Posts by Mitch Ditkoff
Act Like an Innovation Samurai
If you expect to innovate in 2012, you will need to be more like a Samurai and less like a Slacker. Towards that end, here are the seven classic virtues of a Samurai. Food for thought… and action!
Read MoreNaming the Product First
Conventional wisdom has it that the best time to name a new product is after you create it. Unconventional wisdom has it the other way around: first you give your product a name, then you create it. With this approach, the name — instead of being the description of your creation — becomes the catalyst for its existence.
Read MoreBuy Local, Bye-Bye Walmart
When the residents of Saranac Lake, NY were faced with having a Super Wal-Mart put in, some 600 residents came together to open their own department store. CBS News business and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis reports.
Read MoreEveryone's a Genius, But …
If you want to create a culture of innovation in your organization, make sure you are matching people to projects that have passion for and have enough competence to succeed in. If you’re sensing that “things” aren’t going all that well, it may be due to the fact that you’ve got fish climbing trees. Your…
Read More23 Reasons Why Brainstorming Fizzles
How many times have you participated in a brainstorming session, only to be underwhelmed by the utter lack of follow up? Unfortunately, in most businesses, this is often the norm. Here’s why: The output of the session is underwhelming. No one has taken the time, pre-brainstorm, to consider follow-up. No criteria is established to evaluate…
Read MoreInnovators Remember Their Dreams
Many great breakthroughs have come in dreams. Rene Descartes got the concept for the Scientific Method in a dream. Elias Howe came up with the final design for the lock stitch sewing machine in a dream. August Kekule arrived at the formulation of the Benzene molecule in a dream. In the dream state, the subconscious…
Read MoreCreativity Late in Life
Think you’re too old to create! Think again. Here are some incredible examples to keep you on top of your game. Go for it! Click “full screen” (bottom right icon) full easiest reading. Creativity Late in Life
Read More33 Creators on Creating
Inspiring slide show of quotes by breakthrough thinkers, innovators, and other assorted wizards. View full screen for max impact. Creators on Creating
Read MoreCultivating Innovation Where You Work
“Organizations are like gardens, not machines. We keep bringing in mechanics, when what we need are gardeners.” – Peter Senge If you want to establish a culture of innovation, there are three things you need to know: It’s possible It’s simple (but not easy) It’s just like growing vegetables Possible? Absolutely! Innovation is all about…
Read MoreAn Inside/Out Culture of Innovation
If you work in an organization that wants a “culture of innovation” — you have two basic choices: outside/in or inside/out. Outside/in is the most common approach. It assumes that re-engineering systems or processes is the way to go. You know, crank up the rewards, have more brainstorming sessions, increase cross-functional collaboration, buy idea management…
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