July 11, 2008

Seeing beyond your expertise

I have not yet read this book but have skimmed it.  The basis of the book is around a common tool used in ideation called "medici".  The concept is to randomly combine ideas to create new ideas that you would have never come up with.

It's all about using randomness to get us out of a rut - to explore the unknown and to look beyond the obvious.

Posted by philmckinney at 6:30 AM | Comments (0)

July 8, 2008

For the visual thinkers out there ...

 

I was sent this book from a business associate and I love it!!  I'm a visual thinker and always looking for books, tools, etc to help take complex subjects and convert them to something that anyone can understand.

As I've said many times -- where most great ideas fail to gain traction is in the ability of the champion to "tell the story".  This book is a great tool to helping you build and present the story.

Posted by philmckinney at 6:47 AM | Comments (0)

February 25, 2008

Innovation To The Core

 

I recently got this book (still reading it) and think it would be a good read for those of you struggling with getting your management teams to "get it" .....

Some comments/review by others ....

If you're like most business leaders, innovation now tops your corporate agenda. But despite all the talk and excitement about the importance of innovation, managers have so far found scant help for innovating in a systematic way that fuels consistent growth and sustained success.

In Innovation to the Core, Strategos CEO Peter Skarzynski and business strategist Rowan Gibson change all that. They share the accumulated wisdom from Strategos--the consulting firm Skarzynski co-founded with Gary Hamel that helps clients instill innovation into their very core. Drawing on a wealth of stories and examples, the book shows how companies of every stripe have overcome the barriers to successful, profitable innovation. You'll find parts devoted to crucial topics--such as how to organize the discovery process, generate strategic insights, enlarge your innovation pipeline, and maximize your return on innovation. Frequent hands-on tools--frameworks, checklists, probing questions--help you put the book's ideas into action.

Posted by philmckinney at 2:10 AM | Comments (0)

November 24, 2007

Creativity and Innovation Management Magazine

Aims to give managers insights into innovation within their organization and accelerates the development of creative performance in their staff.

Note:  I have not actually reviewed this magazine.  It was recommended by others.

 

Posted by philmckinney at 9:56 PM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2007

Everyday Creativity and New Views of Human Nature

What is creativity? Is it a force? An innate capacity? A planned process? Who has access to creativity and who does not? Ruth Richards, leading creativity researcher and editor of Everyday Creativity argues against the notion of exclusive creativity, saying instead that creativity a universal ability, accessible to everyone. An innate ability with the capacity to make our lives happier and more fulfilling, an ability that unfortunately for most of us falls by the wayside or is regrettably underutilized and underdeveloped. Richards states, "Everyday creativity is about everyone, throughout our lives, and fundamental to our very survival. It is how we find our lost child, get enough to eat, make our way in a new place and culture...With our everyday creativity, we adapt flexibly, we improvise, we try different options, whether we are raising a child, counseling a friend, fixing our home, or planning a fundraising event."

Posted by philmckinney at 11:47 PM | Comments (0)

November 12, 2007

X-teams: How to Build Teams That Lead, Innovate and Succeed

Much of the literature you read on building teams in the workplace deal with the internal interactions of the group... how they get along, building morale, etc. Deborah Ancona and Henrik Bresman offer up a different take on team success in the book X-teams: How to Build Teams That Lead, Innovate and Succeed.  The most noticeable difference between the conventional team and the X-Team is the focus of their activity... external. Instead of spending time waiting for the team to gel and feel secure, waiting for the rules and directions to be established, Ancona and Bresman advocate for an external focus. Get out in the field immediately and start talking to the potential customers and clients. This tilt towards immediate action may well lead to a moderate level of confusion and frustration on the team in the early days, but the net result is a quick start and insights that can't be gleaned from existing knowledge. Couple this with active "ambassadorship" and flexible membership and team roles, and things get done rather than just being talked about.

Posted by philmckinney at 12:17 AM | Comments (0)

November 9, 2007

Soundz of Spirit - DVD

Unlike any other hip-hop documentary to date, Soundz of Spirit is a riveting feature-length documentary film that explores the relationship between the creative process and spirituality in hip-hop culture.  The documentary captures artists in their moments of inspiration and takes in-depth looks into their creative process, from conception to completion. While many of the artists featured hail from the West Coast’s underground scene, all of them are fiercely independent creative forces, and their contributions toward elevating hip-hop to a truly revolutionary worldwide movement is brilliantly showcased.

 

Posted by philmckinney at 9:02 PM | Comments (0)

November 7, 2007

Creativity, Comprehension & Contemplation (Gamma 40 Hz Ambient Meditation)

Brainwave Sound Solutions presents the 60 minute Gamma 40 Hz entertainer, designed to improve creativity, comprehension, and higher contemplation. Gamma is a high frequency band of brainwave activity, and corresponds to a Schumann resonance band at 40 Hz. Many scientists, including Nobel Laureate Sir Francis Crick, believe that brainwave activity at the gamma level may be key to the act of cognition. Gamma rhythms appear to help facilitate integration of information from brain centers involved with learning, memory, thought generation, and task processing, modulate consciousness and perception, and help combine multiple sensory inputs into single, unitary objects that we perceive.

Posted by philmckinney at 9:51 PM | Comments (0)

November 3, 2007

The Innovative Leader: How to Inspire Your Team and Drive Creativity

 

The Innovative Leader stresses the importance of innovation and creativity in modern business to help organizations secure competitive advantage over rivals. It shows how to apply methods of innovation and creativity to the individual, to business peers, and to the organization. Author Pual Sloane demonstrates the importance of setting out your vision clearly and emphasizes the need for continual evaluation of the process. Numerous international examples illustrate how organizations such as Virgin, Body Shop, Disney, and 3M have benefited from this approach, encouraging excellence and entrepreneurship through challenging goals that keep employees motivated and engaged.

Posted by philmckinney at 12:25 AM | Comments (0)