Blog
Innovation in Education
Years ago I was invited to a private screening of "Waiting for Superman" where teachers in the audience were free to express their true feelings. This was before I started speaking on innovation in education. What I learned from the teachers in the audience is still a...
The Value of Prototyping in Research and Development
Last week I was the innovation keynote speaker for the James Hardie Research and Development Conference for their scientists and engineers. I normally don't show anyone my first prototype, but I wanted to show how simple prototyping can be, and the value of...
Halloween Innovation
People love the tradition and rituals of holidays. It's a comfortable time of doing something we've always done year after year, and usually involves family and friends getting together for a structured event. It's a time when the uncertainty of life becomes certain,...
Innovation in Nature – Cell Phone Screens
How many times have you tried to use your cell phone in bright sunlight and were unable to see the screen? Thanks to mother nature, that may be a thing of the past. According to the Optic Society, "Reflection is the major reason it’s difficult to read a phone...
Creativity and Problem Solving Through Low Tech
As technology takes over more of our lives, there is one skill a machine just cannot compete with...creativity. According to The World Economic Forum's recently released report, The Future of Jobs, that skill has moved from 10th place in 2015 to #3 in 2020. This is...
Creativity and Problem Solving Top Job Skills for the Future
According to the World Economic Forum's "Future of Jobs Report", creativity and problem solving are listed in the top three skills that employees will need by 2020. Critical problem solving is one of the most important attributes that employers look for in a new hire...
Innovation in Home Care
I was pleased to be the innovation keynote speaker recently at the Rocky Mountain Home Care Conference in Beaver Creek. The topic "Turning Your Employees Into Problem Solvers" was well received by a packed crowd of people in the home care and hospice industry. ...
Innovations in the Fire Industry
Last month I had the pleasure of being the innovation keynote speaker for the Southeast Michigan Fire Chiefs Association on "Fire Industry Leadership in the Age of Disruption". It was an honor to be among so many heroes, and what I didn't know is that 69% of all...
Why Associations Need to Innovate
Associations are a legacy business, like newspapers, and the TV industry. And they have all enjoyed many years of success without being challenged...until now. Early roots of associations could be found in craft guilds, churches, and trading groups. Guilds were...