Think For A Change

"A project is complete when it starts working for you, rather than you working for it." - Scott AllenIf you've followed along here for any real duration, you'll know that I sit at the intersection of innovation management and project management....literally.  I earn my living as both a Project Manager...

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"A ship is safe in the harbor, but that's not what ships are for" - William SheddInnovation is not about seeking safe harbors.  And yet, that is what I see companies do day after day after day.They declare that innovation is their key to growth.  But they run the program...

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"Culture is like dropping Alka-Seltzer into water...you don't really see it, but something happens" - Hans Magnus EnzensbergerOne of the things that struck me as most curious in my visit to 3M last year was the seemingly absent "process" of innovation as they went about their work of developing innovative...

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"Guessing what the pitcher is going to throw is eighty percent of being a successful hitter.  The other twenty percent is just execution." - Hank AaronA lot of organizations "intend" to innovate.  They have innovation as part of their "strategic roadmap."  Innovation is their "key to growth."  Some even go...

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"A project is a problem, scheduled for a solution" - J.M. JuranA fellow "Twitterite" (is that right?) recently asked me about my Twitter tag line, "Working at the intersection of innovation management and project management."  She didn't make the connection between project management and innovation.  She made the all too...

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"I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief" - Gerry SpenceOpen Innovation...or expanding the pool of brains thinking about your business problems outside of your organization...is a concept that has gained significant and recent traction.  The concept is very sound:From Wikipedia...Open innovation is a...

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Prospective Client FAQ You have questions about this whole “innovation” thing.  We know…It’s okay.  In fact, we developed this “Frequently Asked Questions” Guide just for you! Q:  WHY...

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"Don't make excuses.  Make things happen." - Doug HallThere is a constant hum around innovation today.  Organizations everywhere talk about it incessantly.  "We need to be more innovative."  "Innovation is the key to top-line growth."  "Innovation is essential to success."  Blah, blah, blah....All that talk would be great if it...

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"The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing" - Walt DisneySometimes it can be hard to get past the point of "thinking about solving the problem" or "trying to solve the problem" and actually "solving the problem."  So, I've put together twelve concepts that will get...

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"There is no shame in not knowing...the shame lies in not finding out" - Russian ProverbWhat makes up a good idea management system?  Obviously, coming up with great ideas...or "finding solutions."  But shouldn't you apply just as much effort into making sure you have the right problem...or "finding problems?"  Making...

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"A project is a problem scheduled for a solution." - J.M. JuranI am frequently asked how I am able to balance the seemingly contradictory disciplines of idea/innovation management and project management.  After all, the whole concept of idea/innovation management is about loosening control on people's thoughts, ideas and problem solving...

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As is customary now on the Think For A Change Blog, I like to re-publish this blog entry from 2006 as a reminder of the importance of just sitting down and thinking every once in awhile.  Incubation, thinking, meditating or reflecting, whatever you call it, is indeed the innovator's secret...

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Did you know that you can now subscribe to the Think For A Change Blog on your Amazon Kindle?  Kinda cool isn't it?!?!   Subscribe Now and take the Think For A Change Blog wherever you go!...

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"We don't know who discovered water, but we know it wasn't the fish" - Marshall McLuhanI received some great email and comments on the recent "What Will The Customer Buy?" blog entry.  A disturbing theme arose, however, in those comments.  Customer ethnography is too hard...It is too expensive...It requires specialized...

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"When you plant a seed, you don't dig it up every week to see how its doing" - UnknownIt never ceases to amaze me how impatient corporate executives can be.  Of course, most are driven by the need to deliver quarterly results for shareholders and Wall Street analysts.  I get...

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"If you're not serving the customer, you better be serving someone who is." - Karl AlbrechtIn the world of innovation management and new product development, there is a lot of ongoing discussion on how to discover what the customer needs, wants, will pay for, will follow along like lemmings, etc. ...

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"Vision reaches beyond the thing that is, into the conception of what can be.  Imagination gives you the picture.  Vision gives you the impulse to make the picture your own." - Robert CollierIt can be very difficult for a person to describe the idea that is floating around in their...

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"When you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there." - from Lewis Carroll's Alice in WonderlandOnce again, its that time of year when organizations begin to take stock of where they have been the past year and start looking forward in an attempt to predict...

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Wharton released an interesting article this week called "Can Lean Co-Exist with Innovation?" In essence, the article walks through how Lean and Innovation play contributing roles in the complete product development lifecycle.  Overall, it is a fantastic article, but there are a few key points in it that I think we...

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I was incredibly fortunate to be one of a very select handful of innovation thought-leaders invited to the 3M Customer Innovation Center yesterday for a behind the scenes look at how and why 3M innovates.  This visit moved me in a totally unexpected way.  As a person passionate about innovation...

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