Holly Green
A few weeks ago I wrote about a stodgy safety products manufacturer that dramatically increased sales of its goggles by studying fashion trends. I’m not suggesting we all start subscribing to Vogue, Glamour or Elle (although maybe that is not a bad idea). What we do need to do is start looking beyond the walls…
Seeking out new and different sources of information can enhance your innovative efforts. It’s also a fun way to recognize and celebrate one of our most cherished holidays.
Do you think email, Twitter, and Facebook are workplace annoyances? When it comes to blocking innovation, they’re not nearly as destructive as your own internal distractions.
Our ability to see patterns and make connections is one of our mightiest creative assets. Which explains why innovative products sometimes come from the strangest places.
What do the worlds of fashion and safety goggles have in common? More than you might think!
I just returned from one of my longer road trips of the year, and it’s great to be home! Believe it or not, I used to enjoy business travel. But now, with all the airport security, flight delays, baggage fees, and surly attitudes of airline employees, it has become the least favorite part of what…
I would love to see the following sign outside every strategic planning conference room: Strategic Planning Session in Progress No Thought Bubbles Allowed! Of course, it will never happen because we can’t get rid of our thought bubbles. What we can do is take a careful inventory of them and update those that no longer…
Bias is defined as “prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.” In the business world, this definition also applies to concepts and ideas. As business leaders we like to think we’re impartial, open-minded and objective in regards to new ideas,…
It’s that time of year again. And, no, I’m not referring to Christmas shopping. It’s only September, for gosh sake! I’m talking about strategic planning. This is the time of year to pause for a bit longer than usual and think and about what winning will look like next year. It’s when we peer into…
Seems like everyone is talking about innovation these days. Most of the discussion centers on the need to add value to customers through innovative products and services. But according to Gary Hamel, a leading expert on business strategy, there’s more to innovation than just bringing new products to market. In a recent Harvard Business Review…
Still think Twitter is a silly fad? A month ago, I posted a blog that included a negative comment about the new Chevy Volt and our cash-strapped government’s plan to support the vehicle through incentives and outright purchases. The very next day, the Volt product manager tweeted me to ask if I would give him…
Have you ever made an important business decision late in the day, only to look back on it a day or two later and wonder, “What was I thinking?” It turns out the problem may not have been so much what you were thinking as when. A recent New York Times article, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/do-you-suffer-from-decision-fatigue.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=willpower&st=cse, relates the…
