October 2004
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Volume 1, Issue 5
| Contents An Innovation Commons Innovation Profiles Ideation Brainstorming Software New Product Development Simulation Game New Lovitt Listening Inventory Instrument New Blog Entries The Innovation Road Map Magazine V1, N3&4 |
 Innovation Commons If our bodies are survival machines for the genes within us, that does explain a lot of human behavior. Some individuals kill, steal, rape, dominate and otherwise consider only their own survival and well being. But, on the surface it does not seem to explain other, higher forms of human behavior – altruism, care for others, cooperation, collaboration and other humanistic traits we have. The Selfish Gene, The Moral Animal and The Origins of Virtue address this issue from various viewpoints and offer at least two different perspectives. In addition they provide an insightful look at human behavior in general, and worthy of your study From "Creating an "Innovation Commons" The Innovation Road Map Magazine V1, N3&4 Articles Creating an "Innovation Commons", Paul Schumann The Strategic Context of Education in America: 2000 – 2020, David Pearce Snyder, Gregg Edwards and Chris Folsom I-TRIZ: The Next Big Thing?, Yoni Mizrachi Innovation Profiles: Results of Survey, Paul Schumann Defining Innovation, Paul Schumann How to Make Relationships Work, Perry A~ Being Innovative, Ben Botes Hope is Not for Sissies, Doug Lipman Creative Productivity, Paul Schumann Book Reviews Ripples from the Zambezi: Passion, Entrepreneurship and the Rebirth of Local Economies, Ernesto Siroli, Review by Paul Schumann Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution, Howard Rheingold, Review by Paul Schumann Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology, Henry Chesbrough, Review by Paul Schumann The Globalization of Nothing,George Ritzer, Review by Futures Survey Leading the Revolution: How to thrive in Turbulent Times by Making Innovation a Way of Life, Gary Hamel, Review by Paul Schumann Where Have All the Intellectuals Gone?, Frank Furedi, Review by Brendan O'Neill Go to the magazine. |
| Creating
an Innovation Commons To make the next step in our organizations and societies, we need to develop cooperation within ever widening systems. And, if we are ever to develop "innovation commons", we must master cooperation and trust. An "innovation commons", calling on the old idea of a common pasture for a town where all the residents could graze their animals, is a place where ideas can exist, like the early molecules in the primeval sea, free to combine and reproduce to create even more complex ideas. A place where the stability of the complex ideas can be tested and their survival gauged. "Innovation commons" will be required to foster the trans-disciplinary innovation necessary for the merging of information, biological and nanometric technologies on our horizon. "Innovation commons" are needed now to handle the sociopolitical, economic and demographic problems we face amidst growing partisanship and yes, even hatreds. And, we must assure that we don't fall prey to the "failure of the commons" where an individual or entity exploits the commons to the detriment of all others, and eventually themselves. An article describing some of the principles of an innovation "commons" is available now in the current edition of The Innovation Road Map Magazine. These principles are based on recent findings about our social behavior. You can obtain a copy of the article by subscribing to the magazine ($29.95 per year) or by purchasing the individual article ($4.95 ). Or, if you are interested in participating in some online dialogue about the concept, you can get it for free by sending Paul Schumann an e-mail requesting the article and agreeing to participate in the discussions. Innovation Profiles We have been working with clients with an Innovation Profile concept and assessment instrument for a number of years. It was one of the key elements of our book, Innovate!, McGraw-Hill, 1994. (The book is now woefully out of date.) The basic idea behind in the innovation profile concept is that innovation can be classified into two types. We called one type - Class. The class of innovation denoted how large a change from the past the innovation represented (incremental, distinctive or breakthrough). The other type we called Nature. The nature of innovation denoted the type of activity within an organization the innovation represented (product, process and procedure). The combination of these two types of innovation creates a nine-element matrix. Our contention is that it is the pattern of these nine types of innovation that determine how successful an innovation effort will be. If that pattern creates competitive differentiation and creates value for customers, the innovation effort has a high probability of being successful. We also contend that rarely today's environment is a single type of innovation successful. Several types must be combined together to create real value and market acceptance. Our assessment instrument is based on values or priorities within an organization. We link these values to the innovation profile likely to result from an organization with that specific set of values. We have been successful in using these models and tools inside organizations either in workshops or in consulting. The purpose of this survey was to test the models more broadly and see if they are applicable across a broad range of organization without a working knowledge of the culture within the organizations. The preliminary results of this survey indicate that our assertions were correct. The innovation profile assessment instrument detected differences between industries and between organizations in the same industry. It also detected differences between functional areas, such as general management, IT, training and product development, and uncovered a potential significant difference between product developers and general management. General managers knew what type of innovation they wanted whereas product developers were unfocused. It also noted differences in attitude relative to innovation depending upon the size of the organization, the amount of revenue, length of expereince, length of service with the present organization or position within the hierarchy. The preliminary results of the survey are available in the next edition of the Innovation Road Map Magazine. If you subscribe now, you can get the report ($29.95/year). Also, if you complete the survey, you can obtain a copy of the survey results plus any additional findings. You can also purchase a one-time use of the survey by going to purchase survey. In addition to getting a copy of the preliminary report, you will get an analysis of the innovation profile for your organization as well as scenario describing how your organization likely develops innovation ($195.00). Take the Survey Ideation Brainstorming Software Ideation Brainstorming implements a simple 5-step process for solving problems using I-TRIZ -- an expanded, enhanced, and restructured version of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ): 1. Define the problem-solving objectives 2. Formulate tasks 3. Generate ideas 4. Develop solution concepts to bring the system closer to ideal 5. Evaluate solution concepts and tackle subsequent tasks This easy-to-use software contains 140 "operators" -- proven innovation axioms that have been successfully applied throughout the history of technology, as documented in patents and other descriptions of inventive achievement. The Ideation Brainstorming operators are organized to help you:
New Product Development Simulation Game This CD ROM based game allows users to:
New Lovitt Listening Inventory Instrument Find out how skilled you are at listening with the Lovitt Listening Inventory and his book Who's Listening Anyhow?, (Order now - Inventory $9.95, Book $34.95, Combination $44.95) Find Our More! New Blog Entries October An Innovation Commons |
| Paul
Schumann Editor & Publisher The Innovation Road Map Newsletter 4512 Autumn Leaf Hollow, Austin, TX 78731 PO Box 26947, Austin, TX 78755 512.302.1935 Visit The Innovation Road Map Web Site |