Posts by Michael Graber
Crisis as Human-To-Human Accelerant
There’s nothing like a good crisis to make you refine your values, and Covid-19 has everyone taking stock of what really matters in life. No surprise what tops the list for individuals: family, friends, safety, and a sense of community. Many people are rediscovering the joys of homesteading arts, such as gardening, canning, cooking, playing…
Read MoreDeeply and Consciously and Compassionately Reconnecting with Our Humanity
Call it a limiting behavior. My zeal can deafen me to the suggestions others have to make. When passion strikes, adrenaline surges—and it is time to capture lightning. For decades I made a career acting this way, without realizing I was missing the multi-prism perspectives of my intelligent team, which had a lot of…
Read MoreApplied Creativity: Interview with Monica Kang of InnovatorsBox®
Part Two of Two How do you define creativity? We are all creative in different ways. What inspires us to be creative, what we use to create, what we create with that inspiration, and how that creation impacts other people are all very different. However, when we are being genuinely creative, we are all…
Read MoreI have a question.
I really do. Why have there been so few formal studies on curiosity and its immense power to create value in the for-profit and non-profit sectors? Even on most of the professional assessment, strength finders, and behavioral audits, curiosity is not codified and measured. I don’t understand. Do you? Yet, curiosity remains the secret ingredient…
Read MoreTime to Take a Social Media Vacation
A lot of professionals I know relieve stress with a few minutes on Facebook.com after they finish a phase of a project or need a break from their tasks. Welcome to Facebook.com where you can bliss out on cute kitten photos, catch up with old friend, find a novel product, or play defense from aggressive…
Read MoreThat Department
Which department acts like a lightening rod within your organization? You know that if they are called to participate in a meeting that it will be both productive and enjoyable. You smile anticipating the meeting, even leaving your smartphone and laptop on your desk because you know it will be completely engrossing. (Side note: If…
Read MoreLeading the Charge to Disrupt Your Industry
Richard Jupe, Vice President, Innovative Product Development, Altria: Richard got to the point, fast: Altria’s strategy: reduce risk and expanding choice. “We have a Duel Engine. We are changing our culture with this model, he says.†“Since 1955 our company has been on the Fortune 500. We were Philip Morris. Now we have owned and…
Read MoreCreative Clarity: Finding Focus in the Midst of Ambiguity
I had the opportunity recently to hear Jon Kolko, Partner, Modernist Studio give a Keynote at the Back End of Innovation (BEI) conference on Creative Clarity: Finding Focus in the Midst of Ambiguity. Jon started out by discussing the myth of creativity and how it becomes mystified in the workplace. “Nothing is further than the…
Read MoreSecrets of a Successful Serial Intrapreneur- Paul Campbell: Chief Innovation Officer, W.L. Gore & Associates
A Keynote presentation from the Back End of Innovation Conference The first slide gave away the four secrets in brief form: Ideation Deconstruct Incubate Scale up Paul began his talk with a metaphor, the new SalesForce building—a new type of structure that is unprecedented in earthquake zones because it was so safe. He claims companies…
Read MoreLooking at Eric Ries and The Startup Way
With a wry grin, Eric begins his talk by knocking on the idea of certification: “A certified entrepreneur is a certifiable idea.†This was the perfect opening to a cunningly smart talk that cuts straight through the morass of corporate politics. The author of The Lean Start Up and The Startup Way began his talk…
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