Jul 28Two-timing innovationThe surprising frequency of multiple simultaneous discovery Elisha Gray was an inventor — and a good one. He’d studied the emerging science of electricity at Oberlin College and worked there as a teacher and demonstrator. And in his spare time he worked hard at applying the ideas he was exploring…Innovation11 min read
Published in Telling tales·Jul 25The kindness of strangers…I remember it was hot. Sticky, sweaty, made something as simple as walking seem a huge effort. Finding a way through thick, dense air was like trying to push your way onstage in the dark and you get caught up in the curtain. …Kindness7 min read
Jul 22London bridge isn’t falling down….Why systems thinking is so important in innovation London Bridge isn’t falling down. In fact it’s in excellent health considering it straddled the river Thames for two hundred years before being dismantled, shipped halfway around the world and re-erected, stone by stone, in the middle of a lake in Arizona…Innovation11 min read
Jul 11Scaling innovationHow to navigate the long and winding road to high-impact innovation Innovation fails — sometimes spectacularly so. It’s hard enough when that failure comes early on during the start-up phase — that brilliant idea which somehow isn’t quite as brilliant when it collides with the first few encounters with the…Innovation12 min read
Jun 20Digital is different?How innovation management is changing and why we still need strategy ‘Now the chips are down…..’ ‘The robots are coming….’ ‘Digitalize or die!’ There’s no shortage of scary headlines reminding us of the looming challenge of digital transformation. The message is clear. On the one hand if we don’t climb…Innovation12 min read
May 17Nodding is bad for your brain….Why creative conflict is an important part of successful innovation One of the huge cast of characters created by the wonderful humorous writer P. G. Wodehouse was Wilmot Mulliner. Perhaps not so well known as Jeeves and Wooster he’s nevertheless an interesting subject. We’re introduced to him at a difficult…Innovation8 min read
Apr 21Managing knowledge spaghettiHow collaboration platforms can help turbocharge your innovation efforts Say the word ‘innovation’ and many people quickly conjure in their mind the wonderful ‘lightbulb moment’. But of course innovation isn’t like this — that flash of inspiration is only the start of what will be a long journey trying to…Innovation12 min read
Published in Telling tales·Apr 14Beware the Easter bunny….It started quietly enough. An innocuous idea; why don’t we get a rabbit, something for Lara to have as a lockdown companion, keep her entertained during those days when the schools are closed? From which the next step in the decision process became inevitable; it’s such a shame to have…Animals7 min read
Apr 6Releasing the power of users…Why healthcare innovation is increasingly going to rely on the insights of patients These days there are very few certainties but this is one of them. We’re all going to depend increasingly on healthcare innovation for the quality of our future lives. Keeping ourselves healthy, coping with chronic ailments, living…Innovation8 min read
Mar 17The suggestion box strikes back…How collaboration platforms can turbocharge your innovation efforts Organisations need to innovate. So far, so blindingly obvious. But they also need to innovate their innovation approaches; the best recipes may no longer work in a context which is continually changing. …Innovation11 min read
