Business Innovation eBook & Definitive Guide on Creativity

Innovation eBook used by 550+ innovative companies worldwide - eBook Best Seller (deployed at Nokia, EDS, J&J, Pepsi, HP, many more...)

Innovation eBook and Definitive Guide is a 212-page collection of over 55 best practices, case studies, and insights on the current state of Innovation in Business at Top Innovators including Apple, Google, Netflix, 3M, Proctor and Gamble, Johnson and Johnson, Toyota, GE, BMW, Deloitte, Frito Lay, IBM, Nike, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Microsoft, Dell, Tata, Intel and more. With pertinent articles from this award-winning Creativity And Innovation Driving Business Blog, this Faculty eBook provides real-world examples on how the Top Innovators innovate and grow their business successfully time and again, especially during economic cycles. Creativity And Innovation in Business is a definitive guide and resource that will help you unblock creativity, uncover and create game-changing innovations, and make exponential business growth a reality.

"I teach Applied Creativity and Innovation for a College near Toronto, Canada. I gave my business students an assignment to work with one of the top 10 innovative companies and to research/report on what makes them innovative, type of innovative challenges, benefits, etc. Your report from the eBook and definitive guide was the primary document that they used for their work." - Business School Professor

Download Now

"1) Innovation and growth is not (just) a fuzzy process of screwing around vigorously (SAV) but can be a systematic process,

2) Innovation and growth is not (just) something that happens in a department like R & D or product development,

3) Innovation and growth is not just about products or solutions - it is about creating a transformational change in the way people live, work and play." - Chapter 26, Erich Joachimsthaler, author of "Hidden in Plain Sight"

Who should buy?

The Innovation eBook and Definitive Guide has been downloaded and used by over 1,000 professionals, faculty and innovators at educational institutions and businesses all around the world including EDS, Ericsson, Center for Sales Strategy, IdeaChampions, Acara Global, Byrne Dairy, Cleveland Clinic, Magpie, DOJ/FBI, HP, Hewlett Packard, Intervista Institute, Fryett Consulting Group, Satellite Shelters, ProductVentures, Speakeasy - a Best Buy company, Jarden Consumer Solutions, Hallmark, Infinium, DeakinPrime - Deakin University, Lucas-TVS, McCann Worldgroup, S.P.Jain Center of Management, Suffolk University, RiCoMan, AmpControl, Craig Rispin, Momentive, Champion Laboratories, University of Phoenix, University of Washington, SFR - Neufbox, Attwood as Edison, Academy of Sport, Ideogenesis, Principled Innovation, Meridian Partners, Ananzi, Tangibility, Syngenta Global, Speedy, The Business Lab, Deloitte, Lane Management, University of California at Irvine, Wharton Business School, Babson University, Larsen & Toubro, Nokia, Credera, Pfizer, Bilkent University, Indian Institute of Science, Bacardi, Chick-fil-A, LG Electronics, Pepsi, J&J and many more.

If you are a marketing executive, information executive, IT executive, product manager, marketer, product marketer, sales operations manager, sales director, sales consultant, business consultant, product designer, brand manager, marketing manager, VP of products, VP of marketing, VP of technology, research & development director, product director, product marketing manager, marketing consultant, brand consultant, innovation consultant, chief innovation officer, engineer, engineering student, business school student, business school professor, technology student, technology consultant, design engineer, consultant, trainer, professor or management consultant - this book and definitive guide is for you! If you are one of the key executives of the company or the CEO, buy this guide for your company!

Download Now

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 - The Top 50 Innovative Companies In The World
Chapter 2 - The Innovation Index - Top 20 Innovators
Chapter 3 - Measuring Business Innovation Success - Key Benchmarks
Chapter 4 - Failures And Stumbles Driving Innovation - Five Takeaways
Chapter 5 - Blocking Creativity And Innovation - Nine Processes
Chapter 6 - Six Ways To Find Innovation - "See with new eyes"
Chapter 7 - Five Principles For Successful Business Innovation
Chapter 8 - Is Innovation Cyclical? - Four Common Blunders
Chapter 9 - Can Leadership Create Innovation? - Ten Leadership Ideas
Chapter 10 - Top Ten Creative Leadership Traits - Be The Leader and Innovator
Chapter 11 - Creating Team Innovation - Seven Characteristics
Chapter 12 - Creating Team Innovation - Effective Teams Examples
Chapter 13 - Creating Team Innovation - Ten Principles To Unleash Innovation
Chapter 14 - The Future Of Management, Creativity And Innovation - Upend Business Models
Chapter 15 - How Much Creativity Is Enough?
Chapter 16 - Co-Creation Driving Innovation At Top Innovators
Chapter 17 - Marketing Innovation Creating Market Leadership
Chapter 18 - Consumer Innovation Best Practices - Six Steps To Lead Innovation
Chapter 19 - The Innovation Gap - Disruptive Innovation versus Sustaining Innovation
Chapter 20 - Are Children More Creative Than Adults?
Chapter 21 - Questions Lead To Creativity, Answers Lead To Innovation
Chapter 22 - Expanding Your Business Innovation Capacity
Chapter 23 - Innovation Insights And Wisdom From Greatest Innovators
Chapter 24 - Turn Complaints Into Solutions, Innovations And Success
Chapter 25 - Why Some Ideas Survive And Others Die
Chapter 26 - Ten Answers For Driving Innovation And Growth At World Class Innovators
Chapter 27 - Strategic Innovation At Deloitte - The "Apple" Of Services Innovation
Chapter 28 - Toyota's Innovation Factory
Chapter 29 - Ipod - Apple's Best Innovation
Chapter 30 - Apple Iphone Rising - Top Ten Innovations
Chapter 31 - Google Versus Yahoo - A Tale Of Two Cities
Chapter 32 - Youtube - $1.65 Billion Innovation And Counting
Chapter 33 - Blockbuster Versus Netflix - Winner Takes All?
Chapter 34 - GE And P&G - Innovations Driving Growth & Six Growth Principles
Chapter 35 - Can Dell Turnaround Dell? Seven Thoughts For Turnaround
Chapter 36 - Innovations Brewing At Starbucks ? Five Takeaways
Chapter 37 - Southwest Airlines Flying High With Ten Innovations
Chapter 38 - Innovations At Microsoft - Four Business Pillars
Chapter 39 - Direct Marketing And Direct Mail Innovation At USPS
Chapter 40 - Disruptor Zune Versus Innovator Ipod
Chapter 41 - 100% Electric Ultra Fast Innovation - Tesla
Chapter 42 - Nike Versus Adidas - The Innovation Game Is On
Chapter 43 - People Innovation - We Think Culture Of Innovation
Chapter 44 - Intel - Exponential Innovations
Chapter 45 - Five Innovations In Software Industry - Intuit Case Study
Chapter 46 - Google Versus Microsoft - The Enterprise Battle Heats Up!
Chapter 47 - Launch Of Tata Nano - A Watershed Moment in Indian Autos
Chapter 48 - How Can GM Turnaround The Business? Is Innovation The Answer
Chapter 49 - Doubleclick A Smart Buy For Google
Chapter 50 - Microsoft Walk-Off Home Run With Aquantive
Chapter 51 - IBM's $5 Billion Cognos Acquisition
Chapter 52 - Top Acquisitions By The Top Innovators
Chapter 53 - Will Yahoo merge with Microsoft?
Chapter 54 - Innovation And Stock Performance Correlation
Chapter 55 - The Innovation Index Annual Report
Chapter 56 - $1 Billion Or The Future

Eight new chapters added, including a detailed report on "Measuring Business Innovation Success"

Download Now

Innovation eBook details invaluable tools to unlock:
Creativity -> Ideas -> Innovations -> Success -> Profits

Business Innovation eBook includes:

The Innovation Bootcamp On Demand Resource Kit Tools:

The entire Innovation Bootcamp is available On-Demand now for your business to unleash the creativity and innovation within your own environment! You can selectively leverage the key concepts of the Innovation Bootcamp at your own pace, at your office or at your home, and share them with your team. The Innovation Bootcamp On-Demand Resource Kit includes:

• The complete Innovation Bootcamp presentation and handouts containing over 400 presentation slides to spark new ideas, channel team creativity and create innovation factory.
• 100+ pertinent strategies and tools, hands-on techniques and uncommon insights to unleash creativity and innovation at your business

The Innovation Bootcamp Resource Kit consists presentation slides of Six Engaging Online Workshop Sessions:

• 1. Benchmarking and Leading with Innovation
• The Business Case for Innovation
• 2. Unblocking Creativity and Innovation
• The Essential Processes and Skills
• 3. Unleashing Team Innovation
• Great Teams Deliver Great Innovations
• 4. and 5. Business Innovation Case Studies
• Learn how Top Innovators Lead with Innovation (Google, Netflix, Apple, Toyota, Southwest, J&J, P&G, GE, more)
• 6. Building an Innovation Factory
• Create a sustainable, scalable Business Innovation Model
• "The Innovation Bootcamp provided an excellent orientation on the topic of innovation and I learned several new techniques for generating and successfully implementing new ideas. Plentiful real world case studies was another aspect I liked about the program. I highly recommend it." - IT Manager, Top 5 IT Services Business

There's more:

Get the monthly Innovation report from InnovationMain.com FREE!

About the Author

Sanjay Dalal is an innovator and entrepreneur with over fifteen years of leadership experience in Silicon Valley and High Tech companies. Dalal authored and launched the Innovation Faculty eBook and Definitive Guide on Creativity and Innovation in business in 2008, used by over 550 leading organizations and professionals all over the world including HP, Hallmark, Cleveland Clinic, Pepsi, EDS, and major universities. Dalal published over 200 articles in the last two years on the real-time state of innovation in business at this blog on Creativity and Innovation Driving Business, and introduced the Innovation Index in December 2006 that correlates business, innovation and stock performance. Dalal is the founder of oGoing.com, Semdia, India Business Network & InnovationMain.com . Dalal was the president and managing director of the innovative investment company, Innovation Index Group, that systematically invested into the Top 20 Innovators of the Innovation Index. Dalal filed joint U.S. Patent on "Hands-On Labs" for delivering live, hands-on training over Web Meetings by simulating a training lab environment. Dalal has launched innovative products such as WebEx Training Center and WebEx Sales Center to market, and grown product line revenue to tens of million dollars in annual revenue. Dalal holds executive certification on Leading Management Teams from Cornell University, and is an engineering scholar graduate in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. Dalal attended Arizona State University for graduate education in Computer Science. Dalal secured the first position in the 50th William Lowell Putnam Math Competition. Dalal volunteered as a basketball coach on three separate occassions for Fremont NJB, Irvine NJB, and Rancho Middle School 7th graders, as an art master for 2nd graders, and as the secretary of the School Site Council. Dalal was a member of the Technology Advisory Committee for the Fremont School District containing over 40,000 students, an appointed position by the Board of Education. Dalal is a Web 2.0 adviser for Cal State Fullerton, Extended Education and a lecturer on "Making the business case for Web 2.0". Dalal, an appointed member of the Dean's Leadership Circle of The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, is a guest lecturer at the University of California, Irvine for the Strategic Innovation class. Dalal is an active Rotarian at the Rotary Club of Newport-Irvine.

Innovation eBook is brought to you by Creativity And Innovation Driving Business based in Irvine, CA.

Address: 8105 Irvine Center Drive, Suite 900, Irvine, CA 92618
Main Phone #: 1-949-288-6880

Leading eBook on Creativity and Innovation in Business

Innovation eBook used by 550+ innovative companies worldwide - eBook Best Seller (deployed at Nokia, EDS, Pepsi, HP, many more...)

Innovation eBook and Definitive Guide is a 212-page collection of over 55 best practices, case studies, and insights on the current state of Innovation in Business at Top Innovators including Apple, Google, Netflix, 3M, Proctor and Gamble, Johnson and Johnson, Toyota, GE, BMW, Deloitte, Frito Lay, IBM, Nike, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Microsoft, Dell, Tata, Intel and more. With pertinent articles from this award-winning Creativity And Innovation Driving Business Blog, this Faculty eBook provides real-world examples on how the Top Innovators innovate and grow their business successfully time and again, especially during economic cycles. Creativity And Innovation in Business is a definitive guide and resource that will help you unblock creativity, uncover and create game-changing innovations, and make exponential business growth a reality.

"I teach Applied Creativity and Innovation for a College near Toronto, Canada. I gave my business students an assignment to work with one of the top 10 innovative companies and to research/report on what makes them innovative, type of innovative challenges, benefits, etc. Your report from the eBook and definitive guide was the primary document that they used for their work." - Business School Professor

Download Now

"1) Innovation and growth is not (just) a fuzzy process of screwing around vigorously (SAV) but can be a systematic process,

2) Innovation and growth is not (just) something that happens in a department like R & D or product development,

3) Innovation and growth is not just about products or solutions - it is about creating a transformational change in the way people live, work and play." - Chapter 26, Erich Joachimsthaler, author of "Hidden in Plain Sight"

Who should buy?

The Innovation eBook and Definitive Guide has been downloaded and used by over 1,000 professionals, faculty and innovators at educational institutions and businesses all around the world including EDS, Ericsson, Center for Sales Strategy, IdeaChampions, Acara Global, Byrne Dairy, Cleveland Clinic, Magpie, DOJ/FBI, HP, Hewlett Packard, Intervista Institute, Fryett Consulting Group, Satellite Shelters, ProductVentures, Speakeasy - a Best Buy company, Jarden Consumer Solutions, Hallmark, Infinium, DeakinPrime - Deakin University, Lucas-TVS, McCann Worldgroup, S.P.Jain Center of Management, Suffolk University, RiCoMan, AmpControl, Craig Rispin, Momentive, Champion Laboratories, University of Phoenix, University of Washington, SFR - Neufbox, Attwood as Edison, Academy of Sport, Ideogenesis, Principled Innovation, Meridian Partners, Ananzi, Tangibility, Syngenta Global, Speedy, The Business Lab, Deloitte, Lane Management, University of California at Irvine, Wharton Business School, Babson University, Larsen & Toubro, Nokia, Credera, Pfizer, Bilkent University, Indian Institute of Science, Bacardi, Chick-fil-A, LG Electronics, Pepsi and many more.

If you are a marketing executive, information executive, IT executive, product manager, marketer, product marketer, sales operations manager, sales director, sales consultant, business consultant, product designer, brand manager, marketing manager, VP of products, VP of marketing, VP of technology, research & development director, product director, product marketing manager, marketing consultant, brand consultant, innovation consultant, chief innovation officer, engineer, engineering student, business school student, business school professor, technology student, technology consultant, design engineer, consultant, trainer, professor or management consultant - this book and definitive guide is for you! If you are one of the key executives of the company or the CEO, buy this guide for your company!

Download Now

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 - The Top 50 Innovative Companies In The World
Chapter 2 - The Innovation Index - Top 20 Innovators
Chapter 3 - Measuring Business Innovation Success - Key Benchmarks
Chapter 4 - Failures And Stumbles Driving Innovation - Five Takeaways
Chapter 5 - Blocking Creativity And Innovation - Nine Processes
Chapter 6 - Six Ways To Find Innovation - "See with new eyes"
Chapter 7 - Five Principles For Successful Business Innovation
Chapter 8 - Is Innovation Cyclical? - Four Common Blunders
Chapter 9 - Can Leadership Create Innovation? - Ten Leadership Ideas
Chapter 10 - Top Ten Creative Leadership Traits - Be The Leader and Innovator
Chapter 11 - Creating Team Innovation - Seven Characteristics
Chapter 12 - Creating Team Innovation - Effective Teams Examples
Chapter 13 - Creating Team Innovation - Ten Principles To Unleash Innovation
Chapter 14 - The Future Of Management, Creativity And Innovation - Upend Business Models
Chapter 15 - How Much Creativity Is Enough?
Chapter 16 - Co-Creation Driving Innovation At Top Innovators
Chapter 17 - Marketing Innovation Creating Market Leadership
Chapter 18 - Consumer Innovation Best Practices - Six Steps To Lead Innovation
Chapter 19 - The Innovation Gap - Disruptive Innovation versus Sustaining Innovation
Chapter 20 - Are Children More Creative Than Adults?
Chapter 21 - Questions Lead To Creativity, Answers Lead To Innovation
Chapter 22 - Expanding Your Business Innovation Capacity
Chapter 23 - Innovation Insights And Wisdom From Greatest Innovators
Chapter 24 - Turn Complaints Into Solutions, Innovations And Success
Chapter 25 - Why Some Ideas Survive And Others Die
Chapter 26 - Ten Answers For Driving Innovation And Growth At World Class Innovators
Chapter 27 - Strategic Innovation At Deloitte - The "Apple" Of Services Innovation
Chapter 28 - Toyota's Innovation Factory
Chapter 29 - Ipod - Apple's Best Innovation
Chapter 30 - Apple Iphone Rising - Top Ten Innovations
Chapter 31 - Google Versus Yahoo - A Tale Of Two Cities
Chapter 32 - Youtube - $1.65 Billion Innovation And Counting
Chapter 33 - Blockbuster Versus Netflix - Winner Takes All?
Chapter 34 - GE And P&G - Innovations Driving Growth & Six Growth Principles
Chapter 35 - Can Dell Turnaround Dell? Seven Thoughts For Turnaround
Chapter 36 - Innovations Brewing At Starbucks ? Five Takeaways
Chapter 37 - Southwest Airlines Flying High With Ten Innovations
Chapter 38 - Innovations At Microsoft - Four Business Pillars
Chapter 39 - Direct Marketing And Direct Mail Innovation At USPS
Chapter 40 - Disruptor Zune Versus Innovator Ipod
Chapter 41 - 100% Electric Ultra Fast Innovation - Tesla
Chapter 42 - Nike Versus Adidas - The Innovation Game Is On
Chapter 43 - People Innovation - We Think Culture Of Innovation
Chapter 44 - Intel - Exponential Innovations
Chapter 45 - Five Innovations In Software Industry - Intuit Case Study
Chapter 46 - Google Versus Microsoft - The Enterprise Battle Heats Up!
Chapter 47 - Launch Of Tata Nano - A Watershed Moment in Indian Autos
Chapter 48 - How Can GM Turnaround The Business? Is Innovation The Answer
Chapter 49 - Doubleclick A Smart Buy For Google
Chapter 50 - Microsoft Walk-Off Home Run With Aquantive
Chapter 51 - IBM's $5 Billion Cognos Acquisition
Chapter 52 - Top Acquisitions By The Top Innovators
Chapter 53 - Will Yahoo merge with Microsoft?
Chapter 54 - Innovation And Stock Performance Correlation
Chapter 55 - The Innovation Index Annual Report
Chapter 56 - $1 Billion Or The Future

Eight new chapters added, including a detailed report on "Measuring Business Innovation Success"

Download Now

Innovation eBook details invaluable tools to unlock:
Creativity -> Ideas -> Innovations -> Success -> Profits

The Innovation Bootcamp On Demand Resource Kit Tools:

The entire Innovation Bootcamp is available On-Demand now for your business to unleash the creativity and innovation within your own environment! You can selectively leverage the key concepts of the Innovation Bootcamp at your own pace, at your office or at your home, and share them with your team. The Innovation Bootcamp On-Demand Resource Kit includes:

• The complete Innovation Bootcamp presentation and handouts containing over 400 presentation slides to spark new ideas, channel team creativity and create innovation factory.
• 100+ pertinent strategies and tools, hands-on techniques and uncommon insights to unleash creativity and innovation at your business

The Innovation Bootcamp Resource Kit consists presentation slides of Six Engaging Online Workshop Sessions:

• 1. Benchmarking and Leading with Innovation
• The Business Case for Innovation
• 2. Unblocking Creativity and Innovation
• The Essential Processes and Skills
• 3. Unleashing Team Innovation
• Great Teams Deliver Great Innovations
• 4. and 5. Business Innovation Case Studies
• Learn how Top Innovators Lead with Innovation (Google, Netflix, Apple, Toyota, Southwest, more)
• 6. Building an Innovation Factory
• Create a sustainable, scalable Business Innovation Model
• "The Innovation Bootcamp provided an excellent orientation on the topic of innovation and I learned several new techniques for generating and successfully implementing new ideas. Plentiful real world case studies was another aspect I liked about the program. I highly recommend it." - IT Manager, Top 5 IT Services Business

There's more:

Special Offer: Buy eBook today and get the Annual Innovation Report from Creativity And Innovation Driving Business delivered FREE! (in January) (a $99 value)

About the Author

Sanjay Dalal is an innovator and entrepreneur with over fifteen years of leadership experience in Silicon Valley and High Tech companies. Dalal authored and launched the Innovation Faculty eBook and Definitive Guide on Creativity and Innovation in business in 2008, used by over 550 leading organizations and professionals all over the world including HP, Hallmark, Cleveland Clinic, Pepsi, EDS, and major universities. Dalal published over 200 articles in the last two years on the real-time state of innovation in business at this blog on Creativity and Innovation Driving Business, and introduced the Innovation Index in December 2006 that correlates business, innovation and stock performance. Dalal was the president and managing director of the innovative investment company, Innovation Index Group, that systematically invested into the Top 20 Innovators of the Innovation Index. Dalal filed joint U.S. Patent on "Hands-On Labs" for delivering live, hands-on training over Web Meetings by simulating a training lab environment. Dalal has launched innovative products such as WebEx Training Center and WebEx Sales Center to market, and grown product line revenue to tens of million dollars in annual revenue. Dalal holds executive certification on Leading Management Teams from Cornell University, and is an engineering scholar graduate in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. Dalal attended Arizona State University for graduate education in Computer Science. Dalal secured the first position in the 50th William Lowell Putnam Math Competition. Dalal volunteered as a basketball coach on three separate occassions for Fremont NJB, Irvine NJB, and Rancho Middle School 7th graders, as an art master for 2nd graders, and as the secretary of the School Site Council. Dalal was a member of the Technology Advisory Committee for the Fremont School District containing over 40,000 students, an appointed position by the Board of Education. Dalal is a Web 2.0 adviser for Cal State Fullerton, Extended Education and a lecturer on "Making the business case for Web 2.0". Dalal, an appointed member of the Dean's Leadership Circle of The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, is a guest lecturer at the University of California, Irvine for the Strategic Innovation class. Dalal is an active Rotarian at the Rotary Club of Newport-Irvine.

Innovation eBook is brought to you by Creativity And Innovation Driving Business based in Irvine, CA.

Address: 8105 Irvine Center Drive, Suite 900, Irvine, CA 92618
Main Phone #: 1-949-288-6880

Selected references:
Creativity and Innovation Best Practices
Creativity and Innovation Case Studies
The Innovation Index
Top 50 innovative companies in the world

Learn How Apple Innovates - The #1 Innovative Company

Innovation eBook used by 600+ innovative companies worldwide - eBook Best Seller (deployed at Nokia, EDS, Pepsi, HP, many more...)

Innovation eBook and Definitive Guide is a 212-page collection of over 55 best practices, case studies, and insights on the current state of Innovation in Business at Top Innovators including Apple, Google, Netflix, 3M, Proctor and Gamble, Johnson and Johnson, Toyota, GE, BMW, Deloitte, Frito Lay, IBM, Nike, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Microsoft, Dell, Tata, Intel and more. In particular, learn how Apple innovates, and what made Apple the #1 innovative company in the world. Can Apple one day overtake Microsoft - both in market cap and revenue? It's not impossible, actually quite feasible with Apple's current growth rate in the next three to four years. With pertinent articles from this award-winning Creativity And Innovation Driving Business Blog, this Faculty eBook provides real-world examples on how the Top Innovators innovate and grow their business successfully time and again, especially during economic cycles. Creativity And Innovation in Business is a definitive guide and resource that will help you unblock creativity, uncover and create game-changing innovations, and make exponential business growth a reality.

Growing Quarterly Apple Revenue vis-a-vis Microsoft Revenue

"I teach Applied Creativity and Innovation for a College near Toronto, Canada. I gave my business students an assignment to work with one of the top 10 innovative companies and to research/report on what makes them innovative, type of innovative challenges, benefits, etc. Your report from the eBook and definitive guide was the primary document that they used for their work." - Business School Professor

Download Now

"1) Innovation and growth is not (just) a fuzzy process of screwing around vigorously (SAV) but can be a systematic process,

2) Innovation and growth is not (just) something that happens in a department like R & D or product development,

3) Innovation and growth is not just about products or solutions - it is about creating a transformational change in the way people live, work and play." - Chapter 26, Erich Joachimsthaler, author of "Hidden in Plain Sight"

Who should buy?

The Innovation eBook and Definitive Guide has been downloaded and used by over 1,000 professionals, faculty and innovators at educational institutions and businesses all around the world including EDS, Ericsson, Center for Sales Strategy, IdeaChampions, Acara Global, Byrne Dairy, Cleveland Clinic, Magpie, DOJ/FBI, HP, Hewlett Packard, Intervista Institute, Fryett Consulting Group, Satellite Shelters, ProductVentures, Speakeasy - a Best Buy company, Jarden Consumer Solutions, Hallmark, Infinium, DeakinPrime - Deakin University, Lucas-TVS, McCann Worldgroup, S.P.Jain Center of Management, Suffolk University, RiCoMan, AmpControl, Craig Rispin, Momentive, Champion Laboratories, University of Phoenix, University of Washington, SFR - Neufbox, Attwood as Edison, Academy of Sport, Ideogenesis, Principled Innovation, Meridian Partners, Ananzi, Tangibility, Syngenta Global, Speedy, The Business Lab, Deloitte, Lane Management, University of California at Irvine, Wharton Business School, Babson University, Larsen & Toubro, Nokia, Credera, Pfizer, Bilkent University, Indian Institute of Science, Bacardi, Chick-fil-A, LG Electronics, Pepsi and many more.

If you are a marketing executive, information executive, IT executive, product manager, marketer, product marketer, sales operations manager, sales director, sales consultant, business consultant, product designer, brand manager, marketing manager, VP of products, VP of marketing, VP of technology, research & development director, product director, product marketing manager, marketing consultant, brand consultant, innovation consultant, chief innovation officer, engineer, engineering student, business school student, business school professor, technology student, technology consultant, design engineer, consultant, trainer, professor or management consultant - this book and definitive guide is for you! If you are one of the key executives of the company or the CEO, buy this guide for your company!

Download Now

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 - The Top 50 Innovative Companies In The World
Chapter 2 - The Innovation Index - Top 20 Innovators
Chapter 3 - Measuring Business Innovation Success - Key Benchmarks
Chapter 4 - Failures And Stumbles Driving Innovation - Five Takeaways
Chapter 5 - Blocking Creativity And Innovation - Nine Processes
Chapter 6 - Six Ways To Find Innovation - "See with new eyes"
Chapter 7 - Five Principles For Successful Business Innovation
Chapter 8 - Is Innovation Cyclical? - Four Common Blunders
Chapter 9 - Can Leadership Create Innovation? - Ten Leadership Ideas
Chapter 10 - Top Ten Creative Leadership Traits - Be The Leader and Innovator
Chapter 11 - Creating Team Innovation - Seven Characteristics
Chapter 12 - Creating Team Innovation - Effective Teams Examples
Chapter 13 - Creating Team Innovation - Ten Principles To Unleash Innovation
Chapter 14 - The Future Of Management, Creativity And Innovation - Upend Business Models
Chapter 15 - How Much Creativity Is Enough?
Chapter 16 - Co-Creation Driving Innovation At Top Innovators
Chapter 17 - Marketing Innovation Creating Market Leadership
Chapter 18 - Consumer Innovation Best Practices - Six Steps To Lead Innovation
Chapter 19 - The Innovation Gap - Disruptive Innovation versus Sustaining Innovation
Chapter 20 - Are Children More Creative Than Adults?
Chapter 21 - Questions Lead To Creativity, Answers Lead To Innovation
Chapter 22 - Expanding Your Business Innovation Capacity
Chapter 23 - Innovation Insights And Wisdom From Greatest Innovators
Chapter 24 - Turn Complaints Into Solutions, Innovations And Success
Chapter 25 - Why Some Ideas Survive And Others Die
Chapter 26 - Ten Answers For Driving Innovation And Growth At World Class Innovators
Chapter 27 - Strategic Innovation At Deloitte - The "Apple" Of Services Innovation
Chapter 28 - Toyota's Innovation Factory
Chapter 29 - Ipod - Apple's Best Innovation
Chapter 30 - Apple Iphone Rising - Top Ten Innovations
Chapter 31 - Google Versus Yahoo - A Tale Of Two Cities
Chapter 32 - Youtube - $1.65 Billion Innovation And Counting
Chapter 33 - Blockbuster Versus Netflix - Winner Takes All?
Chapter 34 - GE And P&G - Innovations Driving Growth & Six Growth Principles
Chapter 35 - Can Dell Turnaround Dell? Seven Thoughts For Turnaround
Chapter 36 - Innovations Brewing At Starbucks ? Five Takeaways
Chapter 37 - Southwest Airlines Flying High With Ten Innovations
Chapter 38 - Innovations At Microsoft - Four Business Pillars
Chapter 39 - Direct Marketing And Direct Mail Innovation At USPS
Chapter 40 - Disruptor Zune Versus Innovator Ipod
Chapter 41 - 100% Electric Ultra Fast Innovation - Tesla
Chapter 42 - Nike Versus Adidas - The Innovation Game Is On
Chapter 43 - People Innovation - We Think Culture Of Innovation
Chapter 44 - Intel - Exponential Innovations
Chapter 45 - Five Innovations In Software Industry - Intuit Case Study
Chapter 46 - Google Versus Microsoft - The Enterprise Battle Heats Up!
Chapter 47 - Launch Of Tata Nano - A Watershed Moment in Indian Autos
Chapter 48 - How Can GM Turnaround The Business? Is Innovation The Answer
Chapter 49 - Doubleclick A Smart Buy For Google
Chapter 50 - Microsoft Walk-Off Home Run With Aquantive
Chapter 51 - IBM's $5 Billion Cognos Acquisition
Chapter 52 - Top Acquisitions By The Top Innovators
Chapter 53 - Will Yahoo merge with Microsoft?
Chapter 54 - Innovation And Stock Performance Correlation
Chapter 55 - The Innovation Index Annual Report
Chapter 56 - $1 Billion Or The Future

Eight new chapters added, including a detailed report on "Measuring Business Innovation Success"

Download Now

Innovation eBook details invaluable tools to unlock:
Creativity -> Ideas -> Innovations -> Success -> Profits

The Innovation Bootcamp On Demand Resource Kit Tools:

The entire Innovation Bootcamp is available On-Demand now for your business to unleash the creativity and innovation within your own environment! You can selectively leverage the key concepts of the Innovation Bootcamp at your own pace, at your office or at your home, and share them with your team. The Innovation Bootcamp On-Demand Resource Kit includes:

• The complete Innovation Bootcamp presentation and handouts containing over 400 presentation slides to spark new ideas, channel team creativity and create innovation factory.
• 100+ pertinent strategies and tools, hands-on techniques and uncommon insights to unleash creativity and innovation at your business

The Innovation Bootcamp Resource Kit consists presentation slides of Six Engaging Online Workshop Sessions:

• 1. Benchmarking and Leading with Innovation
  
• The Business Case for Innovation


• 2. Unblocking Creativity and Innovation


• The Essential Processes and Skills


• 3. Unleashing Team Innovation


• Great Teams Deliver Great Innovations


• 4. and 5. Business Innovation Case Studies


• Learn how Top Innovators Lead with Innovation (Google, Netflix, Apple, Toyota, Southwest, more). An entire session dedicated to Apple's Innovation strategy & process.


• 6. Building an Innovation Factory


• Create a sustainable, scalable Business Innovation Model


• "The Innovation Bootcamp provided an excellent orientation on the topic of innovation and I learned several new techniques for generating and successfully implementing new ideas. Plentiful real world case studies was another aspect I liked about the program. I highly recommend it." - IT Manager, Top 5 IT Services Business

There's more:

Special Offer: Buy eBook today and get the Annual Innovation Report from Creativity And Innovation Driving Business delivered FREE! (in January) (a $99 value)

About the Author

Sanjay Dalal is an innovator and entrepreneur with over fifteen years of leadership experience in Silicon Valley and High Tech companies. Dalal authored and launched the Innovation Faculty eBook and Definitive Guide on Creativity and Innovation in business in 2008, used by over 500 leading organizations and professionals all over the world including HP, Hallmark, Cleveland Clinic, Pepsi, EDS, and major universities. Dalal published over 200 articles in the last two years on the real-time state of innovation in business at this blog on Creativity and Innovation Driving Business, and introduced the Innovation Index in December 2006 that correlates business, innovation and stock performance. Dalal was the president and managing director of the innovative investment company, Innovation Index Group, that systematically invested into the Top 20 Innovators of the Innovation Index. Dalal filed joint U.S. Patent on "Hands-On Labs" for delivering live, hands-on training over Web Meetings by simulating a training lab environment. Dalal has launched innovative products such as WebEx Training Center and WebEx Sales Center to market, and grown product line revenue to tens of million dollars in annual revenue. Dalal holds executive certification on Leading Management Teams from Cornell University, and is an engineering scholar graduate in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. Dalal attended Arizona State University for graduate education in Computer Science. Dalal secured the first position in the 50th William Lowell Putnam Math Competition. Dalal volunteered as a basketball coach on three separate occassions for Fremont NJB, Irvine NJB, and Rancho Middle School 7th graders, as an art master for 2nd graders, and as the secretary of the School Site Council. Dalal was a member of the Technology Advisory Committee for the Fremont School District containing over 40,000 students, an appointed position by the Board of Education. Dalal is a Web 2.0 adviser for Cal State Fullerton, Extended Education and a lecturer on "Making the business case for Web 2.0". Dalal, an appointed member of the Dean's Leadership Circle of The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, is a guest lecturer at the University of California, Irvine for the Strategic Innovation class. Dalal is an active Rotarian at the Rotary Club of Newport-Irvine.

Innovation eBook is brought to you by Creativity And Innovation Driving Business based in Irvine, CA.

Address: 8105 Irvine Center Drive, Suite 900, Irvine, CA 92618
Main Phone #: 1-949-288-6880

Selected references:
Creativity and Innovation Best Practices
Creativity and Innovation Case Studies
The Innovation Index
Top 50 innovative companies in the world

Business Innovation Resource Kit - eBook, Guide, Insights, Report

Business Innovation Resource Kit used by 550+ innovative companies worldwide - Best Seller (deployed at Nokia, EDS, Pepsi, HP, 500 more...)

Business Innovation Resource Kit includes eBook, Guide, Presentation, Annual Report and Insights on Creativity & Innovation in Business.

Innovation eBook and Definitive Guide is a 212-page collection of over 55 best practices, case studies, and insights on the current state of Innovation in Business at Top Innovators including Apple, Google, Netflix, 3M, Proctor and Gamble, Johnson and Johnson, Toyota, GE, BMW, Deloitte, Frito Lay, IBM, Nike, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Microsoft, Dell, Tata, Intel and more. With pertinent articles from this award-winning Creativity And Innovation Driving Business Blog, this Faculty eBook provides real-world examples on how the Top Innovators innovate and grow their business successfully time and again, especially during economic cycles. Creativity And Innovation in Business is a definitive guide and resource that will help you unblock creativity, uncover and create game-changing innovations, and make exponential business growth a reality.

"I teach Applied Creativity and Innovation for a College near Toronto, Canada. I gave my business students an assignment to work with one of the top 10 innovative companies and to research/report on what makes them innovative, type of innovative challenges, benefits, etc. Your report from the eBook and definitive guide was the primary document that they used for their work." - Business School Professor

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"1) Innovation and growth is not (just) a fuzzy process of screwing around vigorously (SAV) but can be a systematic process,

2) Innovation and growth is not (just) something that happens in a department like R & D or product development,

3) Innovation and growth is not just about products or solutions - it is about creating a transformational change in the way people live, work and play." - Chapter 26, Erich Joachimsthaler, author of "Hidden in Plain Sight"

Who should buy?

The Innovation eBook and Definitive Guide has been downloaded and used by over 1,000 professionals, faculty and innovators at educational institutions and businesses all around the world including EDS, Ericsson, Center for Sales Strategy, IdeaChampions, Acara Global, Byrne Dairy, Cleveland Clinic, Magpie, DOJ/FBI, HP, Hewlett Packard, Intervista Institute, Fryett Consulting Group, Satellite Shelters, ProductVentures, Speakeasy - a Best Buy company, Jarden Consumer Solutions, Hallmark, Infinium, DeakinPrime - Deakin University, Lucas-TVS, McCann Worldgroup, S.P.Jain Center of Management, Suffolk University, RiCoMan, AmpControl, Craig Rispin, Momentive, Champion Laboratories, University of Phoenix, University of Washington, SFR - Neufbox, Attwood as Edison, Academy of Sport, Ideogenesis, Principled Innovation, Meridian Partners, Ananzi, Tangibility, Syngenta Global, Speedy, The Business Lab, Deloitte, Lane Management, University of California at Irvine, Wharton Business School, Babson University, Larsen & Toubro, Nokia, Credera, Pfizer, Bilkent University, Indian Institute of Science, Bacardi, Chick-fil-A, LG Electronics, Pepsi and many more.

If you are a marketing executive, information executive, IT executive, product manager, marketer, product marketer, business consultant, product designer, brand manager, marketing manager, VP of products, VP of marketing, VP of technology, research & development director, product director, product marketing manager, marketing consultant, brand consultant, innovation consultant, chief innovation officer, engineer, engineering student, business school student, business school professor, technology student, technology consultant, design engineer, consultant, trainer, professor, sales operations manager, sales director, sales consultant or management consultant - this book and definitive guide is for you! If you are one of the key executives of the company or the CEO, buy this guide for your company!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 - The Top 50 Innovative Companies In The World
Chapter 2 - The Innovation Index - Top 20 Innovators
Chapter 3 - Measuring Business Innovation Success - Key Benchmarks
Chapter 4 - Failures And Stumbles Driving Innovation - Five Takeaways
Chapter 5 - Blocking Creativity And Innovation - Nine Processes
Chapter 6 - Six Ways To Find Innovation - "See with new eyes"
Chapter 7 - Five Principles For Successful Business Innovation
Chapter 8 - Is Innovation Cyclical? - Four Common Blunders
Chapter 9 - Can Leadership Create Innovation? - Ten Leadership Ideas
Chapter 10 - Top Ten Creative Leadership Traits - Be The Leader and Innovator
Chapter 11 - Creating Team Innovation - Seven Characteristics
Chapter 12 - Creating Team Innovation - Effective Teams Examples
Chapter 13 - Creating Team Innovation - Ten Principles To Unleash Innovation
Chapter 14 - The Future Of Management, Creativity And Innovation - Upend Business Models
Chapter 15 - How Much Creativity Is Enough?
Chapter 16 - Co-Creation Driving Innovation At Top Innovators
Chapter 17 - Marketing Innovation Creating Market Leadership
Chapter 18 - Consumer Innovation Best Practices - Six Steps To Lead Innovation
Chapter 19 - The Innovation Gap - Disruptive Innovation versus Sustaining Innovation
Chapter 20 - Are Children More Creative Than Adults?
Chapter 21 - Questions Lead To Creativity, Answers Lead To Innovation
Chapter 22 - Expanding Your Business Innovation Capacity
Chapter 23 - Innovation Insights And Wisdom From Greatest Innovators
Chapter 24 - Turn Complaints Into Solutions, Innovations And Success
Chapter 25 - Why Some Ideas Survive And Others Die
Chapter 26 - Ten Answers For Driving Innovation And Growth At World Class Innovators
Chapter 27 - Strategic Innovation At Deloitte - The "Apple" Of Services Innovation
Chapter 28 - Toyota's Innovation Factory
Chapter 29 - Ipod - Apple's Best Innovation
Chapter 30 - Apple Iphone Rising - Top Ten Innovations
Chapter 31 - Google Versus Yahoo - A Tale Of Two Cities
Chapter 32 - Youtube - $1.65 Billion Innovation And Counting
Chapter 33 - Blockbuster Versus Netflix - Winner Takes All?
Chapter 34 - GE And P&G - Innovations Driving Growth & Six Growth Principles
Chapter 35 - Can Dell Turnaround Dell? Seven Thoughts For Turnaround
Chapter 36 - Innovations Brewing At Starbucks ? Five Takeaways
Chapter 37 - Southwest Airlines Flying High With Ten Innovations
Chapter 38 - Innovations At Microsoft - Four Business Pillars
Chapter 39 - Direct Marketing And Direct Mail Innovation At USPS
Chapter 40 - Disruptor Zune Versus Innovator Ipod
Chapter 41 - 100% Electric Ultra Fast Innovation - Tesla
Chapter 42 - Nike Versus Adidas - The Innovation Game Is On
Chapter 43 - People Innovation - We Think Culture Of Innovation
Chapter 44 - Intel - Exponential Innovations
Chapter 45 - Five Innovations In Software Industry - Intuit Case Study
Chapter 46 - Google Versus Microsoft - The Enterprise Battle Heats Up!
Chapter 47 - Launch Of Tata Nano - A Watershed Moment in Indian Autos
Chapter 48 - How Can GM Turnaround The Business? Is Innovation The Answer
Chapter 49 - Doubleclick A Smart Buy For Google
Chapter 50 - Microsoft Walk-Off Home Run With Aquantive
Chapter 51 - IBM's $5 Billion Cognos Acquisition
Chapter 52 - Top Acquisitions By The Top Innovators
Chapter 53 - Will Yahoo merge with Microsoft?
Chapter 54 - Innovation And Stock Performance Correlation
Chapter 55 - The Innovation Index Annual Report
Chapter 56 - $1 Billion Or The Future

Eight new chapters added, including a detailed report on "Measuring Business Innovation Success"

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Innovation eBook details invaluable tools to unlock:
Creativity -> Ideas -> Innovations -> Success -> Profits

The Innovation Bootcamp On Demand Resource Kit Tools:

The entire Innovation Bootcamp On-Demand tools for your business to unleash the creativity and innovation within your own environment! You can selectively leverage the key concepts of the Innovation Bootcamp at your own pace, at your office or at your home, and share them with your team. The Innovation Bootcamp On-Demand Resource Kit includes:

• The complete Innovation Bootcamp presentation and handouts containing over 400 presentation slides to spark new ideas, channel team creativity and create innovation factory.


• 100+ pertinent strategies and tools, hands-on techniques and uncommon insights to unleash creativity and innovation at your business


• The Innovation Bootcamp Resource Kit consists presentation slides of Six Engaging Online Workshop Sessions:


• 1. Benchmarking and Leading with Innovation
• The Business Case for Innovation


• 2. Unblocking Creativity and Innovation
• The Essential Processes and Skills


• 3. Unleashing Team Innovation
• Great Teams Deliver Great Innovations


• 4. and 5. Business Innovation Case Studies
• Learn how Top Innovators Lead with Innovation (Google, Netflix, Apple, Toyota, more)


• 6. Building an Innovation Factory
• Create a sustainable, scalable Innovation Business Model


• "The Innovation Bootcamp provided an excellent orientation on the topic of innovation and I learned several new techniques for generating and successfully implementing new ideas. Plentiful real world case studies was another aspect I liked about the program. I highly recommend it." - IT Manager, Top 5 IT Services Business

There's more:

Special Offer: Buy eBook today and get the Annual Innovation Report from Creativity And Innovation Driving Business delivered FREE! (a $99 value)

About the Author

Sanjay Dalal is an innovator and entrepreneur with over fifteen years of leadership experience in Silicon Valley and High Tech companies. Dalal is the founder of India Business Network. Dalal authored and launched the Innovation Faculty eBook and Definitive Guide on Creativity and Innovation in business in 2008, used by over 500 leading organizations and professionals all over the world including HP, Hallmark, Cleveland Clinic, Pepsi, EDS, and major universities. Dalal published over 200 articles in the last two years on the real-time state of innovation in business at this blog on Creativity and Innovation Driving Business, and introduced the Innovation Index in December 2006 that correlates business, innovation and stock performance. Dalal was the president and managing director of the innovative investment company, Innovation Index Group, that systematically invested into the Top 20 Innovators of the Innovation Index. Dalal filed joint U.S. Patent on "Hands-On Labs" for delivering live, hands-on training over Web Meetings by simulating a training lab environment. Dalal has launched innovative products such as WebEx Training Center and WebEx Sales Center to market, and grown product line revenue to tens of million dollars in annual revenue. Dalal holds executive certification on Leading Management Teams from Cornell University, and is an engineering scholar graduate in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. Dalal attended Arizona State University for graduate education in Computer Science. Dalal secured the first position in the 50th William Lowell Putnam Math Competition. Dalal volunteered as a basketball coach on three separate occassions for Fremont NJB, Irvine NJB, and Rancho Middle School 7th graders, as an art master for 2nd graders, and as the secretary of the School Site Council. Dalal was a member of the Technology Advisory Committee for the Fremont School District containing over 40,000 students, an appointed position by the Board of Education. Dalal is a Web 2.0 adviser for Cal State Fullerton, Extended Education and a lecturer on "Making the business case for Web 2.0". Dalal, an appointed member of the Dean's Leadership Circle of The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, is a guest lecturer at the University of California, Irvine for the Strategic Innovation class. Dalal is an active Rotarian at the Rotary Club of Newport-Irvine.

Innovation eBook is brought to you by Creativity And Innovation Driving Business based in Irvine, CA.

Address: 8105 Irvine Center Drive, Suite 900, Irvine, CA 92618
Main Phone #: 1-949-288-6880

Are Children More Creative Than Adults?

Remember growing up as a child...were you more creative as a kid than you are now? Or are you more creative as an adult? I would like to learn from the adults out there... and ask you this question: Are Children More Creative Than Adults? I would like to learn from your experience.

I grew up in India until I was 18 years old. Our method of learning in the school was focused a lot more on memorization and theory. We did have labs in high school, but we did not do much outside projects. There was too much focus on getting the highest grades in the twelfth standard state or central exam so that one can secure an admission in a recognized engineering, medical, commerce or science school. I would like to know if much has changed since 1987 in India. My best memory was though visiting Goa when I was in the eleventh grade, when I attended an Oceanography convention. Not only did I learn about what goes on under the ocean, but also about how large naval ships are made, Goa's rich cultural history and the government (we even met Goa's governor or the top official), Kingfisher, beaches and more. Of course, now Goa has become a major beach city in India and a top tourist destination. That was the first time I went on a cruise from Bombay to Goa (and it was quite an adventure since this ship was really small and we could feel the ocean all around us). And we also stayed overnight at a train station in a small town in Gujarat on the way back to Ahmedabad (when we missed our connecting train). I was one of a handful of students who attended this convention. And I still remember this trip fondly. Learning what goes around outside in the world of oceans is what allowed me to expand my creativity - we had to complete a group project and provide a presentation as well to visiting faculty and students from all over India.

My children go to schools in USA (our daughter is 8 and is a 3rd grader, our son is 13 and is a 8th grader). I love the method of education here that encourages my children to express their creativity - there are projects on various subject matter such as history, sciences, humanities, people, culture and more that they need to work on, presentations they need to give, and field trips that are mostly integrated into their curriculum (on which children need to report also). And there is good access to technology such as computers, software, electronic toys, libraries with Internet connections, computer labs within the schools, and more. But I am seeing some changes already - my son was a lot more creative in his elementary school years than the middle school years (perhaps owing to more studies, and his current passion for Tennis and Basketball where he spends more time). My daughter definitely shows flashes of creativity, and I am quite proud when she thinks outside the box (actually impressed). But would this continue beyond the elementary school? My kids have not entered high school yet... so I want to see if high school education is focused on expanding their creativity and imagination, or becomes narrower towards getting them ready for college. It's not schools alone though - lot of creativity depends on what happens at home, and in your surroundings. Parents have a huge role to play in exposing their children to newer areas of potential interest. Nowadays, when we ask our teenage son to go out to see something interesting, his first answer is "No". He is more interested in his world of computers, Internet, iPhone applications and iPod music, friends, and hanging out. Perhaps we are becoming a bit old school for him. But then when he does go out, he really enjoys it. May be I need to change ways in which I encourage him to go out.

So, I come back to my original question: Are Children More Creative Than adults?

I believe I am more creative now in certain areas of interest that I love. But there are many areas where I am not, and I would love to get better...

Young children have some amazing qualities about them that perhaps make them more creative: open mind, make connections, playful, curious, expressive, forgetful and forgiving, hands on, direct without reservations, fun to be around, enjoy things, cry out for small things, sleep well, and have a great sense of humor. But perhaps the most important quality of a child as he or she is growing up is asking questions! Not just, "Are we there yet?", but also, "How does this work? What happens when you do this? Why does it go this way? When will something happen? Who is that person on TV? And many many more..." Did we ever tell our children that this is a dumb question? Perhaps not until they grow up to a certain age. And even then, we are always careful in inspiring them to ask more questions and learn more. I remember as my son was growing up, I took him to a baseball game to Oakland. We used to live in Fremont, California. We went to see the Athletics play. From the time we left our home (we drove to the BART station), to walking to the BART station, taking the BART train, going in the train for about 20 minutes, to walking to the baseball park - my son must have asked me about 100 or so questions (and most of them had nothing to do with baseball). Do these qualities make children more creative than adults? Do adults lose some of these qualities as they grow older?

Here are some interesting facts about the childhood of some of the key scientists, thinkers, inventors, entrepreneurs and innovators. What do these facts tell us?

1. Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read.
2. Isaac Newton did poorly in grade school.
3. When Thomas Edison was a boy, his teachers told him he was too stupid to learn anything.
4. F.W.Woolworth got a job in a dry goods store when he was 21. But his employers would not let him wait on a customer because he "Didn't have enough sense."
5. A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he had "No good ideas"
6. Caruso's music teacher told him "You can't sing, you have no voice at all."
7. Leo Tolstoy flunked out of college.
8. Verner Von Braun flunked 9th grade algebra.
9. Admiral Richard E. Byrd had been retired from the navy, as, "Unfit for service" Until he flew over both poles.
10. Louis Pasteur was rated as mediocre in chemistry when he attended the Royal College
11. Abraham Lincoln entered The Black Hawk War as a captain and came out a private
12. Fred Waring was once rejected from high school chorus.
13. Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade.
14. Dhirubhai Ambani who only studied until 10th grade, sold "bhajias" to pilgrims in Mount Girnar over the weekends.
15. Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard, Steve Jobs dropped out of Reed, Michael Dell dropped out of University of Texas at Austin, Larry Ellison dropped out of University of Chicago and University of Illinois. The list of rich and famous people who dropped out of college or high school is spectacular. The bigger question: Do colleges and high schools make children more or less creative?

I want to learn more from you... Are you more creative today than when you were a child? Did you do some amazing things as a child? Did you have more ideas as a child? Do you still do those amazing things? Is your workplace making you more or less creative? Are you able to create new innovations?

Download my Creativity and Innovation eBook. 212-page collection of over 55 best practices, case studies, and insights on the current state of Creativity and Innovation in Business at Top Innovators including Apple, Google, Netflix, 3M, Frito Lay, Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, Toyota, GE, BMW, Deloitte, Southwest, Nike, IBM, Dell and more. "Your report from the eBook and definitive guide was the primary reference that we used." Used by over 500 leading organizations including HP, Pepsi, EDS, J&J, Nokia...Learn more
Download Now

Selected references:
Leading eBook on Creativity and Innovation in Business
Creativity and Innovation Best Practices
Creativity and Innovation Case Studies
The Innovation Index
Top 50 innovative companies in the world

The Future of Management, Creativity And Innovation

"We're now living in a world where it's innovation that creates wealth," says Gary Hamel, founder of the consultancy Strategos and a visiting professor at the London Business School.

Hamel suggests revamping every management concept -- from how employees use their time to how funding is allocated to projects so that managers may inspire workers, identify the most promising business ideas and marshal the resources to execute them in his new book: The Future of Management

IT organizations will play a critical role in two ways:

first, by building systems that companies will use internally to facilitate innovation and

second, by identifying how companies can use new technologies to upend established business models and deliver new products and services.

"The Internet is doing exactly what management is supposed to do. It's amplifying and aggregating human capabilities. It's democratizing the tools of creativity, from digital cameras to blogs to the ability to do mash-ups. The Net is also surprisingly good at aggregating human capability. Linux is the fastest evolving piece of software that human beings have ever created.

The three big challenges for companies over the next generation are going to be: Adaptability -- how you build things that can transform themselves. Innovation -- how you mobilize the imagination of every single person in your organization. Engagement -- how you create organizations that are so engaging emotionally and intellectually that people want to bring their capabilities to work. What's the most adaptable innovative and engaging thing on the planet? The Internet.

Think about the insights that people need to be innovative, the insights they need into customers, into technology, into competitors."

Hamel talks about the "Hierarchy of innovation".

At the bottom is operational innovation, the kinds of things that companies do to run leaner or be quicker or deliver 24/7 customer service.

A step up from that is product innovation that delivers the next wonderful flat-screen television.

A level up from that you have business model innovation. Dell, at one time, was a business model innovator.

And a level up from that you have what I'd call architectural innovation. This is when you get a whole industry thinking differently -- what Apple did with iTunes to get all these music companies to agree to a new digital rights management system.

At the top you have management innovation. All of my research suggests that it's management innovation that has created the most enduring source of competitive advantage.

"If I were a CEO, the first question I'd ask in every budget meeting and in every review meeting with my CIO would be what percentage of our total budget and time is going into projects that will allow us to do something unique in our industry"

Where does Innovation come from?

Number one, innovation comes from challenging industry dogma.

Number two is understanding the early warning signs of big shifts in demographics, technology, regulation or whatever it may be that most of the industry simply isn't paying attention to.

The third kind of personal competence you need to innovate is a deep empathy with the hidden or unarticulated needs of your customers.

I think the last competence as an innovator you need today is you can't think about your company in terms of what it makes and what it does. You have to think of it in terms of what it owns and what it knows -- its strategic assets.

Bottomline:

Hamel is on the money when it comes to driving creativity and innovation at today's business. The key insight is management driving innovation or at most times coming in the way. According to Hamel, it is really upto the management to create the processes that unblock creativity and innovation, enable ways to find innovation, and execute. How can companies really mobilize the imagination of every single person in the organization and create lasting wealth? To find out more, first read his interview below, and then the book.

References:

Can't innovate? Blame management

q&a Leading business strategy expert Gary Hamel talks to us about what it takes to get ahead in today's enterprise environment. It turns out we're consistently solving the same problems while ignoring the bigger ones around the corner
by Elana Varon

Moved to Irvine, Orange County, California

Dear Creativity and Innovation Blog Readers:

I have not been able to provide any updates on this and the sister blogs on Creativity and Innovation for the past several months. Please accept my sincere apologies for the same. In order to provide a stable and happier future for our kids, my wife and I, we have moved to Irvine, California in Orange County. Our kids have found wonderful schools, are beginning to make new friends at schools, and are showing tremendous poise as they adjust to a whole new environment. It's not been easy on our kids and us as we made this change. My wife and I are very thankful to friends, family, well-wishers and most importantly, God to have provided us the strength and faith towards making this move and getting back our family together. We are going to miss Fremont. Irvine is the safest place to live, and our kids are already enjoying the many parks, activities, schools and family outings. We pray to God to bless us for a happy future in Irvine.

I am planning to provide weekly updates on this blog beginning October 1, 2007.

Here's to Creativity and Innovation Driving Business.

Sincere regards,
Sanjay Dalal

Toyota's Innovation Factory

How does an organization implement one million new creative ideas each year? And become a perennial top ten profitable companies of the world. And achieve market leadership while relentlessly pursuing perfection and delivering some of the best new innovations the world has ever seen.

Welcome to Toyota’s Innovation Factory. The world knows Toyota as the car maker that produces such great brands as Camry, Lexus, Prius, Scion, Rav4 and more. For example, the introduction of the Hybrid car back in 1997 when other car makers had not even put together a design for a hybrid car, much less a concept car.

Selected references:
Leading eBook on Creativity and Innovation in Business
Creativity and Innovation Best Practices
Creativity and Innovation Case Studies
The Innovation Index
Top 50 innovative companies in the world

Matthew E. May, a senior University of Toyota advisor, and the author of “The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation” puts forth a passionate perspective on how Toyota creates new innovations at the breakneck speed of over 2,500 new ideas implemented every day. How is this possible? Innovation at Toyota has to do with the history, foundation, guiding principles and practice.

Foundation of Elegance and Innovation

Toyota was founded by Sakichi Toyoda as a handloom company. In 1898, Toyoda created Japan’s first steam-powered loom. Toyota Motors began as Toyota Automatic Loom Works, a company whose looms were of the “highest quality, lowest cost, and easiest to use.” Sound familiar. Hence the term “Elegant Solution” which according to May is about “finding the aha solution to a problem with the greatest parsimony of effort and expense.” And May argues that at Toyota, you get elegance from creativity, simplicity, intelligence, subtlety, economy, and quality. Further, May lays the groundwork for the term Innovation, which according to David Neeleman, founder and CEO of JetBlue means: "Innovation is trying to figure out a way to do something better than it's ever been done before." Indeed. This has become one of the guiding principles at Toyota.

Guiding Principles for Driving Innovation

Three guiding principles drive Innovation and create elegant solutions at Toyota, which were originated and finessed by Toyoda:

1. The Art of Ingenuity

May asserts that in order to succeed in an ever complex business world with competing pressures to innovate amidst competitive pressures and yet manage risks and uncertainty, an individual has to be both an artist and a scientist. Ingenuity creates images of cleverness, resourcefulness, initiative, originality, inventiveness, creativity, skill and even cunning – resulting in innovation. Sound contradictory. The key is to continually ask the question: “Is there a better way?”

This is possible if the individual fully leverages their domain knowledge and expertise, continuously pursues every possible way to innovate and perfect, challenges opposition tactfully, does not accept the status quo, and uses organizational efficiencies to drive new ideas and methods. Toyota has made ingenious vehicles such as Camry, RAV4, 4-Runner, RX which have become perpetual favorites in the market place.

2. The (relentless) Pursuit of Perfection

May argues that for a business to succeed at innovation, it has to rigorously search for an optimal solution – one that yields low-cost, low-risk, high-impact breakthrough. Innovation happens at Toyota through systematic pursuit of perfection at every level, every department, in everything Toyota does. Perfection equates to excellence, precision, flawlessness at Toyota. And it is this chase for perfection that creates better processes, products and services for tomorrow, today. It takes many small steps (Collins - Built to Last) to create sustainable innovation. For example, the Lexus cars made by Toyota epitomize perfection in the form of car design, function, performance, service and total satisfaction.

3. The Rhythm of Fit

May propounds that great innovation has to fit – fit the innovator, the times and the larger system. How can a great innovation shape and then change the attitudes and behaviors of people, the way they think, they work, they live? A change that fits in the current time and environment. For example, the Toyota Prius car. A hybrid car that provides plenty of room in the inside, shows solid performance on the highway, provides all the safety features, and gives great gas mileage and range. Toyota envisioned the changing environment of higher gas costs and pollution that wanted a car which is economical to drive, is environmentally friendly (green innovation), and does not sacrifice the inherent need for roominess, safety and performance.

The three principles create both the policy and framework at Toyota for driving innovation and creating elegant solutions. How would you find and drive innovation at your organization? Here are six ways to find innovation. If you are a technology company, read about how Intuit creates innovations and achieves market leadership using similar principles. May asserts that these three principles are non-negotiable and must be adhered to by everyone at Toyota.

Blocking Innovation

May also talks about the obstacles that hinder sustainable business innovation which Toyota has tactfully avoided through out its history. He calls these innovation blockers “temptations”, which are about taking short cuts, trying to hit a home run every time, creating products too complex that are top loaded with extra dressing, and without a real understanding of the innate customer need.

Here are the three Innovation blockers (does your organization block creativity and innovation? Here are some tips to unblock creativity and innovation) that Toyota has avoided over the years:

1. Swinging For Fences

High risk. High reward. NOT. When a company only focuses on trying to go all out for home runs every time at bat, you will strike out more often than not. The key is to build a sustainable batting average -- lasting innovation, and not just go out swinging every time at bat.

2. Getting Too Clever

Every product manager at one time or the other is guilty of adding all those extra "bells and whistles" that the customer does not care about. This happens when you bow in to competitive pressures, or needs of specific customers that are not indicative of the mass market. The company ends up creating products that customers actually run away from.

3. Solving Problems Frivolously

May calls this the "brainstorm" trap, which is creating something that is out of line with the company’s core values, not serving customer’s true needs, and worse yet, something that is created hastily without rigor and analysis.

Ten Practices for Making Innovation

May showcases the following Ten Practices that Toyota has adopted on its core principles towards making Innovation happen:

1. Let Learning Lead
“Learning and innovation go hand in hand, but learning comes first.” Education and Learning can drive substantial innovation.

2. Learn to See
“Elegant solutions often come from customers -- get out more and live in their world.” The key is to unearth the latent needs of the customers, and perceive the emerging needs.

3. Design for Today
“Focus on clear and present needs, or your great ideas remain just that.” Innovation that drives business in today’s market is likely to get funded and succeed.

4. Think in Pictures
“Make your intentions visual -- you'll surprise yourself with the image.” In Six ways to find innovation, we talked about the need for visual imagery.

5. Capture the Intangible
“The most compelling solutions are often perceptual and emotional.” This is where the product manager needs intuition and the ability to read their customers’ minds.

6. Leverage the Limits
“Restraining forces rule -- resource constraints can spur ingenuity.” It is critical to know what you can deliver, how you can deliver and by when.

7. Master the Tension
“Breakthrough thinking demands something to break through.” In Failures and Stumbles driving innovation, we talked about the five takeaways stimulating innovation. Accept that mistakes will be made.

8. Run the Numbers
“Think for yourself -- temper instinct with insight, focus on facts, and do the math.” A sound technical analysis is critical before you begin a new product innovation. This should take into account such factors as risks, probabilities of success, and lessons learned from past projects.

9. Make Kaizen Mandatory
“Pursuing perfection requires great discipline -- create a standard, follow it, and find a better way.” A process is a must have. Think Six Sigma. Think Rigor at Intuit.

10. Keep It Lean
“Complexity kills -- scale it back, make it simple, and let it flow.” Innovation happens when you can simplify the intended application and make it so easy-to-use that it becomes a no-brainer.

Bottomline:

Toyota has become the dominant car maker today based on large part due to the Innovation Factory. A Factory based on a foundation of creating elegant solutions through three guiding principles, avoiding three “temptations” and driving ten production practices.

"Toyota is becoming a double threat: the world's finest manufacturer and a truly great innovator . . . that formula, a combination of production prowess and technical innovation, is an unbeatable recipe for success."

* Fortune, February 2006

Selected references:

Leading eBook on Creativity and Innovation in Business

Creativity and Innovation Best Practices

Creativity and Innovation Case Studies

The Innovation Index

Top 50 innovative companies in the world

Creativity And Innovation in Business Definitive Guide is a 185-page collection of my handpicked 48 Creativity and Innovation best practices, case studies, articles, interviews, and insights on the current state of innovation in business. The eBook provides real-world examples on how the Top Innovators including Toyota, Apple, Google, GE, Proctor and Gamble, Yahoo, Netflix, BMW, Deloitte, Timex, Frito Lays, Johnson & Johnson, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Microsoft, Intel and more innovate and grow their business successfully time and again, especially during trying times. Use this eBook as a guide to find and create game-changing innovations, unblock creativity, and make innovation successful at your business. The Innovation eBook is used by over 300 organizations all over the world including HP, Pepsi, EDS, major universities and business professionals.

Download the Creativity And Innovation in Business eBook Now

References:

Matthew E. May: “The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation”. Free Press. 2006.

Selected references:
Leading eBook on Creativity and Innovation in Business
Creativity and Innovation Best Practices
Creativity and Innovation Case Studies
The Innovation Index
Top 50 innovative companies in the world