Practice of Innovation

"The way we work is our most important innovation." Observations by Curtis R. Carlson

Will Innovation Eliminate Work?

by Curt

i4j Summit on Innovation for Jobs

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Steve Denning and Curt Carlson at the Summit

One of the major questions today is whether America will produce enough meaningful jobs in the future.  The Innovation for Jobs Summit invites speakers and thinkers each year to discuss this topic and propose possible solutions.  Here are two interviews at the conference on these topics by Martin Wasserman.  The first is an interview with me alone and the second together with Steve Denning, who writes regularly on innovation, management, and economic development for Forbes.  Curt interviewed alone here.  Curt with Steve here.

Value-Creation Communities (VCCs)

by Curt

Redefining Work and the Process of Value Creation 

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David Nordfors, Vint Cerf, Curt Carlson, and Robin Farmanfarmaian

One of today’s most important issues is whether in the future society will offer enough meaningful work for its citizens. Some argue that automation will eliminate essentially all human work. Since work is a primary source of human dignity, that is a dark vision of our future. That is not the perspective of the recent Silicon Valley Innovation for Jobs (i4j) conference organized and run by David Nordfors, Vint Cerf, and Robin Farmanfarmaian (see picture).  One reason is the emergence of Internet platforms that connect workers with work, allows the efficient learning of new worker skills, and facilitates global collaboration using innovation best practices.    (more…)

The “Open Enterprise”

by Curt

Must You Ask Permission to Talk to Others?Slide39

Getting the best talent is a challenge for all companies, universities, and government agencies. Great talent is the essential ingredient for achieving innovative success. But in most enterprises there is an equally serious problem – these talented professionals don’t, or are not allowed to, fully collaborate with each other. This means the enterprise’s collective IQ is reduced by orders of magnitude compared to what is possible. (more…)

Improving Innovative Performance

by Curt

The Role of Different Innovation Models112_0807_03z-ford_model_t-assembly_line

There are many models for improving innovative performance. For anyone entering the field it is confusing. The supporters of each approach tend to believe their model can apply to all situations. That is only partially true. There are unique models appropriate to different businesses and for different stages of value creation.  (See also the related post, Visualizing the Innovative Enterprise.) (more…)

Visualizing the Innovative Enterprise

by Curt

Continuous Creation of New Customer ValueSlide4

What does an innovative enterprise look like? Steve Denning and I recently discussed this question.  He asked, what is the right organizational image that communicates the fundamental ingredients required for innovative success? Consider the figure shown, which is my version of our collaborative efforts.

See also the post, Improving Innovative Performance.

Customer focus: Customers and their market ecosystem, to the right, are the focus of all efforts. As Peter Drucker pointed out, “Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two – and only two – basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.”  If should be obvious, but too few enterprises are actively focused on their customers.  (more…)

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