The morning coffee time challenge: How to turn problems into data and innovate solutions
An IBM executive gave advice to graduates. He said to develop the skill of figuring out how to do something with data. This can be finding it, gathering it, organizing it, generating it, analyzing it, interpreting it, making meaning of it, communicating it, and innovating from it. I bet he means quantitative data (numbers). I enjoy taking qualitative data (observations, what people say, etc.) and turning it into quantitative data so that you can more easily do something with it. Innovation can be more successful if it is grounded in data. Here is an example of how to take stuff and turn it into data and an innovation. Lately I have been most passionate about helping people to innovate their own lives, solve their own problems, respond to change, and transform themselves at a higher level. This begins with identifying a challenge. A common challenge I see many people face is not having enough time. A similar specific challenge I have in my life is waking up early and getting somewhere early enough without being rushed. I love sleeping and I need an intervention to help me get up, moving quickly, and energized without being rushed. This is a challenge that if I could solve it it would improve my work and life as a whole. So I decided to zero in and keep asking what the problem is.
Technology Innovation Literacy
This sixth grader, Thomas Suarez, gave a TED Talk. For me that alone stands out. How many 6th graders do you see doing TED Talks? He develops IPhone apps. His most popular one is called “Bustin Jieber.” He created it because a lot of his classmates disliked Justin Bieber. He knows how to develop ideas (from what your “people” or users suggest or want), and he knows how to name the apps he creates in sticky and catchy ways. Also, he is pretty good on stage public speaking! Sounds like he is putting himself on the fast track to tech entrepreneurship. Funny quote: “These days students usually know a little more than teachers.” Thomas is an example that there are opportunities for younger and younger students with the web/apps/social media, etc. Yes indeed, innovation and entrepreneurship isn’t just for college students anymore. Continue Reading →
Creativity, Innovation, and Leadership Articles on Social Media
Be sure to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter where I share excellent innovation and creativity articles and videos. I’m always reading articles from great sources like FastCompany and Harvard Business Review. I’m also scouring YouTube and TedTalks for engaging videos on topics of innovation, creativity, and leadership. When I find an article or video that I recommend I post it to Facebook or Twitter.
Innovate Everywhere: How to Build a Better Fruit Fly Trap Using Innovation Skills
The Five Innovator’s DNA skills are observing, associating, questioning, experimenting, and networking. You can put these skills to use in everyday situations.
The problem. I had fruit flies one summer day. This is fine in the 10th grade biology classroom but bad in your home. I was OK with an occasional few flying around but when one landed in my glass of red wine I knew it was time to spring to action.
How to find text or website themes in a split second with an innovative word frequency analysis tool
I discovered an amazing website called Textalyser that helps you to analyze the frequency of keywords. This is a great tool for starting to interpret qualitative data. I am working on a research and assessment project where I am trying to identify the themes amongst 70 different documents where people are writing on the same question. I need a starting point or catalyst that tells me quickly what key words are showing up the most in the documents. Knowing this will allow me to dive deeper and see what themes exist. Luckily, Textalyser is amazing. You can either just copy in your text, upload a document, or share a webpage link and it will analyze it for you in what appears to be a split second. I did it for my ProgramInnovation webpage. I would say the keywords and frequencies that Textalyser pulled up in seconds exactly summarize what the site is about.
Get to the Curious Point: How to Title Ideas, Messages, & Books
What can we learn from how best selling non-fiction books are titled to help us title our own ideas and messages so that people understand our ideas and want to act on them? I’ve been thinking about this lately. I’ve gone through a process recently of trying to figure out a title for a book I’m finishing writing. I did a few rounds of surveys to target readers to help me generate ideas and decide. I’ve also done some research on what makes a great title. Even if you aren’t working on a book you are probably trying to communicate something important. We need to get to the point and be interesting in our communications. We can learn from how books are titled. Especially nonfiction books.
Incremental or Breakthrough Innovations: Go +1 or x2?
Would you rather go +1 or x2 in your ideas and innovations? How about life? How about at work? When innovating and doing things better we have choices. Do we want a slight improvement, a +1, an incremental innovation? Or, do we want a x2, a drastic improvement? This is a breakthrough or even disruptive innovation. With the +1 approach things get slightly better. It is like a CD that now holds one more song, or is 1 inch smaller. The x2 approach is like an Ipod. It looks different and even operates different. It is a breakthrough or a disruption to the way things had been done before. It is a drastic improvement.
Innovating on the Wall: Activities for Reflection and Strategy
When you post your innovation activities on the wall and keep them there, you not only have more room to work and collaborate but you are visually reminded of what you are working on. Here is my wall. This innovation journey program I’ve developed guides participants through a number of deep reflection and life assessment projects to help them make meaning of the past and present as well as strategize for the future. The activities are deep, creative, and visual. Participants will leave with “maps” they can put on their walls to keep their strategy at the top of their mind and be motivated to act.
Speech on Developing and Communicating Innovative Ideas
I had been blogging about the process of creating a visual keynote speech. I recorded a final prototype version of a speech on “developing and communicating innovative ideas” from my home studio and posted the video here. I did this speech live for a group of 300…plus an overflow room for the live stream of the event. They also recorded the live stream of the event and you can view it at Showcase 2011 to see how it looked live. My keynote on developing & communicating innovative ideas starts at 32:15. Continue Reading →