Shake up your Thinking with Dr Ken Hudson

My wife and i attended our daughters school prize giving ceremony last night and it was an inspiring night. Not only for the poise and confidence of the school kids but for a funny and thought-provoking address from an astronomer.   Astronomy, Dr. Watson argued was concerned with answering the big questions. Are we alone? […]

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I came across thsi formula when i was reading Gary Hamels new book called The Future of Management (2007). In it he suggests that leaders should adopt a 70/20/10 view of innovation. By this he means that 70% of the resources should be allocated to projects that can make a difference today, 20% on projects […]

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In a recent article in Strategy & Business (the link is as follows http://www.strategy-business.com/press/enewsarticle/enews112907 ) is a wonderful story of how important it is to see for yourself rather than just relying on reports.
In my experience there is nothing like being out in the field talking to and observing customers using your product or your […]

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In the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday Kristen Le Mesurier laments the lask of innovation by the Australian Government compared to their Japanese conterpoints. Perhaps with a change on government this will change. My suspicion will be that it will not. Innovation and creativity generally requires a diversity of perspectives which this new government does not […]

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What is the most widely used tool and process in management today? I would argue that it is brainstorming yet it has the worst track record. It makes people feel good but rarely produces breakthrough ideas. I was reminded of this when I was working with an insurance company during the week. I gave them the challenge of […]

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My wife and I recently were invited to a top class restaurant in the city. As part of this experience we were also given the opportunity to go behind the scenes and see how the kitchen operates under the instruction of the leading chef.  
The kitchen is a wonderful metaphor for a creative business. There is […]

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Just facilitated a session yesterday with a major soup brand where we placed a group of creative thinkers from our panel in the same room as the client. In this process the client works in a co-creating way with consumers rather than hiding behind a two-way mirror.  
Why is it that marketing people are so […]

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One of the most redeeming features of the culture of Amazon according to its CEO Jeff Bezos is the fact that it values experimentation. He says ‘we are willing to plant seeds and wait a long time for them to turn into trees.’  His criteria for these seeds is that they have to be meaningful […]

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I just read a conversation with Gary Hamel and Lowell Bryon published in the latest McKinsey newsletter and they have both reached the same conclusion that i have reached–organisations are built for specialisation, certainty,analysis but not built for creativity or innovation. This has a number of implications because the need for innovation is greater than ever […]

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According to our survey on our web site, it is not surprising that most people consider the under 25’s to be the most creative age group. There is something about the fact that they might be more open and not scarred from the trials and tribulations of life.
My experience however, is that being creative is […]

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