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December 29, 2006

The best innovation lessons of 2006

On the Innovation Weblog, Chuck Frey has posted a collection of innovation lessons learned during 2006. This year's version of the survey resulted in a record number of responses from innovators around the world, including several from Saudi Arabia, Russia and Venezuela. One of the best responses in this year's innovation survey came from Darlene Waldmiller of Emedco, who points out that innovation must be everyone's job:

"In order for an Innovation program to work in any company, the innovation process must be a ubiquitous tool for all levels and all facets of the company, from the company maintenance worker to the CEO. No one can be excluded and no one is exempt. Everyone must try to contribute, to think in newly developed ways to incubate creative processes. This is how any company will continue to foster growth and a climate of interdependence.

It can never be us vs. them, whether the "us" is hourly manufacturing workers and the "them" is salaried marketing exempts, or the "us" is the company and the "them" is the competition. We are interconnected and must innovate systematically, utilizing all the parts and making a new engine together. Don't bash the competition, take what is working for them and build on it. Don't brush off an hourly worker's idea as a complaint about working conditions. Take the idea and polish and make it something really worthwhile. Do this together by really listening without judgment. The social interaction and value free considerations are what will really drive your Innovation process to become the force driving your company."

[image: Rene Magritte]

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December 28, 2006

Out of the box innovation

This all started when the Brits came up with the bright idea of Boxing Day... According to the Wall Street Journal (link via Kotaku), "unboxing" videos that promise "vicarious thrills from opening new gear" are all the rage this holiday season. Unboxing videos featuring products like the new Treo 680 smartphone, Microsoft Zune digital media player and the Nintendo Wii game player are appearing on YouTube, on blogs and on popular technology sites. The videos are drawing thousands of viewers, who "want to see what is in the box. Just being told isn't enough..." [The CheapyD video here, for example, has been viewed more than 95,000 times]

The "unboxing" videos are so popular that they have launched a complementary trend: the "teardown" video.

[video: CheapyD gets his PS3]

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Arnold Schwarzenegger: I want to pump you up on innovation

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently outlined a $95 million R&D initiative intended to keep California on the leading edge of innovation in areas such as nanotech, clean tech and biotech. The "Governor's Research and Innovation Initiative" will help create jobs while also preserving the environment. In a statement, Schwarzenegger explained that, "as a leader in developing new technologies, California will reap tremendous rewards for our economy and environment from this investment in our innovation infrastructure."

The governor's R&D initiative focuses on four primary projects:

* The Helios Project at the University of California's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is developing new energy sources, improving energy conservation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions;

* The Energy Biosciences Institute at the University of California, which plans to develop biofuels for use in transportation;

* The California Centers for Science and Innovation, which will work with private companies to conduct research in IT, biomedical and nano technology;

* The Petascale Supercomputer project, which is building the next-generation supercomputer.

[image: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the winner of the Arnold Classic]

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Royal innovation

Mad props to the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, for launching her first-ever Christmas podcast:

"Queen Elizabeth's traditional Christmas speech will be available as a podcast this year for the first time. A download can be ordered in advance for free on the British monarchy's Web site, royal officials said. Internet users can also view the speech online, and a text version will be posted on the royal Web site..."

In the podcast, the Queen discusses the importance of the relationship between generations.

ASIDE: Speaking of the Queen, any bets on Helen Mirren for an Oscar next year for her portrayal of The Queen?

[image: Helen Mirren as The Queen]

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