Skip to main content

Posts Tagged ‘innovation culture’

Photo looking down at legs standing on asphalt with yellow directional arrows pointing in different directions.

Zigs & Zags – The Opposite of a Great Idea Can Also be a Great Idea

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 […]

Funny picture of a man holding frayed electrical wires, his hair is standing on end with face scorched.

Fail Like a Pro – How to Plan for and Recover from Failure

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 […]

Picture of a Chihuahua dog wearing pink aviator glasses, looking like a wildcard.

The Innovation Wildcard – Surprise Yourself!

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 […]

Photo of kids with thinking hats on, unleashing creativity.

Unleashing Creativity through Constraints

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 […]

Image of a man ignoring the loud urgency of a boy screaming into a megaphone.

The Eisenhower Quadrants of Productivity

I’ve been using the Eisenhower Quadrants of Productivity with my teams for many years now. You may also hear it called the “Eisenhower Decision Matrix” or the “Eisenhower Box”. It is a method that helps people understand the differences between “urgent” and “important” tasks. You can use it to create principles on how to best […]

Photo of a turtle stuck on its back, illustrating the idea of creative block and needing help to get unstuck.

Get Unstuck When You’re Not the Creative Type

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 […]

Busted innovative idea, shown as a shattered lightbulb.

4 Harmful Innovation Myths

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!