How Leaders F-Up Innovation

When it comes to innovation, most tools, processes and frameworks are prescriptive. They promise, in essence, if you’d just do it right, you’ll always be successful. Somehow despite this, 75% of companies still report that their innovation efforts are not meeting their expectations, 60% of product...

Embracing AI in Innovation

There is no doubt that AI will transform how innovators work, collaborate, and innovate. It will shape innovation itself both in terms of what is created and how it is practiced. AI is creating...

Why Leaders Hesitate: Overcoming Inaction

Leaders are constantly faced with the need to initiate change from addressing small daily issues to capturing major strategic opportunities. They know the consequences of failing to make changes...

Routines Power Business Success

Daily routine meetings are often seen as a time sink with little to no value and can be one of the most disliked aspects of running a business. However, they may also be the most critical system for...

Top Tools to Boost Profitability in Your Service Business

Profitability is the purpose of any business, yet many, both successful or struggling, are challenged to achieve the profits they should have. Here are some strategies I use to enhance my clients’...

INNOVATIONS AT THE 2024 FANCY FOOD SHOW

Almost every booth at the 2024 Fancy Food Show claimed they offered something new, an innovation. But I found most were not more than incremental changes to existing products; new flavors, formats or...

The Need for Speed: The Most Effective Way to Move Quickly is to Make the Right Decisions the First Time

Speed is often touted as a critical factor for success, with businesses of all sizes striving to move swiftly to capitalize on opportunities, stay ahead of the competition and save money. However...

Unlocking Profit: The Case for Hiring a Fractional COO in Small Businesses 

In the world of small businesses, sales performance, efficiencies, structure and product/market fit are keys to unlocking profitability and growth. Yet, many business owners and CEOs find themselves...

How to Fail at Innovation #8:  Believing Users Can Tell You What They Will Buy

Advising against relying solely on consumer focus group feedback in the innovation process can seem counterintuitive at first glance. After all, customer insights are crucial for designing products or...

How To F-Up Innovation #16: Poor Project Portfolio Management

Innovations have no value until they are launched. The most effective way to launch more, and better, innovations is to practice innovation portfolio optimization. The issue isn’t ”if” your company is...

How CEOs F-Up Innovation #14: the Not Invented Here (NIH) Syndrome

CEO’s can F-up innovation both by denying NIH is an issue in their company, and by failing to embrace outside innovations in the innovation portfolio.  ...

Stop Wasting Time On Ineffective Innovation Management Practices

R&D and innovation management executives are always looking to implement best practices that improve their opportunity for success. However, many practices and ‘common-sense’ innovation management...

Inflection Points: when current strategies no longer work

Inflection points manifest in two primary forms: expansion or contraction. However, both signify the same reality; strategies that worked in the past may no longer suffice in the future. Successfully...