when it comes to enabling the pursuit of innovation. Doing nothing until the situation clarifies itself is in itself a decision. But, by the time the situation is clear the real opportunity has passed. As Will Rodgers once said “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
Topics: Jay Terwilliger, Future, trends, Innovation, Strategic Goals
Clayton Christensen is an inspiring guy. Not only has he disrupted the business world throughout his career as one of the foremost innovation academics, he has also overcome a bout with cancer and a recent stroke. Introduced as "the Kobe Bryant of the innovation world," he kicked off the 2011 World Innovation Forum. He began by informing the audience of close to 1,000 that after his stroke one year ago, he had to relearn to speak one word at a time. He then went on to discuss some of the reasons good companies falter. He offered two particularly surprising explanations:
Topics: Chris Dolan, Learning From Failure, Innovation
Making mental links between things that are not normally or have not previously been recognized as the source of a new idea
A core skill of brainstorming and creative-problem solving is learning how to make connections; those "a-ha" moments when two or more seemingly unrelated, even irrelevant signals in the brain suddenly come together to create a powerful new insight, idea, or conclusion. Connections almost always require a lot of developmental work to make them real, but the core of the idea/solution is embedded in the connection.
Topics: critical ideation skills, creative problem solving skills, connection making
During a brainstorming session, we have a technique to help the group generate fresh, novel ideas, which we call an excursion. It is a deliberate step away from the task to help gain a fresh perspective, like “sleeping on the problem.” An excursion is flexible; it can be run at several points during a creative problem-solving session, but is particularly powerful at the Wishing, Ways & Means, and Overcoming How-Tos steps in the process.
Topics: Amanda Hines, Absurdity, Innovation, creative problem solving
Topics: facilitation, Clay Maxwell, Jay Terwilliger, Ideas, creative thinking, Innovation, brainstorming
