In a previous article, I discussed 2 models for starting up a business: the funded venture vs. the bootstrap. Since how to start a business is a topic that comes up frequently on discussions over at LinkedIn, I’d like to recommend two books that I think offer great advice: The Art of the Start: The…
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Previously, I blogged on Creativity and Humour, pointing out a parallel where both humour and creativity often involve an interesting and novel juxtaposition of different frames of reference. It is worth drawing attention to another parallel: both creativity and humour involve a capability of developing a very accurate and to a certain extent novel observation…
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A recent question on LinkedIn asked how to start thinking about developing a Knowledge Management (KM) infrastructure. The starting point for thinking about developing your KM infrastructure is to have a look at what kind of organisation you have, what your main Knowledge Management needs are, and how KM will add business value for your…
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In a January 2007 paper “Driving Operational Innovation Using Lean Six Sigma,” the IBM Institute for Business Value argued that Lean Six Sigma can do more than help achieve operational excellence through improving processes: Lean Six Sigma can . . . help leaders discover innovation opportunities far beyond operations, enhance financial performance, and create organizations…
A recent article in the Booze Allen Hamilton strategy magazine Strategy+Business provided the following anecdote: In 1999, the appliance maker Whirlpool announced an initiative to generate innovation “from everywhere and everyone” in the company. Faced with a stagnant market, Whirlpool managers wanted fresh ideas from the company’s 68,000 employees. They got them. Before long there…
A recent comment on the Innovation Zen blog in response to an interview with creativity expert Roger van Oech noted in passing that “there’s a close relationship between the “ha-ha” of humor and the “aha” of creative discovery!” It is interesting to look back through the history of the psychology of creativity literature and look…