Toyota introduced the lean manufacturing system over 40 years ago. Lean is a quality management philosophy that eliminates waste to increase predictability and reliability of the final product. This, in turn, improves customer satisfaction. Many of the elements of lean manufacturing have been applied to other business processes, namely new
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4 Roles of Psychological Safety in Innovation
Amy Edmundson of Harvard Business School introduced the concept of psychological safety about twenty years ago. Psychological safety is a shared belief that a team is safe to take interpersonal risks. Individuals are free and willing to speak openly and honestly about problems without fear of retribution. Teamwork and
Measuring Goals and Accountability
We are now one month into the new year. What has 2019 brought you so far? And more importantly, with 8% of the year already behind us, what have you accomplished? Every year, we set goals and resolve to make major changes. Yet, one month into the year, many of
The “ITEM” Method for Problem-Solving
All of us face business problems. In the field of innovation, we encounter problems in how to interact with customers, which features to include in a new product, and how to lead successful teams. Every problem we face can result in moving along a path toward more success or can
Accelerating Innovation in 2019
You know the feeling you get after attending a great conference? You are energized, optimistic, and inspired. You’ve heard from experts in the field, made awesome new connections with industry professionals, and generated tons of ideas for improving things back home. You’ve highlighted your notes and ordered a whole new
Goal Setting in 2019
It is a tradition to spend time reflecting on our accomplishments at the end of each year. It is also a common practice to make new year’s resolutions as we ring in January 1st. A fresh calendar offers clear perspectivesand an opportunity to finally grab our
Prototypes and Pilots
Jeff is a Product Manager at a large company. He has profit-and-loss responsibility for a well-known consumer brand. Unfortunately, the last new product launch in the brand family was a disaster. The company is sitting on $3M inventory and nearly $1M in raw materials orders. Customers aren’t buying the product and
Leadership Lessons from Green Tea
Recently, my husband and I enjoyed a late weekend lunch at one of our favorite Japanese restaurants. He usually orders a bento box with shrimp tempura while I prefer the grilled salmon. I always order hot green tea because… well, because green tea is a requirement with Japanese food! The
An Idea Life Cycle for Innovation Success
Most of us have lots of ideas. Some of them are good, while others don’t pan out. Our idea span from improving technology and devices to better health care. Ideas are born to solve the great big, hairy problems of the world and other ideas are simple in nature to help us with our daily… Read More
The Power of a Master Mind
When I first heard the term, “master mind” I pictured the character Blofeld from the James Bond movie series. A sinister and evil man, obsessively stroking a long-haired white cat. Blofeld plots to take over the world, perhaps even the universe, but is always foiled by the clever, strong,
Building Innovation Leaders
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