Posts Tagged ‘Idea Zone’

If you were to pop open any social media platform or news app right now and scroll through a couple dozen posts, you’ll easily get the feeling that everything is #%&$ falling apart. Everyone is mad at something. We now use the term “doomscrolling.” In the past we had Yellow Journalism and we are there […]

I get a lot of enjoyment from the creative and innovative side of the work I do. Helping clients or my teams break out of the day-to-day and explore the unexpected. I’ve discussed innovation myths before and how to use lateral thinking to expand your pool of ideas in unexpected ways. One of my favorite […]

Success and failure – just like hot and cold, light and darkness, love and hate, or good and evil – these represent the ends of a familiar spectrum. Countless philosophical works have pondered these seemingly opposing concepts. My favorite view for all such opposites is that you cannot understand one without the other. They are […]

An innovation wildcard is a team member who is there to add a unique perspective that the rest of the team may not have. This person can be within the organization or pulled from outside. They may have deep expertise in other areas, or they may be new and more likely to question everything. Innovation […]

When you hear the word “constraints,” what creative images and stories does your mind conjure up? The word often leads people toward negative thoughts of confinement, limitations, obstacles, or not getting what you want. With this article, though, I want to talk about useful constraints and how they can encourage creativity and innovation. Common Views […]

The psychology of innovation is like any other area of life where our brains and emotions simply get in the way of our progress. We love to lie to ourselves. Even when we are aware of the pitfalls, they are unavoidable. Our brains are wired to fall into these traps. I recently wrote a blog […]

“We Should” is Said a Lot I’ve worked at a handful of companies throughout my career. If you split the years out, half of my time has been working within an agency and the other half has been in-house. The agency work has allowed me to see dozens of other companies as well. I’ve been […]

The Road to Managing Corporate Innovation I started out at an ad agency in southern Indiana in 2002. Our clients were interested in technology and our agency helped them find their way. At the same time, I was building the web development and digital strategy team within the agency. We began doing things intentionally with […]

So, you’re not the creative type? I have good news! In 4 Harmful Innovation Myths, I explain that creativity isn’t what most people think it is. In this post, I’ll show you how to use simple lateral thinking tools to break your mental block and get fresh ideas flowing again. Intentionality can force important things […]

Creating a culture of innovation is a fragile effort. It needs to be nurtured and encouraged. If your work culture doesn’t allow for creativity, your organization’s big ideas might pop like a broken lightbulb!

Employees are the people who interact with their brands daily. Doesn’t it make sense they would have some of the best ideas? Let Your Employees’ Voices Be Heard Online community platforms, intranets, and other social engagement tools offer a unique way for your workforce to collaborate. But why not also leverage the power of your […]

One of the greatest features you can offer your customer or partner base as a product-driven company is an idea engine. It allows those who use your product regularly to offer suggestions on how to improve it, features to add, or what new products to create. Giving the power to your customers to help make […]