It’s really hard to make massive gains in skill, performance, and talent, especially overnight. But it’s fairly easy to make small changes every day. So if you’re pursuing major improvements, leverage lots of small, easy wins instead.
Category: Innovation
Over the past 25 to 30 years, agile innovation methods have greatly increased success rates in software development, improved quality and speed to market, and boosted the motivation and productivity of IT teams. Now those methods are spreading across a broad range of industries and functions and even reaching into the C-suite. But many executives don’t understand how to promote and benefit from agile; often they manage in ways that run counter to its principles and practices, undermining the effectiveness of agile teams in their organizations.
From their work studying and advising companies that have successfully employed agile methods, the authors have discerned six crucial practices for capitalizing on agile’s potential: (1) Learn how agile really works; (2) understand when it is appropriate; (3) start small and let passionate evangelists spread the word; (4) allow teams that have mastered the process to customize their practices; (5) practice agile at the top; and (6) destroy corporate barriers to agile behaviors. They expand on each, providing executives with a practical guide for accelerating innovation and profitable growth.
Virtual meetings can be challenging to run. Try these seven techniques to make them worth every minute.
The 2012 publication of the New York Times multimedia story “Snow Fall,” about a deadly avalanche earlier that year in Steven Pass, Wash., was a watershed moment for Steve Clayton and Steve Wiens, two Microsoft employees looking to tell better stories about the innovations at their company.
Product differentiation is crucial in our ultra-competitive world. So why do we leave treat culture ― your company’s talent “product” ― as an afterthought?
In ultra-competitive markets, product differentiation is crucial. Countless books, blog posts, talks, and trainings have been dedicated to product development — and with good reason. Without a product that serves a need for a specific target audience and stands apart from the competition, you don’t have a company. And even these factors aren’t enough — you also need to make people aware of your offering and communicate its value in a compelling way through effective marketing and sales positioning.
Disruption, which happens gradually then suddenly, is both a risk and an opportunity. In her important new book about strategic agility, Seeing Around Corners (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, published today September 3, 2019), Rita McGrath shows us how Agile firms must not only see around corners. Even more important, they must take action.