A few weeks ago, I wrote about businesses, governments, and other organizations as Complex Adaptive Systems. Why is this important now, when complexity science has been around for many years? I’ll start with a quote from Steven Hawking, who said back in 2000, ‘I think the next century will be the century of complexity’. I…
DetailsMost of the start-ups and large global companies that I work with, want to be more innovative. That leads to an interesting question: How are innovations generated? Is it through the work of a lone genius, with the storied ‘A-ha’ moment? Is innovation a personality trait that some people have and some people don’t, or…
DetailsWhere do innovative ideas come from? How can organizations and individuals become more innovative? This is an ongoing question in organizations large and small, from business, to government, to high-tech start-ups. My experience and research in this area have taught me a few things about innovation. First and foremost, innovation is an ongoing daily practice.…
DetailsOver the past few weeks, I have facilitated several brainstorming sessions for high-tech startup clients, mostly focused on defining product ideas for existing IP/technology. I have discovered a process that works very well in leading effective brainstorming sessions. This is in contrast to many of the articles I have read online, most of which tell…
DetailsAre you leading an innovative technology project, where there are components of the project that have never been done before? We often lead projects like this, and we have learned a few tricks that help us deliver these projects on-time and on-budget. Here are our top 5 tips for the week, for managing these projects.…
DetailsMany enterprises are looking for ways to get products out the door faster. In a large organization, it can be difficult to change product development practices. Here are some lessons we have learned:
DetailsOver the past few weeks, I have spoken with directors and executives at a range of organizations, and I have heard one thing consistently: they want to learn how to get the most out of their strategy and planning retreats.
DetailsI recently had the opportunity to be a mentor for the entrepreneurship@UBC program, and I would highly recommend getting involved as a mentor in your local area.
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