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
innovation
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”
Nonprofits, Innovation, & Lean Startups
You want to drive innovation throughout your nonprofit, but you don’t think you have the time or money to try new things. You would benefit from learning about the “Lean Startup” method – which is the current model that businesses use to develop new products and entrepreneurs use to start new companies. Here are some of the key ideas of Lean Startup that apply to … [Read more...] about Nonprofits, Innovation, & Lean Startups