In-noun-vation
I'm not trying to coin a new term... It's just a catchy headline for what I call "the nouns of innovation." We were taught early that a noun is a person, place, or thing. I use this model to describe the [...]
How to Be Different: “Zag!”
You probably know Marty from his book "The Brand Gap." In his book "Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands" Marty teaches us how to create and harness the power of differentiation in a cluttered marketplace. Who: Marty Neumeier What: [...]
Avoid Problems By Preventing Them
An excellent way to solve problems is by not letting them happen in the first place through prevention. Prevention is why we bring our cars in for maintenance, visit our doctor for an annual exam, and have a mid-year check-in with [...]
Bricks, Walls, Cathedral
I'm always looking for techniques to help be a better problem solver - specifically, ensuring I'm solving the right problem. (The last thing you want to do is spend time fixing the wrong thing). One method is to examine your problem [...]
Finding Answers by Understanding Problems: When You Get the Problem, Solutions Just Appear
After a long flight and taxi ride, you reached the door of your beach rental. Instead of a typical metal key, the renter provided some sort of key-FOB. Is it magnetic? Does it have a chip? No matter what you try, [...]
Unlocking Innovation: Focusing on the Process, Not the Product
In our increasingly competitive world, innovation or "re-imagining" is hailed as the key to success in nearly every field. But what if our conventional understanding of innovation is fundamentally flawed? What if innovation isn’t something you do but something that happens [...]
Solve Problems in Three Steps
I love cheat sheets... pages, charts, process flow, lists that chop complex ideas into small chunks. The following is adapted from a design process presented in the endnotes of Seth Godin's book "Free Prize Inside." This works extremely well for problem-solving, [...]
How To Use: “The Magic of Thinking Big”
The Magic Of Thinking Big by Dr. David Schwartz inspired me so much... I have to share parts of it with you. The slides below include lessons found throughout the book. In short, the book teaches: The size of your success [...]
Creativity & Magic Secrets Revealed
We view those blessed with the gift of creativity with awe. Their imaginative ideas and creative problem solving skills surprise us - the way a good magician works. How did he do that? We’re left amazed and ooo-ing and ahh-ing. Creative? [...]
Creating Ideas: Think The Way You Think
Do you sometimes wish you had an easier way to organize or gather your thoughts? Ever been working on a presentation, proposal, or to-do list and didn't know where to start or where you were going to go? A map would [...]