innovation myths

5 Innovation management myths

For some, the term innovation management is an oxymoron. In reality, innovation management is a domain that ensures that the best ideas and innovation projects make it to practice in an effective and cost-efficient manner. As a result, innovation management is surrounded by a lot of myths. In the blog below I debunk five of […]

The Best Workplace for Innovators – Fast Company

Fast Company produced its list of 100 best workplaces for innovators. Companies committed to unlocking the potential of creative individuals and as a result the best companies to work for as an innovator in 2020. It expanded this year’s list to companies, schools, and nonprofits of all sizes. The list is certainly impressive, with ASLAC/St […]

Innovating on a shoestring budget – ILTA>ON

Innovating on a shoestring budget sounds like a smart thing to do. However, be careful that you are not penny wise and pound foolish. That is what Helen Wang of Organizing4Innovation said during the ILTA>ON session KM Innovation on a shoestring budget. Why is it a bad thing to innovate on a shoestring budget? Because […]

mistake

The Biggest Mistake in Innovation Management

The biggest mistake innovation managers make is taking the value of innovation for granted. We tend to assume that innovation is a must; the overall right thing to do. However, if you leave your goals undefined, you’ll lack the ability to measure and explain your progress. Without results to show for your efforts, innovation will […]

Outsource innovation

Outsourcing Innovation

What Parts of the Innovation Process Can you Outsource? Consultants can help with pretty much any part of the innovation process. However, innovation exists to help you build new capabilities and create new revenue streams; therefore, I don’t recommend outsourcing everything. If an external company can build your solution, then anyone can.  In order to […]

innovation training

Effective Innovation Training

Innovation training for teams Innovation, like most skills, is a concept best conveyed in practice, rather than on paper. In short, you learn how to innovate by doing it. The best advantage an emerging innovator has at their disposal is an innovation training program; one that provides the innovator with support, while making their idea […]

CRCF grant recipient

CRCF Grant Recipient

We’re a CRCF grant recipient! We at Organizing4Innovation are proud to announce that we’ve been awarded a grant through Virginia’s Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) by Governor Ralph Northam. Our data analytics project will advance our ability to provide effective and efficient innovation project management.  Our Goals This project, titled “Using Team-Learning and Teamwork-Quality Indicators […]

A plan b for 2020

A plan B for 2020

All organizations need a plan B for 2020. The pandemic impacted everyone, there is no way around it. The question is now, what do you make of this plan B? Will it be a shorter and reduced version? Or will you be looking for new opportunities and perhaps turn 2020 in the best year ever? […]

The cost of innovation

The Cost of Innovation

Innovation is a cost for most firms. That is a problem because it turns innovation into a budget item to cut instead of the buoy that enables organizations to survive and thrive. You may wonder if this is the time to take risks, when nothing is the same due to looming environmental, health, and financial […]

Innovation tactics - blue sky

5 Innovation tactics to deal with coronavirus uncertainties

Innovation tactics help organizations and project teams to deal with uncertainty. And because nothing is normal in this coronavirus crisis, many skills that you need to manage an innovation project or portfolio will come in handy. The 5 innovation tactics that will be most useful: Focus on the problem, have your strategy guide your actions, […]

New routines: 5 tips to stay productive while working from home

Our household has been upended by the Coronavirus, while I am trying to stay productive working from home. Our college kids are back. We had a guest who stayed, as she had to change her travel plans because her conferences were canceled and her company did not want her to fly. How to stay focused […]

Answers as a means to learn

On our T4 training platform, we can see how teams progress by the answers they provide. One of the teams did not show any progress. So – in my role as their trainer – I reached out and asked what was going on. It turned out, the team had read all the materials, but just […]