Why All Work and No Play Hurts Your Organization

September 20, 2011

It’s generally accepted that “playtime” is an important part of childhood development. When kids play, they learn how to form stories and use their imagination, how to make sense of the world around them and how to communicate with others. However, at some point on the road to becoming an adult, playing turns into a restricted activity. Instead of “go play” and “look at them playing, so cute,” teenagers often hear “stop playing around,” and adults are taught that playing is a privilege reserved for weekends – and certainly not something to be done at work.

As adults, what happens when we lose our sense of play? Are we more focused and “serious”? More efficient and productive? Or do we lose the ability to create scenarios and imagine “What if?” Are we stuck using only words, instead of pictures and building blocks, to communicate our vision? Do we forget how to “play nice” with others? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Execution, Methodologies and Tools Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Global Innovation Index – Where’s the Middle East?

September 14, 2011

Why are there no Middle East countries in the top 25 on the Global Innovation Index?

The Global Innovation Index rates countries around the world according to their innovation capabilities. The latest one has Qatar at #26 and UAE at #34. There are no Middle East countries higher on the list. Why do you think this is?

Here’s one thought: A professor at INSEAD (which produces the Innovation Index) was interviewed by TheNational and when asked if Masdar makes the UAE more innovative he said it has to show results first, which could take 10 years or more. Then he goes on to say, “For quick results, you have to have focused efforts like Masdar, but you also need to build the scientific foundation. You need both; it’s not a question of either or.”

Quick results?? 10 years?? Does anyone else think this is not very quick? Also, there is the stereotype again that innovation is only about scientific achievement, and can only be accomplished by tremendous efforts and organizations like Masdar.

I don’t mean to pick on this person or on Masdar. But I think this mentality sends the wrong message about innovation.

What do you think?

Filed Under: Execution Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Reinventing Your Value Proposition with Business Model Innovation

June 20, 2011

Innovation can be a nebulous term – what is innovative to one person may be only clever marketing to someone else. A new technology may solve a problem and bring real value to users, or it may simply be another patent that sits in a drawer – but the company awarded the patent is still called innovative.

With such different definitions of innovation, it is no wonder that organizations are confused about what it is and how to apply it/leverage it/profit from it. It’s also not surprising that the phrase “business model innovation” engenders even more confusion and even fear. After all, if innovative products and services are so hard to conceive of, how can an organization be expected to innovate its business model, its raison d’être? And why should they go to such lengths?

What is Business Model Innovation?

A company’s business model is its plan for creating value, making a profit and differentiating itself from the competition. A business model includes the components and functions of the business, as well as the revenues it generates and the expenses it incurs. Using a business model framework – a way to understand your business model in terms of the complete value chain (customers, partners, suppliers, cost structure, etc.) – can help you better understand who your customers are, what value you provide to them and how you do it.

Click to see full size

Understanding your current business model is the first step to reinventing it using business model innovation. Although a business model is meant to have more longevity than a strategic plan, that doesn’t mean it will remain relevant and optimized forever. Companies should periodically ask questions such as “Who are our customers? What value do we offer to them? How do we do this?” If the answers are different than before it may be time for business model innovation. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Model Innovation, Business Transformation Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Social Networking (R)evolution: How Cyberspace Communication Enables Everyday Collaboration

May 23, 2011

Social networks enable collaborationFacebook has more than 500 million active users, 70 percent of them outside the U.S. Twitter has 100 million users sending 140 million “tweets” (short online messages) a day. Both of the social networks made headlines recently for their role in helping Egyptian and Tunisian protesters organize rallies and stay in communication with one another. But few people know how Facebook, Twitter and other social networks contribute to communication and collaboration every day – not just in extraordinary circumstances, but for business professionals, researchers, educators, innovators and others around the world. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Government Innovation: An Oxymoron?

May 13, 2011

Government Innovation coverThis post originally appeared in TheEDGE

The basic definition of innovation is “to challenge the status quo and constantly promote change.” However, a stable, monopolistic environment doesn’t tend to lead to innovative behaviour, and can increase its bias toward inertia over time — actively preventing innovation to maintain the status quo. We’ve seen this time and again in both the commercial and public sectors.

However, innovation is becoming a core attribute required by public sector organisations to merely keep up with the rate of change in society and develop new ways to deliver services, fulfill public needs, and become catalysts for economic growth. Constant change can be uncomfortable for people used to stable environments, but if we can harness it to drive innovation in policy development, service delivery, and in how we organise and operate the instrumentality of government, it may uncover major benefits and growth opportunities.

To explore this issue, we asked those questions that are in the minds of many people interested in public sector innovation.

Can Governments Innovate?

Governments can innovate, but they do it differently. So the question is not can governments innovate, but how should they go about it? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Innovation, Strategy Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

A 5-step Process for Business Model Innovation

February 20, 2011

Having creative ideas is easy and most people and organizations are not too bad at it. But implementing these ideas and turning them into successful innovations in the market is much harder. This is the domain many companies struggle with.

This is even more so when innovations are not only about products and services only – these can be easily tested and we have many processes, tools and theories at our disposal. When we are talking about ideas and innovations that have an impact on your business and the way you do business as a whole, these “business model” innovations need a distinct process and approach.

Through my research and my work with companies around the world, I have designed a 5-step Process for Business Model Innovation. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Model Innovation, Execution Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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