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Posts Tagged ‘organizational change’

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 […]

The pain of honest evaluations shown by a photo of looking through glass at two people talking.

The Pain of Honest Evaluations

People are funny. We reason with ourselves that we want the truth, but we prove time and again that we prefer being lied to. If your gut reaction to that statement is defiance, there is a strong chance that you’re lying to yourself about your own emotions. This article isn’t about the psychology of our […]

Photo of blocks being puzzle-pieced together. Using psychology to recognize idea blockers and help the pieces fit together.

6 Idea Blockers – Psychology of Innovation

The psychology of innovation is like any other area of life where our brains and emotions simply get in the way of our progress. 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 post about harmful innovation myths, and […]

Photo of a man scratching his head. He’s perplexed about a business problem that should be fixed, but not sure how to get the solution approved.

The Problem with “We Should”

“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 […]

Image of an open book with a light bulb and connected dots that look like digital neurons. This signifies that intentional corporate innovation can evolve if managed well.

12 Lessons Learned while Managing Corporate Innovation

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 […]

Long exposure night photo of the silhouette of a person on a hill with the stars in the sky tracking as radial lines around the North Star. Symbolizing goal setting.

North Star Goal Setting

Goal Setting Options Abound There are many ways that businesses set goals, choose priorities, and ensure that their teams are rowing in the same direction. You’ve probably created SMART goals, been asked to use OKRs, watched KPIs, laid out Vision Boards, or updated Kanban Boards. These are all great tools to help keep team alignment. […]

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!

Portrait Of Multi Racial Hotel Staff Wearing Protective Masks

Top 6 Outcomes of a Successful Return-to-Office Program

Lately, I hear and read multiple news reports online and in my newsfeed about the challenges and decisions leaders and employees face about the pending “return-to-office.” What is your situation, and what is your level of readiness? Is your organization prepared for people to return to the office? Do you receive consistent messages from your […]

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Essentials for Your Digital Strategy: Lean Transformation

Delivering seamless, consistent, and engaging experiences starts with a customer-centered digital strategy. This ongoing series explores the characteristics that make up a great digital strategy and how to deliver powerful brand moments that solidify customer loyalty and drive differentiation for your organization. Earlier in this series, we revealed the importance of organizational alignment for your […]

5 Ways to Drive Customer Centricity: Advice for the CIO

Who do you consult when Outlook isn’t working? What about when issues arise with your messaging platforms? Or, worse yet – when your customer experience platforms aren’t working properly? You likely answered “IT” when thinking about these situations. For years, businesses have charged IT with providing stability, consistency, and reliability. However, keeping the lights on […]

cloud transformation

Cloud Transformation Overview

This is the final blog in a series around the subject of cloud transformation. The use of the term “transformation” in the title was a very intentional decision by the authors (Joel Thimsen & Victor Wolters) of this series. The desire is to send a message that adoption of cloud technology for any organization is […]

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