innovation

Pursuing Innovation

by

Pursuing innovation doesn’t compel us to understand the future, except to recognize that future business sustainability relies on our relentless awareness of how customer needs and goals are evolvingover time. Successful innovations create value for customers, strengthening those relationships, while improving differentiation, increasing revenue, reinforcing company culture, and boosting employee pride and satisfaction.Only the largest of organizations can afford to invest specific resources in innovation; but innovation is a must-have” for all businesses to drive progress and secure sustainability, so: …

Read more

Innovate or Stagnate

by

A leader’s pursuit of improvement relies on fostering initiative and innovation. Without them, progress and profitable agility are not possible. It’s either innovate or stagnate.   Innovation doesn’t require you to understand the future; it requires that you understand your customers’ evolving needs and goals, and how your business must operate to fulfill them better than anyone.  These steps nurture initiative and innovation:  1.      Communicate that innovation is a “must-have.” Allocate time for individuals to spend on innovation. Encourage them to challenge widely-held assumptions and discount those that inhibit curiosity and creativity; listen to each …

Read more

The Work of Leaders

by

Creating value is the work of leaders.  It’s a perpetual challenge, involving the preservation of key customer relationships, the constant quest for innovations, and the relentless pursuit of quality, productivity and sustainability, all simultaneously occurring in accordance with the company’s culture.  Preserving proactive, strategic customer relationships yields insights about evolving aspirations, goals and needs, which enable adaptations to ensure that these valuable relationships endure.  Observing and assessing trends from industry or market engagements encourages the curiosity and anticipation …

Read more

Breaking Innovation Barriers

by

  Most organizations pronounce their commitment to curiosity, creativity and innovation; yet the reality is that many of these companies can be hostile to the exploration of new ideas. To achieve predictable growth, it is perceived as less risky to pursue operational efficiency through continuous improvement than to challenge the status quo, encouraging the exploration of innovations that might possibly disrupt a stable business. But with most organizations being steadily challenged by changing customer needs, technology …

Read more

Why Innovations Succeed

by

Bob Schultek Author of  The Gauntlet The pursuit of innovation is a vitally important strategy for organizations seeking to accelerate their progress. Companies dedicate significant time, energy and investment to it, often optimizing the efficiency of their innovation process with the goal of improving their success rate. But what if this effort does not improve their ability to predict which innovations will succeed? As Dr. W. Edwards Deming, the renowned quality and management expert observed, every process is …

Read more