10 tips for successful brainstorming session

When you have a group of people and you need to take their ideas from selected topic I can give you few tips: 1. start with mentioning expected results 2. use existing examples of realized ideas to avake inspiration 3. smile and mention funny ideas from past 4. write down every idea 5. try to include every participant 6. never focus to much only on one/two participants who have most ideas 7. after session send titles of all ideas to participants 8. send your notes to idea creator and ask for details 9. be boring when it comes to get … Continue reading 10 tips for successful brainstorming session

100 posts

I just figured out that I reached 100 post two days ago! I’m still enjoying in writing short posts every once in a while. I hope that someone find it interesting at least a bit as far as I’m enjoying in writing 😉First I was blogging more about interesting innovations and in last months I’m more oriented to innovation management.I can’t promise how this blog will look in next 100 posts as I simply don’t know! Cheers! Continue reading 100 posts

10 ways to achive innovative climate in your organization

Second post from Top10 series: 1. Try to have fun, that’s the right way for creativity. 2. It’s ok to make mistakes, without mistakes, there will be no new ideas as there is a need for lot of ideas to have successful innovation. 3. Fear is your first enemy! Push away the fear from your workplace and innovation can replace it! 4. Promote successful ideas and their creators with brochures, intranet… 5. Try to keep process of idea-evaluation as simple as posible and as fast as posible. 6. Use piece of software for idea generation and evaluation 7. Customers are … Continue reading 10 ways to achive innovative climate in your organization

yugo – what a bad idea

I’ve just read Business Week article where car from Kragujevac was mentioned: “Also, low-priced offerings for lower-income regions often carry a stigma. Even a quarter of a century after the Yugo was introduced as the cheapest car in the U.S., the brand name remains synonymous with shoddy materials and workmanship, and is a reminder that quality is as important as price in industrialized nations.” I remember the times when ‘Yugo goes to America’ was a big story in former Yugoslavia, but soon other stories came back and there were no much time gone, when we watched how Americans make fun … Continue reading yugo – what a bad idea

ideas campaign started in ireland

Open Innovation in Ireland, just read following:“The Ideas Campaign is calling on you, the people of Ireland, to propose solutions that will help rebuild the economy. It’s a grassroots, independent campaign for citizens, by citizens.”Nice way to get new ideas to boost economy (if only my country would do te same)!Many ideas are already out there and I will enjoy whole month to read(campain will finish at end of March).Its great that this concept of open innovation campaign can be spread to entire nation. Well done Ireland!link Continue reading ideas campaign started in ireland

singapore no.1 on inno-report

Newest innovation climate study done by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and The Manufacturing Institute (MI), listed 110 countries according to their Innovation Inputs and Innovation Performance score. This Internation Innovation Index is buid from 6 categories: Fiscal & Other policies, Innovation environment, R&D results, Business performance and Public impact of innovation. Link to studySingapore is ranked 1st, U.S.A. 8th, Japan 9th, while European leadinng innovation states: Sweden, U.K., Austria & Germany are 10th,15th,17th and 19th.Central Europe countries are near each other on the list: Hungary, Czech Rep. and Slovenia are on places 31-33 and … Continue reading singapore no.1 on inno-report

great definition of innovation

I’ve just read the interview with Guy Kawasaki. Inside, there is a great definition of innovation:“Innovation is creating something before people know they need it. The process involves building upon the work of others-a.k.a., “copying,” grinding it out, and deleting what doesn’t work to jump to the next curve. Innovation isn’t a lightning bolt of inspiration in the middle of a muse. More often than not, it’s a process of grinding, cogitating, and doubting. There truly is no shortcut to innovation. Over the course of a career, you come up with dozens, if not hundreds of ideas, and reject most, … Continue reading great definition of innovation

wipo patent filings 2008

For the first tiime on chinese company(Huawei) is on top of the list of patent applicants, while Panasonic & Philips are others on top 3.Other companies in top 10 are: Toyota, Robert Bosch, Siemens, Nokia, LG, Ericsson and Fujitsu. Looking among countries USA, Japan & Germany are followed by Korea, France and China.Countries from Central Europe have following number of patent applications: Slovenia 108, Czech Republic 155, Poland 129, Slovakia 40, Hungary 173 and Croatia 56.Croatia is sadly, only country where number of patent applications is decsreased (from 79 to 56). link Continue reading wipo patent filings 2008

ford’s process & product innovation

When I was a school-boy I watched TV-series about Henry Ford with my father. He was really enjoying it, specially when they show how he made the new manufacturing system or process – the same one on which my mum was working for many years. Brilliant process innovation in the beginning of 20th century. But the thing which was most impresing to us in this days – it was mid of 80’s/last century – was that he made the car that many can buy. I’m not sure how to classify this innovation – it fits the best to product innovation. … Continue reading ford’s process & product innovation

eu inno scoreboard 2008

Innovation Scoreboard for 2008 is published. As stated in this publication, Innovation leaders are: Sweden, Finland, Germany, Denmark and UK. Above EU average are Austria and France and below are Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and all “new” members.Fast growers in catching-ip countries are Bulgaria & Romania. Croatia and Lithuania are ranked as slow growers 😦It is noted that EU is decreasing it’s innovation gap with US and Japan, have a look: link Continue reading eu inno scoreboard 2008

local idea hero in organization

Main roles for the person selected as innovation-driver in organization: 1. well-known in organization as innovation-driver and open for any kind of questions 2. running innovation system and improving it 3. be sure that everyone knows about idea process(how to submit idea) 4. taking care for ideas that waits for any decision for long time 5. knows about each submitted idea and keep an eye on innovation metrics, such as no. of submitted ideas, no. of realized ideas and other metrics + creating new inno.metrics if needed Other roles such as connecting intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs with innovators, can be the … Continue reading local idea hero in organization

10 things you shouldn’t forget

1. write-down your ideas! Every idea has to be written, because it will wipe out from your head 🙂 Later you can give to the written facts new features. 2. don’t be afraid to submit your idea If your company has innovation system, the idea should be submitted through norm innovation process. In a case that you company doesn’t have inno-system, you should inform yourself how your idea can be proposed to someone who can help you to realize it. 3. read Inform yourself everyday with the news from your interests, but also from the topics you never thought about … Continue reading 10 things you shouldn’t forget

mousehunt

I’m addicted to the facebook application = game Mousehunt. This is one of the best applications on facebook and it’s very popular.The firm who launch it is canadian Hitgrab. It’s interesting to see following sentence on their web-site:“I woke up from a dream-like state and had the image of a mousetrap-type game for facebook”, says co-founder of HitGrab Inc, Bryan Freeman.–> It looks like a classical innovation story! Continue reading mousehunt

moleskine owner

Legendary ‘moleskine’ notebook is finally in my pocket. There are already some ideas inside, and I’ll try to fill it quickly. This concept of ‘notebook in pocket’ is well-known tool for generating ideas and thoughts. This was widely used by many great inventors and innovators. I was using some word documents for description of ideas, but this was always extended with every paper I can get when I have idea in bed or when I’m on vacation. This notebook will solve that problem 🙂 Continue reading moleskine owner

melancholy of eastern Croatia

I was very disappointed with the number of attendees at this week’s seminar about patents in my hometown. Let’s say first some facts, the town has 120.000 inhabitants and the region has population of 800.000.If I say that there was only 5 people at the seminar which was free and very informative, that’s enough to see what is the state of economy in eastern Croatia.The lectures and the speakers was excellent and I must say that this was the best seminar that I attend in my life.I would be very happy if I can kick in the head the state … Continue reading melancholy of eastern Croatia

first flushable diaper

The statistics says that disposable diapers make up 4% of solid waste and they are 3rd largest consumers item in landfills. The solution for this problem is using gDiapers –> ok you’ll need maybe a minute more, to change a diaper and sometimes a little bit of time to wash inner or outer parts of diaper, but when you see how the inner flushable insert dissolves in water it will turn your eco-switch on.I’m talking only after reading one article, so please take a look: link I’m ready to try it (but, I’m not sure has my wife the same … Continue reading first flushable diaper