Thu, 04/18/2013 - 09:41
Innovation is at or near the center of nearly everyone’s radar screen. If you’re not looking for it in your work, you’re looking for it in your personal life, because stirring in each of us is the desire to employ our ingenuity. Thus, the potential…
Tue, 03/26/2013 - 16:42
When I speak to groups or meet with prospective clients, one of the most frequently asked questions I field is: “What’s my first step in creating a culture of companywide innovation?” I love the question because I believe that innovation must…
Thu, 02/28/2013 - 11:49
A good friend of mine recently recommended a wonderful documentary to me: Jiro Dreams of Sushi. I now recommend it to you. It’s a phenomenal and fascinating study of a man who embodies the disciplined pursuit of perfection. The 85-year-old…
Fri, 02/15/2013 - 11:10
Iam an avid cyclist. Last year I purchased a piece of electronic equipment for my cycling habit, produced by Garmin, called the Edge 500. It’s a nifty little gizmo that I mounted on my bike’s steerer tube.
It uses GPS to track speed, routes,…
Wed, 01/30/2013 - 16:52
Recently I had a conversation with a friend who was upset about some directional shifts and a looming job shuffle within his company. As I listened to the lament, I recognized that the changes he described focused on the symptoms of the issue. All…
Mon, 12/17/2012 - 16:35
In 1996, James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones popularized the term “lean thinking.” It was their expression for what they observed studying Toyota’s manufacturing operations: an absence of waste. Today, lean concepts have moved beyond the factory…
Fri, 12/14/2012 - 17:06
All I want for Christmas is a meaningful measurement. I’m tired of “technical specifications” that have no real-world application. I’m fatigued by acronyms and jargon that I can only imagine have evil engineers and masochistic technical writers in…
Fri, 11/30/2012 - 16:36
I remember when I first discovered the work of Mark Graban. The year was 2008, and I was preparing to speak to the Massachusetts Hospital Association, an audience of about 400 hospital CEOs and administrators. They wanted me to tie my work with…
Mon, 11/19/2012 - 08:52
In our world of excess everything, savvy innovators realize that less is actually best. They know that delivering a memorable and meaningful experience hinges on user engagement, which is best achieved through a subtractive approach. Anything…
Tue, 10/23/2012 - 09:39
The late, great basketball coach John Wooden maintained that, “When you improve a little bit each day, eventually big things occur. Don’t look for big, quick improvement. Instead, seek small improvement one day at a time. That’s the only way it…