What Nobody Tells You about Consistency and Efficiency
For all the benefits of six-sigma, lean, JIT, etc. (and there are significant benefits,) you must not let the focus on efficiency drive out innovation
innovation
Tag: innovation
Take Less Action — And Get Better Results
Managers become quite adept at problem solving which involves taking action to bring performance back up to where it once was. You know the drill:
How to Spark Real, Dedicated Innovation
A strategic vision is, by far, the least appreciated element of strategy, yet it has the power to focus the strategy, energize innovation, and mobilize
3 Keys to Increasing Innovation
There’s a lot of talk about innovation these days. Much of it is academic and lacks practical application. Here are three important tactics from my
Can strong management inhibit innovation and change?
Today’s business world requires innovation and change and companies that aren’t good at these can quickly run into difficulty. But often overlooked is the role
The problem with improving innovation
For years I’ve helped companies improve innovation in a number of ways, and I continue to find that innovation itself is widely misunderstood. Innovation is
What Duke Ellington can teach business about innovation
Every year, for the past 14 years, I have read a biography of a famous musician or composer. As I read each book, I listen
End of Year Leadership Exercise
This is a very good week for reflection—looking both backward and forward. We spend most of the year caught-up in activities and plans and the
Improvisation: In Music and in Business
Many of the famous classical composers were excellent at improvisation. Mozart for example, would ask an audience for a few musical notes, then sit at
Giving Thanks
I caught myself reflecting gratefully last week as I overlooked San Francisco from our hotel. The view ranged from the Bay Bridge all the way
Be More Weird
I was in Austin last week working with an international group on strategy. One of the key discussion topics was the need for change and
First, empty your cup
A university professor visited a Zen master to ask about Zen. The master served tea. He poured tea into the professor’s cup until it was
Bees in a bottle
The experiment was simple. The scientists put a few bees and a few flies in a glass jar, and placed the jar against a window