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The Innovation Blog

Let's not confuse good brainstorming with the new "Groupthink".

Posted by Jay Terwilliger on March 22, 2012

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Topics: creativity, Jay Terwilliger, Ideas, groupthink, Collaboration, brainstorming

When Do You Come Up with Your Best Ideas?

Posted by Creative Realities on October 6, 2011

Newton did it lounging under an apple tree.  Archimedes did it soaking in a bathtub.  Einstein did it while shaving.  Those are the settings in which these great minds did their best thinking (at least according to legend).  The common theme is that they were in the state of relaxed concentration.  Rather than sit at your desk hammering away at a problem, it is often wise to let your mind wander.  In his terrific book The Element Sir Ken Robinson describes the process: 

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Topics: Chris Dolan, creativity, Ideas, Relaxed Concentration, creative thinking skills

Selecting an Idea for Newness, not Feasibility

Posted by Creative Realities on September 14, 2011

We tell our clients to select an idea first for newness, second for appeal, and last for feasibility. Why? Because real breakthrough innovation has to have a very high level of newness owing to the fact that newness cannot be built in to an idea. The newness of an idea can and will only move in one direction, it’s a fleeting thing. Appeal is important for traction but doesn’t have to be widespread (it won’t be if it’s truly new, people are afraid of what’s new). Moving an idea forward requires support and to get that initial support some amount of appeal is a necessity. Feasibility, unlike Newness, can be built into an idea via some well-managed creative problem solving (that’s another post). By beginning with a high level of newness, a acceptable level of appeal, and a moderate-to-low sense of an idea’s feasibility, you can end up with an idea that scores high on all three spectra, sacrificing only a minimal amount of newness in improving the feasibility. Then you’re on your way to real breakthrough innovation!

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Topics: creativity, Clay Maxwell, Ideas, bizinovationist, newness, feaasibility, appeal

Top Retweets for July 2011

Posted by Creative Realities on August 5, 2011

Bon Friday to our favorite blog readers!

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Topics: Chris Dolan, Clay Maxwell, Ideas, Amanda Hines, David Culton, Twitter, Innovation

Top 10 Innovation Tweets from April 2011

Posted by Creative Realities on May 18, 2011

In case you missed them, here are our picks for the Top 10 Tweets for the month of April (a slight twist on Top 10 Retweets, but isn't that what innovation is about, change?)

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Topics: Chris Dolan, Clay Maxwell, Ideas, Amanda Hines, David Culton, Twitter, Innovation

Innovation Ad-Libs

Posted by Creative Realities on April 4, 2011

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Topics: creativity, Ideas, Amanda Hines, divergent thinking, DIY, Innovation

Creativity – Innate Capability or Learnable Skill?

Posted by Creative Realities on February 16, 2011

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Topics: creativity, facilitation, Clay Maxwell, Ideas, Innovation, brainstorming

Innovation Nightmares: Killer Questions, and How to Get Around Them

Posted by Creative Realities on February 9, 2011

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Topics: creativity, Clay Maxwell, Ideas, questions, Innovation, Collaboration, brainstorming

Defining Innovation

Posted by Creative Realities on January 7, 2011

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Topics: creativity, Clay Maxwell, Ideas, Innovation, implementation, execution

Happy New Year!

Posted by Creative Realities on December 30, 2010

As we mark the passing of yet another year, we thought it would be fun to share with you some interesting trivia tidbits on the history of New Year's Eve and traditions associated with it (courtesy of www.2020site.org):

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Topics: Ideas, Future, trivia, Innovation