Newsletter Archives
An Optimistic Look at an Ugly COVID-19 Forecast
As whole fish cooked on the fire at the Beach Bar in Ohio a few nights ago, the conversation, as it’s prone to do this summer, turned to COVID-19. Earlier in the day, a Doctor who is part of national efforts to address COVID-19 told me that the group he is a part of...
Books Worth Reading This Summer 2020
Books Worth Reading - Summer of 2020 I recently cleaned my book shelves in my office. In the process I found some “gems” of books that I’d bought and never gotten around to reading. Here’s some I strongly recommend reading this summer. Never...
2020 Beach Bar Cocktails
Beach Bar Cocktails - Summer 2020 A GREAT Cocktail is an escape from the world of same old same old. It’s an exquisite sensation that stops time - sparks delight - and demands to be sipped not gulped. Here are the cocktails I’m making, serving and...
Why I’m Starting a New Blog
Over the past 3 months an urge has grown within me to take a fresh direction with my writing. That’s another way to say “an urge has grown within me to take a fresh direction with my thinking.” You see, for me - writing is how I do my deepest thinking....
True Front End & Back End – Drives Innovation Success
Yesterday I did a webinar for the P&G Alumni Association. It featured three P&G Alumni doing amazing things to help with COVID-19. John Milander - Respirator Invention - Andi Grudgeon - Face Shield Production - and myself for our work with...
2020 VS. 1986
2020 has me thinking on how things have changed in the 34 years since I founded the Eureka! Ranch.
In 1986 Consumer Products were the thought leaders of innovation and the focus was on creating line extensions, category segmentations and gurus.
In 2020 the thought leaders are more varied with industrial, medical, CBD/THC, services, internet, artificial intelligence, and banking all focused on innovation.
TODAY there is a focus on BIGGER, BOLDER, PATENTABLE WOW Innovations.
Leaders are looking for meaningfully unique innovations that enable them to change the profitability of their industry and or their business model. It’s the time of Capital “I” Inventing instead of small “i” incremental changes.
TODAY there is an urgency for Systems for ACCELERATING Ideas to Market
Having focused on the “front end” of innovation – executives are frustrated with how long it takes to get ideas to market.
TODAY there is a NEW TREND TOWARDS ENABLING EMPLOYEE Innovation.
Leaders are tired of renting an “Innovation Guru.” They are asking for coaching, education and tools to enable their people to think faster, smarter and more innovatively. To support this we’ve rebuilt our curriculum and tools to work for all levels of employees through independent Apps or the companies existing LMS Platform.
“911 Emergency” Innovation Speed
Real life event last Thursday. It started with an early morning call with a client in Europe. She had an emergency need for ideas and Market Research Data Today.
Completed inventing session with another client at 1:00 pm.
During the drive to the Airport organized experts and testing resources.
2- 4:pm: Wrote Six Concepts with ideas and advice from Experts
4pm: Designed questionnaire using advanced Innovation Engineering Rapid Test System
4:15pm: Uploaded concepts for Testing
4:30pm: Test in the field and headed to gate to get on plane back to Cincinnati
7:30pm: Plane landed. Test is complete. Opened computer in car (someone else was driving) and reviewed test results from 400 base equivalent test. Outstanding scores. Started draft of report
8:15pm: Home. Hugged wife and enjoyed a Cocktail with her – mine was an Embassy made with our Old Dexter Whiskey 🙂
9:15pm: Finished final report
9:45pm: Emailed final report to client in Europe to review when she wakes up
6:00 am email from client – “WOW this is so helpful.” Client does meeting to present findings
All good
This my friends in what we mean when we say increased innovation speed and decreased risk
If you have an innovation, marketing, product concept and or testing emergency give us a call. 24/7 we can get it resolved.
IMPORTANTLY – this is not a random event – YOU CAN AQUIRE the SKILLS AND TOOLS to work at this speed all the time.
Giving Thanks for tastes & Smells
This morning as I exercised my mind wandered to a dear friend Scott Macaulay – who passed away from cancer way to soon. In his last year of life he spent time really noticing smells, tastes, sights and sounds. I remember him commenting on the aroma and flavor of a cocktail sauce we were putting on some fresh Prince Edward Island Oysters.
A Millenial in Athens Greece Opened my eyes this week
The past few days I’ve had the honor of speaking at the Singularity University event in Greece. Greece’s role in the creation of democracy is well known. It gave power to the people.
After one of my talks a young lady came up to me and said “I’m seeing a difference in your approach versus others. Most business people believe that company success comes when the workers engage. Your approach is to enable the workers to be successful with innovation and because the workers are successful the company is successful. The end purpose is the same but your method is the reverse.”
Her words were simple but so insightful. I suddenly made the connection to what Dr. Deming taught my father back in 1979 “94% of the problem is the system – 6% is the worker”.
Dr. Deming knew that the foundation of success lay in enabling the works. Today the Innovation Engineering movement enables workers with the training, tools and methods they need to think smarter, faster and more innovatively.
Dr. Deming and Innovation Engineering are about Democratizing thinking. Countries don’t invent. Companies don’t invent. Only the people can invent the kinds of smarter work systems, products and services that are needed to transform the success trajectory of companies.
This was especially top of mind for me as we are about to announce a transformational change in how we teach and enable employees to think smarter, faster and more innovatively. To learn more sign up for our 7th annual Global Innovation Engineering conference by clicking here
nothing beats being on the front lines
Nothing beats - seeing, feeling and experiencing on the front lines. If you are working on an innovation my advice is to make some, sell some and learn a ton! This past Saturday we opened our Brain Brew Distillery at the Eureka! Ranch just outside of...