One of our team members had set up a fun lunch activity just before Halloween – decorating pumpkins! My feeling: “I’m just no good at this.” With this reaction, I was exhibiting my Fixed Mindset about my skills and abilities when it comes to Art. I would have to say that I have probably had that mindset since about first grade! In her excellent book, Mindset, which I … [Read more...] about Roar into the ‘20s with a Growth Mindset!
innovation
No Risk Strategy
When I share examples of strategies from other organizations with people, I often hear “that sounds risky.” I respond “Absolutely!” There is no such thing as a “no risk strategy.” Certainly some strategies are riskier than others, and we need to be responsible about the amount of risk we take. However, I think that most organizations err on the side of playing it too … [Read more...] about No Risk Strategy
Better Brainstorming
The cover article of the new March – April edition of Harvard Business Review* is on Better Brainstorming and includes a number of interesting ideas. It’s written by Hal Gregersen, who is a faculty member at MIT and author of a forthcoming book, Questions are the Answer. Gregerson has invented a process he calls “Question Burst” which focuses the brainstorming process on … [Read more...] about Better Brainstorming
Lean Innovation
Once I was teaching a group of executives about generating innovation through the power of setting almost impossible goals (read more here if you are interested). One executive responded: “So, you want me to risk bankrupting my organization by placing a big bet on a new idea?” “Uhhh, no," I responded. Some people think that innovation is an all or nothing deal and they … [Read more...] about Lean Innovation
How to Become a True “Original”
If you are interested in spurring creativity in your team, leading change, and/or being even more entrepreneurial, then I recommend Adam Grant’s newest book, Originals (2016), to you. Grant was inspired to research creativity and originality after he chose not to invest in the idea for a new company developed by some of his graduate students because they did not fit his … [Read more...] about How to Become a True “Original”