Blog
Effectiveness
No matter how much the boss or the customers yelled or threatened, the locomotive pulling freight and passenger cars refused to move. They were dead in the water. The day started out as planned, but then went from good to bad. The train lurched to a stop without warning. Upon investigation, the eng
Never Forget 9-11 Memories of Charles Falkenberg
If you are a regular reader of the blog, you know it is my policy to avoid mentioning companies and specific individuals … this is a special case – I want you to know Charles Falkenberg. Charles was the Director of Research (CTO) for ECOLogic – a small company based in Washington DC where I […]
The Overlooked Secret To Innovation
As a society, we have a problem. Some years ago, the late Nobel Prize winner Dr. Albert Schweitzer was asked by a reporter, “Doctor, what’s wrong with people today?” The famous doctor was silent for a moment, then he said, “People simply don’t think!” Why do some not use our brains and think? The b
Affordance
On January 13, 2018, the people of Hawaii woke to a shocking alert on their phones and TVs. An incoming ballistic missile was on its way and that the warning was not a drill. It was 38 minutes later that the alert was retracted. During those 38 minutes — panic set in. People were trying […] http://
Innovation Mentoring vs. Innovation Coaching: Which Do You Need?
Mentoring is certainly not a new concept. In fact, the name comes from a character named “Mentor” in Homer’s Odyssey. He was a trusted advisor to Odysseus’ son. Even though its roots run back thousands of years, however, the recent growth of social learning has given rise to a boom in mentoring and
How Competition and Gamification Can Spur Innovation
The concept of gamification is increasingly popular as a means of motivating employees, increasing productivity, and moving ideas forward. This trend is one driving force behind the proliferation of innovation competitions around the world, but it’s also true that these kinds of competitions aren’t
Exceptionally Normal
It is normal that no two people are exactly alike. Not even twins. So the word normal should not be confused with the word average. If you leave your fingerprints on something, you might as well leave your name and address since no two people have the same prints. You hear music and see a […] http
Great Leaders Keep Cool Under Fire
My grandfather had an old saying when I was growing up, “Never burn a bridge.” At the time, I thought it was a strange saying. It was only later that I realized what he was saying. No matter how someone treats you, don’t get angry and never retaliate as it will destroy the relationship. Great […] h
Find A Way To Say ‘Yes’ To Non-Obvious Ideas
The world is made up of ‘yes’ people and ‘no’ people. We need more optimistic — more hopeful people who find a way to say yes to non-obvious ideas. During Thomas Jefferson’s presidency in the early 1800’s, he and a group of travelers were crossing a river that had overflowed its banks. Each man cros
Vision Video Of The Near Future: Diverse Thinkers Wanted
Last week, we released our fourth installment in the Near Future series of vision videos. I started creating these vision video’s back in 2006 when I was at HP. The most recent film titled The Near Future: Diverse Thinkers Wanted explores the impact of technologies on our work lives. The Future Visi
