Innovation

Globalization combined with an increasing population has sparked a huge rise in the consumption of our natural resources. As time goes on, the need for businesses and manufacturers around the world to invent, create and produce more ecofriendly products is becoming more and more imperative. The world population as of February 2008 was estimated to be 6.65 billion. By comparison, the world population in 1950 was believed to be 2.52 billion. Assuming the population continues to grow at a rate slightly higher than 1% per year, then the world population will exceed 9 billion by 2050. If the way and manner in which essential ... Read Full Story

Most business leaders plan modest incremental growth each year. They set expectations that they are confident can be achieved. This way everyone can get a pat on the back when the plan is reached. Growth in revenue in line with the market at 5% and growth in profits of 6% is the sort of thing. Many directors would be delighted with this sort of result. The trouble with this approach is that it re info rces incrementalism. The easiest way to get 5% growth is by pumping up the existing products or services. We can add some line extensions. The easiest way to wring ... Read Full Story

We all throw around buzzwords, words that the mere utterance motivates a crowd and makes us sound so savvy, but what are buzzwords, do they really mean anything? Why, no matter how knowledgeable, no matter how educated and informed we are, do we insist on using buzzwords? What draws us to use buzzwords, after a day of buzzword heavy meeting with people whom I respect and feel are very bright, why did I leave these meetings wondering what just went on? The occasional buzzword, well placed can add emphasis to a statement, perhaps likened to the infamous name-drop. Nobody really cares who you say ... Read Full Story

Innovation is kind of like the weather. Everyone talks about it, and most people who think they can predict it are really taking advantage of the fact that tomorrow's weather tends to be like today's. Unfortunately, for most organizations, attempts to foster meaningful innovation are a lot like rain dances. There's a fair amount of noise and jumping about, but you better have your excuses ready for when the rain doesn't fall. This Qlippit , On the Horns of a Black Swan takes a look at an alternative approach - everyday operational innovation as a foundation for consistent, but unpredictable, breakthroughs. Read Full Story

I was doing some reading on innovation which is the process by which intellectual capital get created and then asked myself how come many traditional enterprises are failing at innovation... I wonder if IT executives (or business executives for that matter) ever ask themselves how many intellectual capitalists do we employ? A company can own many fine performers chock full o'competence, but how many innovative, creative problem-solvers are there? Defining the issue of what constitutes an IC is a function of the problem space. What constitutes intellectual capital in context and who provides it? Once that's defined, the measures are implied by productivity and ... Read Full Story