One of the lessons of our recent book from John Wiley and Sons, Conquering Innovation Fatigue, is that the choice of metrics that business leaders use to track and drive innovation can actually contribute to innovation fatigue. Unfortunately, one’s choice of metrics can have unintended consequences that drive bad decisions and poor behavior. A recent…
The oil spill disaster off the Gulf Coast is truly tragic. The numbers–from the billions of dollars in damage to the environmental toll–are barely fathomable to most of us. Here is a look at a chart that ties the disaster together with amazing clarity. Another site is hosting some incredible photographs of the disaster including…
There is a lot of buzz these days about clean energy technology and where U.S. companies are putting their money. A few hours ago Google Inc. announced that for the first time it is making a sizable investment in renewable power as a way to accelerate the deployment of the latest clean energy technology while…
With two sons now in college, I’ve had some great opportunities to see how the traditional college scene is not what it was when I attended! It’s exciting to see not only how conventional learning has evolved, but also how a new way to learn is emerging for those students who don’t consider themselves a…
In Conquering Innovation Fatigue, we begin with an examination of some of the reasons that people pursue innovation. Not all innovation is driven by a desire for wealth. In fact, a large number of innovators are more interested in seeing their work make a difference in the world than in becoming rich (many want both,…
Ask any student if they’d rather learn their lessons through online interactive tools or via a classroom lecture with textbooks, and you can imagine which method will overwhelmingly win out. Even a first-grader will tell you how they learn with computers and even handheld gameshow-like remotes and interactive white boards that help them participate during…
Check out the latest technology from Microsoft called Skinput. It’s an idea that may someday do away with a physical computer keyboard or remote control and replace them with your body! The video below shows how a projection system displays the keypad on a user’s arm, while sensors read the input based fingers touching skin….
One of the interesting trends in emerging nations is the rapid spread of mobile phones without first moving to landlines. Millions of people who don’t have landlines and may not have the infrastructure for them are able to benefit from cell phones. As cell phones increasingly become smart, offering a variety of apps and services,…
Aside from being a taxing week in the U.S., mid-April is also when BusinessWeek Magazine publishes its top 50 list of the most innovative companies all over the world. This year’s rankings are definitely pointing to a trend I’ve talked about before: That a majority of companies recognized as top innovators are based outside the…
What company in its right mind would ever admit to the world that its product was awful? In what many might call a risky move, Domino’s Pizza delivered the tough truth and customers were thrilled. We’ve all seen how Domino’s “got real” in commercials launched last December that openly admitted why their pizza recipe needed…
