Gregg Fraley

I don’t watch The Apprentice often, although I will be from now on. (UK version) I watched last night and was astounded by the bad business practices that are rewarded — and the good ones that are not.  It’s a study in bad innovation practice watching these young candidates struggle. So much so that another show could be produced simply to show how it ought to be done! I’ve got an idea for you Sir Alan! The basic premise of the show seems to be about survival.  It makes for good entertainment, but I think Corporate Darwinism does not make for good innovation in the real world. I could write 5000 words on this, and maybe I will later, but

Read More..

Creative inspiration is everywhere you look. When I see something interesting I make an effort to connect it — use it — to help me with some challenge I’m processing. These five dresses were hung up at an open market in High Wycombe. I found them intriguing because of the color, and the diversity of looks (polka dots!), and it was a bit of a nice surprise to turn the corner and see them. The technique is called Forced Association and it forms the basis for many creative thinking tools. It’s not always easy — because you are creating a brand new connection in your mind — nothing may come to you immediately.  If you can’t seem to make a

Read More..

Another foray into London yesterday and happened upon the pub sign for The Old Red Cow. What lesson in creativity and innovation does this simple and creative sign provide us? Combination’s!  The simplest way forward to something new is to combine two or more old things. In this sign they’ve taken the image of the cow and combined it with human effects.  The bowler, the monocle, and the pipe.  Very English!  The contrast in the combinations is what makes this a successful sign. Of course it’s incongruous to see a cow smoking a pipe! That’s what gets our attention. So, if you want to create a new product or service, look around at the elements you have, or can get,

Read More..

One Young World — it almost sounds like a Disney song, all sweetness, light, and hope. It’s not a Disney song — it’s an innovative new non-profit organization dedicated to giving young adults a voice. One Young World intends to allow, for the first time, future leaders to shape the agenda of the world they are stepping into. They’re doing this by setting up a global conference — of 25 year olds! Sounds pretty idealistic doesn’t it? Sir Bob Geldof, Kofi Annan, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu are among those who think so and are actively supporting the effort.  Professor Nick Haysom (United Nations Director of Political Affairs), Carole Stone (Managing Director of YouGovStone) and Elio Leoni Sceti (Chief Executive, EMI

Read More..

Innovation is not just for profit making companies is it? I was attending my first London Bloggers Meetup (LBM) this past Tuesday evening (April 28). Shish, was the hipster place to be, and LBM took over the basement. Kudos to organizer Andy Bargery for finding a cool spot, and, making it more relevant than just blogheads BS-ing about the vagaries of WordPress. The sponsor of the event was the breast cancer charity, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer (FTBC). We should have sponsored them! Credit FTBC for a creative approach to raising awareness and funds. On the way to the meeting I had noticed some striking posters in the tube of Fergie and Jade Jagger, and at the meeting I connected the dots.

Read More..

Okay, so I was wrong. I’ve been saying for about 9 months now that Innovation is holistic. That part is not wrong, I still believe that. What is wrong is saying that companies should not Do Innovation that they should Be Innovation. My point has been that methodologies, tools, techniques and deliberate process are not magic bullets, and, they won’t work without a “feeling” of being innovative all the time. What I was wrong about was to emphasize the Be over the Do. It’s not about one or the other, it’s about both. Companies, leaders, must manage the polarity of doing and being, the yin and the yang of innovation. Yes, you need a cultural Be for an organization to

Read More..

I heard a lecture a few days ago about using Second Life for brainstorming (aka “Ideation”). It was a fascinating presentation by Deigo Uribe Larach who’s done some consulting work with IBM, and others. He made some great points about how the richness of the new media appeals to young people who grew up playing 3D HD games. Okay, it is dazzling, I’ll buy into the program, it will be great for people who like all the bells and whistles, and… Web based systems for virtual ideation have been around for a long time and adoption has been slow. Even the old bulletin boards on CompuServe were used at one point, and that goes back to the early 90’s. Better

Read More..

I did a speech last week in Belgium and it occurred to me the night before that I was missing something. I was doing a two hour workshop on “Holistic Innovation” at CreaWAL in Belgium. I planned to make the point that the current crisis is a huge opportunity.  I planned to follow with a point about the need for Innovators to “worship at the alter of perspective shift” — because I believe that’s where insight happens. Good content I thought, but lacking an emotional connection.  And it came to me in a flash, innovators need a prayer.  The crowd in Belgium seemed to  like it, but judge it for yourself… The Innovators Prayer Dear Lord, please grant me the

Read More..

I’ve been reading, or I should say digesting, Guy Kawasaki‘s new book, Reality Check, the Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition.  I’d suggest a deep red wine while reading, something to complement a meaty book, perhaps a Cotes du Rhone. It’s a book destined to become a classic vintage, a book about being an entrepreneur, written by an entrepreneur, for entrepreneurs. Its content is the nitty-gritty detail of what it takes to make a start up happen and work.  It’s practical, it’s concise, it covers a lot of bases, and yeah, it’s irreverent.  I think irreverent is true, but more accurately, the advice it gives is often not the classic BS (“Bull Shitake”, Guy’s term) you might

Read More..

I just returned from spending a couple days in Liverpool, the city of  The Beatles.  I stayed at the new Hard Days Night Hotel, sleeping below a huge air-brushed portrait of George Harrison. I’ll write more about the hotel, it was, to use a 60’s phrase, a trip. In the meantime, I have a lot of things to say about The Beatles, and their relationship to creativity and innovation. I spent an afternoon at The Beatles Story museum at Albert Dock, which had a great audio tour and memorabilia. The anecdote that struck me was one told by their producer, George Martin. He recounted hearing the first tape of The Beatles and thinking it was awful. Brian Epstein, their manager, was insistent

Read More..