Meet Walter Hunt - probably the greatest inventor you've never heard of... There’s a famous test, originally developed by psychologist J.P. Guilford, to give an idea of how ‘creative’ a person is. Ask them to think of as many uses as possible for an everyday object – a brick, a glass, a shoe, etc. The idea is that the more ideas you come up with (fluency) plus the number of different categories of idea (flexibility) gives an indication of your ability to think creatively. If

A seasonal story to inspire some New Year innovation (re)thinking.... I knew it was time I left. Outside the traffic was thinning out, the headlights pricking their way through a tired drizzle, the wash from the wheels of the cars reminding the rain of the cats-and-dogs fun it had been having an hour ago. When I’d taken shelter in the friendly warmth of Molloy’s Wine Bar to avoid the worst of it. At least that’s the story I’d told myself as I pushed the glass door open. I was

Welcome to another edition of our regular newsletter with updates on ideas, insights and useful resources around the theme of managing innovation. And with it comes our best wishes for the season and the hope that the New Year brings a bright and innovative future. Click here to read more

Why routines matter for innovating organizations You can listen to a podcast of this story here And you can watch a video version here At this time of year - no matter how hard you fight it - the eventual conclusion is forced upon you by innumerable advertising messages assaulting you from all sides. Wherever you look, whatever you listen to, even in the conversation in the pub where you’ve tried to escape them. Christmas is coming. And with it the season of parties of variou

Exploring the unlikely partnership which sparked a global industry At the age of eighteen Johann Friedrich Bottger was blessed with a...

Unravelling the Skype saga Retirement is a strange thing. Sometimes there’s a big party, a celebration of a working life and the chance...

Why Zara has a lot to celebrate at its fiftieth birthday party May’s a good month for celebrating. Not least the arrival of spring here...

The surprising power of reframing as an innovation tool Neuroplasticity. Not some weird creation of a mad 3D sculptor intent on creating...

How to unlock the power of your ideas through the PR/FAQ framework   Innovation isn’t a solo act, it’s a multi-player game which depends...

How an entrepreneurial couple helped start a retail revolution Image: Canva A gold ingot about the size of an older generation smartphone...

Why absorptive capacity matters in our innovation strategy   We grow through what we know.  Put simply that’s at the heart of the...

How a concert fifty years ago can still provide insight and ideas to help manage innovation 24th January, 1975. Fifty years ago and a...

Why cutting back is sometimes the best innovation approach Every year about this time we move southwards. Like very late swallows....

A seasonal innovation song... Image: Dall-E via Chat GPT Dear Santa… A seasonal innovation song It’s the time of year when letters are...

What we can learn from the past to help navigate the AI storm… There’s a technology out there that’s coming for you. You can’t escape it,...

A standard is an old word for a flag. Back in the days of sailing ships you could see a forest of them fluttering at the stern of ships...

How to unlock the power of recombinant innovation Wandering around Chicago in 1912 William Klann was a man on a mission. He was part of a...

Why high involvement innovation matters more than ever — and how to make it happen Autumn. Season of mists, mellow fruitfulness — and...

Why we need to rethink the story around responsible innovation High on mountain above Oslo you can see the strange angular shape of...

How one man’s innovation provided the missing link for 20th century agricultural revolution There’s a lot of good stuff which comes out...