This blog is all about making product developers, managers, and innovators more successful and their organizations successful with them. As I do each week, below is a roundup of articles around the web with insightful product development, management, and innovation practices, tips, and examples – and sometimes controversial ideas.

Around the Web

3 reasons innovation initiatives fail. “Those of us who’ve been through these realize pretty quickly that most of these initiatives fall short. In the worst cases, they leave a bad taste that allows employee cynicism to fester, the exact opposite of what business leaders and managers hope for.” Read more from Burlington Free Press http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/money/2014/08/28/innovation-initiatives-failing/14698691/

Implement innovation like Indiana Jones. “Indiana Jones is able to accomplish these goals through a variety of strategies. His memorable advice from the movie can also help you achieve your innovation goals.” Read more from Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/chriscancialosi/2014/08/25/how-to-implement-innovation-like-indiana-jones/

Questions to consider for evaluating a product concept and the front-end back-end dilemma. “Market size, consumer insights, competitive pressure, business model, and return on investment are just the beginning of the factors that should be assessed before moving the concept forward to pilot.” Read more from Innovation Excellence http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2014/08/24/spotlight-on-the-back-end-of-innovation-will-you-ask-the-right-questions/

A history of Open Innovation and what to do today. “In order to understand the context for open innovation we must first understand corporate intent and the distinct open innovation solutions that emerge from it.” Read more from B2C http://www.business2community.com/business-innovation/making-open-innovation-stick-0982879

Know the reasons why big companies struggle with innovation and what to do instead. “And, the bigger the company gets, the more risk averse it gets, regardless of whether or not the company had innovation wired into its original DNA as a high-flying startup from years before.” Read more from Next Web http://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2014/08/22/big-companies-struggle-innovation/

Using “alpha games” to create viable product concepts. “The Alpha Games is a one-day event, always on a Friday. For several weeks in advance, the walls at SkyTouch’s Phoenix headquarters are filled with Hunger Games-like movie posters encouraging employees to brainstorm ideas and form teams that will come together on that day to bring the ideas to life.” Read more from CFO http://ww2.cfo.com/growth-strategies/2014/08/let-innovation-games-begin/

Get everyone involved in innovation. “’Innovation does not happen by accident,’ said Stein. ‘It happens because you stimulate the flow of innovation inside the company.’”  Read more from Economic Times http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-08-28/news/53324582_1_innovation-defence-technology-rollsroyce

4 key indicators for innovation. “Over the past few weeks I have been interviewing staff and members of a few organisations, in an attempt to discover more about what innovation means for them.” Read more from Innovation Excellence http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2014/08/27/four-signs-youre-working-innovatively

 

 

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