Gregg Fraley

I was in France a couple weeks ago and was delighted to help someone learning English. They asked what is the most useful phrase in the language. I knew immediately. The phrase? “It depends.” It’s the answer to nearly any complex question. It buys you time to think, and actually, it’s nearly always true. And of course it allows you to pretend to know something you don’t. So, when I am asked how to begin an Innovation Initiative, the ultimate complex question, this is my answer — it depends. If I know context I can do better than It Depends, but it takes time, effort, and money to know context well enough to give a good answer. What does it

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I’ve been told that the term “Scaffolding” is used in the psychology and education fields. I first heard the term used by my partner with regard to idea generation — and it immediately struck me as a helpful way to look at things. The scaffolding I’m talking about is the kind of structure required to help you arrive at better ideas. Essentially it’s exploration and baby steps for the brain. Let me explain! Breakthrough ideas are rarely the result of logical thinking. Instead, they pop into our brains after we’ve had some time to think about a challenge or problem. Sometimes this process happens in moments. At other times it might take years. Einstein is said to have pondered the

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The New York Times does a very cool thing every year — they publish an amazing list of innovations about to happen –“32 Innovations That Will Change Your Tomorrow.” Not sure which is most interesting, maybe #20, the non-hangover alcohol — now that’s innovation I can appreciate. All kidding aside, beyond the wow factor, this list is an opportunity to do some creative “conceptual blending.” Conceptual Blending is essentially a mash-up of two very different concepts — to create something entirely new. It’s a great shortcut to breakthrough innovation, essentially you “steal” a great idea and make it your own by adapting/combining it to your industry or challenge. You can do it yourself — here’s the drill: Have a challenge

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My partner Indy Neogy at KILN is one of the most brilliant people I know. An MIT trained engineer who is also an MBA from Leeds, he’s both entrepreneurial and a masterful cultural scanner. He’s going to publish a book soon related to cross cultural communication, Where Culture Matters, so, you get he’s a star right? He’s a star — and — he’s an introvert. It’s not a bad thing. We can thank Susan Cain and her recent book Quiet for a new awareness about the value of, and large number of introverts who have a very challenging time with classic group work. Introverts have a great deal to offer the innovation process, and, they tend to be under-utilized resources. On average,

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One of the great things about going to conferences like FEI is the people you meet. Orin Davis might be the most interesting guy I met at the conference. He studied with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi — and yes, knows how to pronounce the name. We got talking and he mentioned the piece below, and asked if he would like to guest post on the blogg. Delighted to present this very practical and well thought out piece on employee happiness (an essential key to innovation). Now, Orin, next guest piece is on hypnosis okay? The following is by Orin C. Davis, Ph.D. One major issue that companies face, especially during a recession, is the perception of having to choose between saving money

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Three Oaks, Michigan, Monday May 7 — Gonzeau Tour Begins I’ve spent a frantic weekend preparing for the Gonzeaux Tour trip to Florida to attend the FEI 2012 Conference*. Two requests for proposal came over the transom on Friday and they required weekend work, and a lot of it. I had hoped for a bit of peace and thoughtful packing prior to what might be a week of cheap hotels, crashing with friends and family, but it was not to be. So, the first leg begins in an hour and I haven’t even packed a bag yet. I do have piles of stuff to take: KILN IdeaKeg boxes, large mural paper, Post-it’s, iPad, iPod, Garmin, pocket knives, sunflower seeds, water,

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I’ve decided to take the battle of Doing Innovation to the streets. Literally. Okay, it’s not a battle, it’s a conversation, but it’s definitely a road trip, and definitely about the Doing. I’m heading down to Orlando, FL to attend the Front End of Innovation Conference (FEI) taking place May 15, 16, and 17. Instead of doing the boring (and convenient) thing of taking a cheap flight from Chicago to Disneytown, I’m opting to drive through the heartland and a bit of the south — I’m going Gonzeaux (“GAWN zoe”) on my way to FEI. FEI is an amazing event, and, wouldn’t it be great if that innovation “conversation” was happening all over? And online? As I Go Gonzeaux I’m going

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Today’s post features Random Notes. Bits and pieces not quite full blog post worthy, but worth telling (hopefully). Random Note #1a. — Scott Anthony is at it again. The Innosight innovation maven has just released The Little Black Book of Innovation, how it works, how to do it. This is not a review — I’ve only gotten to page 53 — but I’m liking the tone. This is good stuff, and I’ll have more to say on this later, but am particularly looking forward to reading about the 28 day program he’s suggesting. Anthony wrote another innovation book that I reviewed awhile back The Innovator’s Guide to Growth. This new book would appear to be less academic and more practically oriented.

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The world is at least one third introverts. Some would say half the population. The people you work with, your family, your spouse, many of these people do not want to have to shout you down to be heard. Creativity has a lot to do with self-expression. If that is not happening with one third of a team there won’t be much productive work or innovation. Collaborative work means people need to be self-expressed in groups with a mix of introverts and extroverts (and as noted earlier this wee, with different creative styles). As Susan Cain has pointed out in Quiet, introverts are often drowned out. Secret Wish #11 is a wish for air time. This is a person, Julia,

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My last blog post, by far, was the most viral piece I’ve written in four years of blogging. Provocative titles and edgy content seem to win readers. And it would appear that creative style is a hot topic. If Steve Jobs Worked For You, You’d Probably Fire Him, is about a concept called Creative Style. Creative style can be measured, there are a couple of great assessments available. One is the KAI (Kirton Adaptor-Innovator Inventory) and the other is FourSight. Creative style is about how you think, how you solve problems. Steve Jobs was probably a high Innovator on the KAI. Innovator’s think “different”, while Adaptors think “better.” And listen carefully —both are creative. Edison was thought to be a

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