Innovation Weblog

Supercharge your mind mapping skills in 2009 by adopting best practices

With your business and career facing bigger challenges - and opportunities - than ever in this new year, now is the time to adopt mind mapping best practices to improve your productivity and creativity. One of the best sources for this information is my popular Power Tips & Strategies for Mind Mapping Software e-book.

Here are some of the things you’ll learn from this invaluable resource guide:

• How can you use visual maps to manage and conquer information overload?
• How can you use it to handle common business tasks?
• What common mistakes should you avoid when creating mind maps with software?
• How can you use visual maps to clarify your thinking and planning?
• What is the correct amount of detail to put into a visual map?
• Why is it important to use color, icons and topic formatting consistently?
• How can you avoid “map shock” when sharing your maps with colleagues and coworkers?
• How can you ensure that your maps communicate clearly?

It also contains over 20 case histories, where real users of mind mapping software explain how they create effective visual maps. Topics covered include:

• Writing a business proposal
• Strategic thinking
• Planning projects visually
• Managing process improvement
• Total life to-do list

Power Tips & Strategies for Mind Mapping Software contains a wealth of proven tips and strategies that will help you to be more productive and creative in 2009, and to meet your challenges head on!

Click here to learn more and purchase this valauble resource.

A metaphor as a creative 'bridge'

Val Vadeboncoeur, writing in The Heart of Innovation Blog, takes a fascinating look at metaphors, and what makes them so powerful. Did you know that the root meaning of the word "metaphor" means to "transfer" or "carry over?" In other words, it's sort of a "thought bridge" that connects images with meaning, right brain with left brain. Metaphors are powerful creative thinking tools, and I strongly urge you to utilize them to gain new perspectives on your challenges and ideas.

In a more practical sense, metaphor help us to structure what we think, hear, say and do, which makes them powerful tools for connecting with the deepest needs and wants of your target customers. See Val's thought-provoking post for more details! 

New continuous innovation model helps organizations understand how to make innovation sustainable

Paul Williams, author of the Think for a Change Blog, recently announced the availability of a new Continuous Innovation Model, which helps executives to better understand how to make innovation more successful and repeatable. Many executives are looking for one model, process, tool, technique or best practice guide that will help them to catalyze their innovation programs and drive success. But, as Paul explains, continuous innovation can only be achieved by the right combination of these elements:

"Innovative companies understand that individual or special programs such as continuous improvement, brainstorming sessions or creativity training do not make the organization innovative. Rather, the collection or portfolio of these initiatives, wrapped within a well supported climate of innovation, results in an organization loaded with skilled and passionate people who strive to make innovation a part of their daily mind set," he explains.

This model, which is depicted as a loop, depicts a set of processes, tactics and assessments that will increase your odds of getting your innovation management program started in the right direction. This looks like a worthwhile model. What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

Selling top management on innovation: Are you ready to handle objections?

If you've ever done sales, then you realize that the real selling process begins after the first "no" from your prospect. In other words, you must be prepared to counter your prospect's objections to the sale. James Todhunter, writing in his Innovating to Win blog, reminds us that as innovators, we're very likely to encounter "no" when pitching our innovation initiatives to our company's leadership.

In this thought-provoking post, Jim lays out four common objections, and the counter-arguments for innovation:

• "No, we don’t have the budget to pursue your idea."
• "No, I can’t justify the expenditure."
• "No, it simply can’t be done."
• No, this is the way it’s always been done. Why change?"

This is definitely a topic that is worthy of further exploration and discussion. I suspect that most innovation managers need training in how to handle objections - or at least how to package their innovation proposals to increase their odds of success!

The Parable of a Beautiful Town inspires with advice on how to cultivate ideas and innovations

Steve Swann, author of the ThinkingHow blog, has written a marvelous little story called The Parable of the Beautiful Town that is an allegory to the way in which many successful companies tend to lose their way - they forget that the basis of their current success is largely due to previous ideas and innovations, and cut make indiscriminate cutbacks that harm their future success.

This story isn't all doom and gloom, however - it actually ends on a hopeful and inspiring note, with the mayor and the townspeople once again finding their way back to success. (I don't want to spoil your experience of this terrific parable, so I'll stop here and let you read The Parable of the Beautiful Town).

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