A GREAT WAY TO INNOVATE

"A great way to innovate is to take an idea from another place and be the first to apply it in your field.

Take as an example the assembly line. 

Henry Ford (1863 – 1947) is often credited with the innovation of the assembly line in mass manufacturing and he was the first to use it in automobile manufacture.

Ford got the idea from an abattoir. He was impressed with the efficiency of the Swift slaughterhouse in Chicago where carcasses were butchered as they moved along a conveyor.

Ray Kroc (1902 – 1984) adopted the idea and applied it to the restaurant business when he ran the McDonald’s chain. 

He applied the assembly line principle to hamburger preparation and transformed productivity and speed of service in restaurants.

An Indian ophthalmologist, Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy (1918 – 2006), admired the McDonald’s approach and decided to try a similar method for the low-cost treatment of cataracts in India.

He trained paramedics to do 70% of the work required in each surgery freeing up doctors to perform the more demanding tasks. He brought assembly line thinking to the process and reduced the cost of each cataract operation to around $10 (compared to say $1700 in the USA).

In a nut shell, an idea from a slaughterhouse transformed car assembly, fast food restaurants and eye surgery."

[Thanks to innovation strategist Paul Sloane, writing in www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/]

THE INNOVATION ENGINE, by Prof Tina Seelig

I like what I am reading:

“As a scientist, when I do an experiment that doesn't work as I expected, what do I call it? Data.

It’s not a failure.

In fact, some of the most interesting scientific research comes from experiments that have unexpected results.

The key is to look at the things that don’t come out as expected as data that provides interesting clues to what is really happening.

If you are afraid of failure, you won’t try anything new.”

~ Prof Tina Seelig of Stanford University, neuro-scientist and author of 'inGenius: A Crash Course in Creativity';

Here's a nice graphic rendition of the Escher-like creativity model, 'The Innovation Engine', conceived by Prof Tina Seeling by Dilip Mukerjea.

IN HOW MANY WAYS CAN YOU USE A PAPER CLAMP OTHER THAN WHAT IT'S ORIGINALLY INTENDED?

THE ABILITY TO ANTICIPATE THE FUTURE PROVIDES THE BIGGEST COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Interestingly, author-filmmaker-futurist Joel Arthur Barker, has exhorted this line of thought as far back as the 80's, when he wrote his magnum opus, "Discovering the Future: The Business of Paradigms".

In fact, he highlighted two other important forward-thinking aspects: the quest for excellence and the pursuit of innovation.

That was my nascent entry into future studies.

UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF PERTURBATION

I like what I am reading:

“Feeling uninformed is uncomfortable.

Feeling inadequate or under-skilled is uncomfortable.

Feeling like you are going to be exposed for these things is really uncomfortable.

And yet, that’s when our brains respond and our learning accelerates.”

~ Jason Lauritsen, who runs the Talent Anarchy’s consulting practice to build cultures that fuel innovation;

This phenomenon resonates with my understanding of the power of perturbation, an unique feature of our brain, which is an open dissipative structure, drawing on intellectual cues from Nobel laureate Ilya Prigogine.

A SMART ADVISORY FROM TECHNOLOGY FUTURIST DANIEL BURRUS

A Smart Advisory: "To See the Future More Clearly, Think Both/And"

"... We tend to greet innovation with an either/or assumption, either we use the old or the new. 

But this is not an either/or world we live in; it’s a both/and world—a world of paper and paperless, online and in-person, digital and analog, old media and new media...

... When looking at new technology, remember the Both/And Principle and focus on integrating the old with the new to create more value than either have by themselves... "

~ technology futurist Daniel Burrus;

For me, a good example is: I do quick hand-crafted diagramming sketches of salient points, whenever I read/review books and/or online magazine articles in my large ideas scratchpad.

When I need to do presentation, I transcribe some of them into fancy and colourful pieces with the aid of available software-based mapping tools like SmartDraw Pro, MindManager or VisiMap Pro.

Both ways, comprising the old and the new methods, serve their unique purposes.

RAPID CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT...

A Smart Advisory:

"Rapid change is the only constant...

... In the near future, industries will be ruled by technologies that haven’t been invented yet...

... There’s a very good chance that over the next few years we are going to see a revolution in management that is just as profound as the revolution in management that gave birth to the industrial age...

... We literally live today in a world where change has changed... "

~ Gary Hamel, internationally acclaimed management expert and the bestselling author of 'What Matters Now';

[Source: Big Think Edge's 'Manage Change 24/7 with Gary Hamel']

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS EVERY MINUTE OF THE DAY ONLINE

[Source: Educators Technology and Mobile Learning]

IDEAS ARE CHEAP; EXECUTION IS WHAT MATTERS!

An astute observation!

"Performance improvement is blind to the lineage of good ideas."

~ Chris Brogan, CEO, Owner Media Group (dedicated to helping owners grow their business through improving their capabilities and connections), and author of 'Benchmarking for Best Practices';

Ideas, in and of themselves, are cheap. Execution is what matters.

Put it in another way: 

In business, the only thing that matters with an idea is whether it improves your performance.

Where the idea originally came from is strictly academic.

DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTY

I like what I am reading, about the burden of dealing with uncertainty:

"... To create what will be, you must remove yourself from the constant concern for what already is.

As for the uncertainty, accept the fact that it will weigh on you.

Accept the burden of continuous processing.

There’s no shortcut to deep-thinking and crunching through scenarios in the basement of your brain.

It is perhaps the most important personal investment (and sacrifice) we make.

Chalk it up as a burden of leadership.

No matter what your creative endeavor is, uncertainty will be lingering around every corner.

Embrace it and channel it, and you’ll gain the confidence to lead your team down a foggy path that always changes... "

~ Scott Belsky, Adobe's VP of Community, and Co-Founder & Head of Behance, the leading online platform for creatives to showcase and discover creative work; also author of the bestselling book, 'Making Ideas Happen';

A NICE AND YET PENETRATING QUESTION TO PONDER

A nice and yet penetrating question to ponder (inspired by author-filmmaker-futurist Joel Arthur Barker):

"What do I do in my job that I should only do in Hell?"

GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE ABOUT THE FUTURE!

That's right!

In fact, this nice quote of technology futurist Daniel Burrus reminds me vividly of what author-filmmaker-futurist Joel Arthur Barker has said back in the nineties:

"It is the future where our greatest leverage is. We can't change the past, although, if we are smart, we learn from it.

Things happen in only one place - the present, and usually we react to those events.

The space of time in the present is too slim to allow for much more.

It is in the yet-to-be, the future, and only there, where we have the time to prepare for the present."

10 DISRUPTIVE QUOTES FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Here are ten disruptive quotes from entrepreneurs to give you inspiration.

“There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions – in a way that serves the world and you.” 

~ Richard Branson

“If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!” 

~ Richard Branson

"When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor." 

~ Elon Musk

“You have to be burning with "an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right." If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out.” 

~ Steve Jobs

"Great companies start because the founders want to change the world... not make a fast buck."

~ Guy Kawasaki

“Want to change the world? Upset the status quo? This takes more than run-of-the-mill relationships. You need to make people dream the same dream that you do.” 

~ Guy Kawasaki

"More progress results from the violent execution of an imperfect plan than the perfection of a plan to violently execute." 

~ Hubert Humphrey

"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." 

~ Hubert Humphrey

"You can dream, create, design, and build the most beautiful place in the world, but it requires people to make it a reality." 

~ Walt Disney

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." 

~ Dale Carnegie

 [Source: '10 Disruptive Quotes for Entrepreneurs'] 

TOP 10 EUREKA MOMENTS: SHOWER, SLEEP, AND DRIVE

Just like to share another nice article about inspiration friendly times:

'Top 10 Eureka Moments: Shower, Sleep and Drive'

by Gijs van Wulfen, founder of the FORTH innovation methodology and author of the innovation bestseller, 'The Innovation Expedition'.

What is most striking about the finding is that, less than 1% of the eureka-moments happens “in a brainstorm” or “at work”.

founder of the FORTH innovation method and author of the innovation bestseller The Innovation Expedition. - See more at: http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2014/04/20/top-10-eureka-moments-shower-sleep-and-drive/#sthash.lhbZfWgV.dpuf

Gijs van Wulfen

Gijs van Wulfen

Top 10 Eureka Moments: Shower, Sleep and Drive

MINDMAPPING IS JUST ONE VISUAL TOOL!

I have recently commented on the following article:

 'Excellent Visual Featuring The 6 Benefits of Mind Maps',  

appearing in the 'Educational Technology and Mobile Learning' weblog.

"It's important not to get stuck with "mindmapping" as a panacea.

It's just one visual tool.

In today's change-fraught knowledge economy, one's repertoire should be rich and varied as the world around us.

Not all issues, problems or challenges can be addressed from a centralised concept.

Visual tools like causal loop diagram for a systemic view; fishbone diagram for understanding causes and consequences; concept map for a hierarchical approach to appraise superordinate and subordinate data dynamics, just to name a few, should be embraced as part of one's strategy repertoire."

HOW TO STAY ON TOP OF EMERGING TRENDS

Just like to share a beautiful and elegant article on building one's anticipatory prowess, as it touches on the brass tacks of execution. 

'How to Stay on top of Emerging Trends'

by Jorge Barba, who calls himself, a global Innovation Insurgent.

To me, it is much better written - I mean, less abstract - than what technology futurist Daniel Burrus has written earlier, touching in similar vein in his article, "The New Principle of Leadership'. 

BEING AGILE OR STAYING PROACTIVE IS NO LONGER ENOUGH...

I like what I am reading:

"... Being agile or staying proactive is no longer enough in an increasingly competitive global business environment. 

In a world that’s moving at an unprecedented rate, it takes something more:

– the ability to take a sudden burst of insight about the future and use it to produce a new and radically different way of doing things – solving problems, crafting must-have products, creating high-demand services or building new businesses... "

~ technology futurist Daniel Burrus;

You may want to read his latest article:

'The New Principles of Leadership'

Interestingly, he takes his perennial favourite topics, cyclical vs linear, hard trends vs soft trends, for a new spin to convince businessfolks to focus more on building anticipatory prowess as a leadership imperative, instead of harbouring on agility.

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN TO THINK LIKE A FUTURIST

Just like to share a nice piece of writing about discovering and exploring the future! 

'Train Your Brain to Think like a Futurist in 2014'

and I like what I am reading:

"... The rise of Internet of Things, Big Data, and 3D printing is challenging everything we already know.

It’s also accelerating the rate of change and of innovation.

To navigate this future, our thinking has to become as rich and varied as the world around us; a world that demands that each of us is thinking like a futurist."

~ Cecily Sommers, futurist and author of 'Think Like a Futurist';

THE ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS ARE EVERYWHERE...

An astute observation:

"The answers to our questions are everywhere; we just need to change the lens with which we see the world."

~ Janine Benyus, science writer, innovation consultant, and conservationist; better known as the champion of biomimicry;

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A GENIUS

Amusing infographic about what it takes to be a genius!

INSPIRING QUOTES FROM SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL

 A nice selection of fine and inspiring quotes from Sir Winston Churchill:

‘Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.’

‘If you’re going through hell, keep going.’

‘A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.’

‘Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.’

‘It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.’

‘Perhaps it is better to be irresponsible and right, than to be responsible and wrong.’

‘Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.’

‘Play the game for more than you can afford to lose… only then will you learn the game.’

‘Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities… because it is the quality which guarantees all others.’

‘Never, never, never give up.’

RACK YOUR BRAIN FOR A CHANGE II

What do you actually see here?

A FINE LESSON FROM STEPHEN HAWKING

Good Advice, as I like the part, "... work on something else.":

"It is no good getting furious if you get stuck.

What I do is keep thinking about the problem but work on something else.

Sometimes it is years before I see the way forward.

In the case of information loss and black holes, it was 29 years."

~ Stephen Hawking;

DISCIPLINE: THE BRIDGE BETWEEN GOALS/DREAMS AND ACCOMPLISHMENT

I understand that this fine quote attributed to senior statesman Lee Kuan Yew:

"If you want to reach your goals and dreams, you cannot do it without discipline."

is a permanent fixture at the main lobby of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy on the campus of the National University of Singapore.

To me, discipline is the bridge between goals or dreams and accomplishment.

IDEA FRIENDLY TIMES

Just sharing my idea friendly times:  

While living in Singapore and now in Ho Chi Minh City, I get most of my best ideas during:  (in no particular order):

- taking a morning shower after my gym work;

- daydreaming;

- just before sleeping;

- just upon waking up - that's why I always have my ideas scratchpad at my bedside;

- in the middle of the night;

- exercising in the gym, now in Ho Chi Minh City;

- driving my car on the expressway (while living in Singapore);

- walking in my residential neighbourhood during the evenings with my wife;

- taking the MRT train, especially during off-peak hours (while living in Singapore);

- flying, especially on vacations;

- brainstorming with others;

- reading and reviewing a book;

- browsing magazines at a news stand or bookstore or in a public library;

- surfing the net serendipitously;

- taking extended vacations;

- under time pressure, especially when engrossed in a project;

- shaving;

- listening to Classical, Baroque and/or New Age music;

- during the weekends, especially when I am not doing anything in particular;

- working at my work station;

- thinking and pondering;

- attending a training workshop;

- attending business meetings (while working in the corporate world);

- drinking tea with my gym buddies in the cafe, especially in Ho Chi Minh City;

- watching television and chit chatting with my wife;

- talking to friends on the phone or on Skype;

- meditating;

- enjoying my quiet time alone (especially in my private sanctuary a.k.a. personal library);

- hanging out in shopping malls and supermarkets with my wife;

- hanging out with my good buddies in The Wednesday Club (while living in Singapore);

- riding pillion on my wife's Honda two-wheels in Ho Chi Minh City;

RACK YOUR BRAIN FOR A CHANGE

What do you actually see here?

HOW TO GET CONTROL OF YOUR TIME & YOUR LIFE

According to Jon Horton, author of "The 22 Unbreakable Laws of Selling":

"The key to staying organized is to have a calendar and write down everything you need to do,...

Begin each day with the most unpleasant tasks, and cross off tasks as you complete them,...

No activity is too insignificant to merit being written down,..."

He is absolutely right.

I have had the wonderful opportunity to learn and practise it ever since reading Alan Lakein's "How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life" back in the seventies.

THE ART & DISCIPLINE OF ADAPTABILITY FROM AN OLD MASTER

I always enjoy learning from the old masters - to me, they don't simply fade away - who have had contributed significantly to what Singapore is today:

"... Change in the way we learn, change in the way we work, change in the way we play, change in the way we live.

Our ability to quickly adjust/adapt to such changes will determine whether we merely survive or we prosper... "

~ Chan Chin Bock, one of the pioneers of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), with 35 years of meritorious public service from 1964 to 1999 [from 1972 to 1974, as Chairman of the EDB], ending as Chairman of the EDB Consulting Group;

He is also the author of 'Heart Work: Stories of how EDB steered the Singapore economy from 1961 into the 21st century' (2002) as well as 'Heart Work 2 : EDB & Partners ~ New Frontiers for the Singapore Economy' in 2011.

THE POWER OF GOAT SETTING & GOAL ACHIEVING

Here's an inspiring advisory from a celebrated peak performance strategist and success coach:

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible."


~ Anthony Robbins;

Remember US President John F Kennedy's famed speech to Congress on 25th May 1961 in which he made a long range goal in full view of the world?

"... before the decade is out of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely..."

On 21st July 1969, Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to step foot on the moon.

AN INTRIGUING QUOTE FROM STEPHEN HAWKING

I am intrigued by this candid observation of Stephen Hawking:

"I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail.

There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that's a fairy story for people afraid of the dark."

I am afraid this quote may ruffle some of the deeply religious folks.

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS!

A valid observation, especially in today's quicksilver world:

"Just because something worked before, doesn’t mean it will continue to be relevant."

~ Josh Linkner of Detroit Venture Partners, writing at Forbes;

To put it in another way, past performance is no guarantee of future results!

CREATIVE THINKING AND THE BANANA

Our senior statesman Lee Kuan Yew does have a good sense of humour.

Several years ago, when a BBC reporter questioned him about our draconian laws, e.g. banning chewing gums, and added that they could stifle people's creativity, he was quick to respond appropriately, whether you like it or not:

"If you can't think because you can't chew; try a banana!"

LEARNER FOR THE FUTURE: QUICK & POWERFUL

I have recently come across three superb articles on the subject of "Learner for the Future: Quick & Powerful",  which I like to share with readers.



Here are the links:

1) '10 Strategies Quick Learners Use To Pick Up Anything':
http://www.businessinsider.com/strategies-quick-learners-use-to-pick-up-anything-2014-4

2)  '27 Tips For Mastering Anything':
http://www.businessinsider.com/robert-greenes-mastery-2012-11?op=1

3)  '22 Rules For Becoming More Powerful';
http://www.businessinsider.com/robert-greene-the-48-laws-of-power-2013-2?op=1

WHAT'S THE SECRET TO BEING A SUCCESSFUL CEO?

Here's the answer:

"... People always ask me, “What’s the secret to being a successful CEO?”

Sadly, there is no secret, but if there is one skill that stands out, it’s the ability to focus and make the best move when there are no good moves... "

~ Ben Horowitz, British-born American businessman, investor, blogger, and also, author of 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers';

UNDERSTANDING THE GAP

This is an astute observation:

"There’s always a gap between “what I have now” and “what I would like.”

The gap is all of your excuses.

All it takes to close the gap is to be creative and work your way through the excuses.

I repeat: this is ALL IT TAKES."

~ James Altucher, hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, and bestselling author, writing in his blog, 'The Ultimate Cheat Sheet For Dealing With Excuses', and author of 'Choose Yourself';

GREAT LESSONS FROM FIVE OF SILICON VALLEY'S BIGGEST ROCK STARS!

Recently, Colgate University, as part of their Entrepreneur Weekend 2014,  invited five of Silicon Valley's biggest rock stars to speak to its students as well as to host a Shark Tank of sorts, in which three young founders walked away with US$5,000 in funding, as captured in the following video clip.

Panelists included Ashton Kutcher, Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky, eBay CEO John Donahoe, former Yahoo COO Daniel Rosensweig and former Microsoft business development head Tony Bates.



A quick brisk summary:

Ashton Kutcher: "Grit"
Brian Chesky: "Curiosity and a willingness to learn"
Tony Bates: "A willingness to share"
John Donohoe: "Know who you are & discover your strengths"
Daniel Rosensweig: "Bet on Yourself"

INSPIRATION IS FOR AMATEURS...

While reading this fine quote by Pablo Picasso, I am reminded of what renowned American painter, printmaker, and photographer Chuck Close once said:

“The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who'll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration.

Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.

If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work.

All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself.

Things occur to you. If you're sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens.

But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction.

Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive.

You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that's almost never the case.”