Innovation: The Who's Where's and How's

Two thoughts. One on innovation management, the other on innovation casting: 1) In a globalized world where virtual and matrix management is becoming the rigor, we need to change how we manage processes and people. One thing is for certain, however. Personality, energy conveyance and the ability to stimulate, motivate and persuade are still relevant and I would argue more so. The only difference is that now these attributes need to be projected via digital means: video calls, conference calls, the written word on emails, etc…What does this mean? It means that communications and interpersonal kills are more important than ever and need to developed even more so. How to improve on these: attend improvisational sessions, take acting lessons, learn how other cultures communicate and take media training…This just for starters. 2) My wife and I were brainstorming yesterday as to why Facebook users have (some of them) this incessant need to update their profiles constantly. The answer we came...

Trying to tap into the zeitgeist is not an easy thing, but as someone said (paraphrasing): one can never be wrong in trying to bring the future forward. I am starting to hear and read a lot about empathy. (Yes, that human quality that rumor has it we all possess but has been somewhat suppressed by our acquisitive culture.) Books are being written about it and one that I read recently is www.wiredtocare.com/ , a book written by Dev Patnaik, an innovation consultant/guru and all around nice guy. So being someone that likes to look for evidence (anecdotal of course) in real life – you know, life is it happens here and now, visceral, raw, cultured & civil- I have been listening and have found evidence that people are thinking a little more empathetically. I won’t deny it, most of the people exhibiting this new found awareness are what I call “new life agents”; people that are a bit more advanced in terms achieving a holistic humanist vision regarding the whole spiritual/life/purpose/b...