“You can get 12 months of work done in 11 months but you can’t get 12 months of work done in 12 months.” Please re-read the above sentence. At first glance, it doesn’t make any sense. Upon reflection, however, you may come to see the wisdom embedded within the statement. If you are constantly working,…

Innovation requires risk. Risk, by its very nature, implies an element of failure. But nobody–most especially companies and corporations that must stay profitable to remain in business–enjoys failure. This leads to a paradoxical situation: Everyone recognizes the importance of innovation but few are willing to pay the real price (i.e. occasional failure.) What then is…

“Sometime over the next decade your company or organization will be challenged to change in a way for which it has no precedent.” –Gary Hamel in The Future of Management Most companies and organizations claim creativity and innovation hold the keys to future success. As a business forecaster, futurist and change management professional, I agree….

Last year, in a survey of global CEO’s, it was said that creativity and innovative thinking would be the most critical skills of the future. As a futurist and business forecaster, I agree. It’s a cliche to say we need “to think outside the box” but I want to share with you just two ideas…

I’ve written about the importance of getting a “reverse mentor” on numerous occasions. I recently happened upon this article highlighting Tesco’s decision to create an advisory board of children ages 9 to 12. To be sure, the board’s directive is focused on a narrow area but the idea of tapping into the creative energy of…

What if we could end childhood diabetes, fight world poverty and engage in a more sustainable form of agriculture just by tricking our taste buds? Sounds farfetched–if not impossible–doesn’t it? After watching this insightful TEDx talk by Homaru Canto and Ben Roche, two innovative chefs from Chicago, I think you might have a more open…

Dear Readers: I was recently interviewed on the concept of unlearning by a reporter from The Economic Times. I understand that he’ll only end up using a sentence or two from my lengthy written responses so rather than allow all of my thoughts to languish unread on my hard drive, I thought I’d share them…

The Elements of Style is a small book that lays out the rules for clear writing. Near the end of the book is this brilliant observation: the best writers sometimes disregard the rules.

“To kill an error is as good a service, and sometimes even better than, the establishing of a new truth or fact.” – Charles Darwin Question #9: Who coined the phrase, “The survival of the fittest”? Did you say Charles Darwin? If so, you are mistaken. The honor belongs to Herbert Spencer who first used…

As I have said before, unlearning is the key to creativity. It is also a theme that David Kelley, the founder of design firm IDEO, emphasizes at the Institute of Design — AKA the d.school — at Stanford University. The following paragraph was taken from Innovation 101: … a lot of time at the d.school…