Robots want to help us stay connected. The Dawn Café where customers mix with robot staff suggests future possibilities for social care. Each of the robots is a physical avatar controlled by a human via phone, tablet or eye-tracking device from their own home or even hospital. Creator Kentaro Yoshifuji explains his innovation as “teleportation.” Those losing... Continue Reading →
Landing the evidence needed to progress an innovation is a big challenge for the best of innovation teams. Stakeholders tend to seek a level of certainty that won't be possible without time, trial and error. Financial projections face benchmarks based on established products or services. Isolating the impact of changes can be particularly difficult where... Continue Reading →
Kendrick Lamar has won 22 Grammys, a Pulitzer prize, achieved 9 billion streams on Spotify last year and will have reached a global audience of 150 million with his Super Bowl half-time show. In my HUMBLE opinion, Kendrick must offer some brand storytelling inspiration. (If you are Hip-Hop rejector do feel free to retreat now).... Continue Reading →
Any self-respecting brand manager will know a stretch to a new category or segment needs to be consistent with the brand's values and identity to prevent consumer disconnect and support success. The fabled* Colgate frozen lasagne story continues to remind brand managers not to overlook brand fit. Stretch success also depends on the business model... Continue Reading →
I have captured some highlights from 2024's typically ECLECTIC portfolio of projects. Many thanks to everyone who approached me for help, contributed insights or bravely participated in my workshops. TECH-ENABLED CARE. The challenge was how to deploy 'tech-enabled care' solutions to sustain independence for adults seeking social care support. Recommended service model embraced the potential... Continue Reading →
Hybrid working is here to stay for many of us. Those living it value the opportunity for greater work-life balance, the freedom to choose when and where to work, the potential for greater efficiency and the removal of a daily commute. NBER research suggests that working from home is valued as comparable to an 8% pay... Continue Reading →
Building team resilience makes a lot of sense. In supporting more effective management of work pressures and a greater ability to adapt to change it combines the benefit of better employee wellbeing, with better organisational performance. Given a context of reported burnout rates exceeding their covid peak levels there is a compelling case for some... Continue Reading →
Career development and destinations are common topics in my coaching conversations. With a lot of my clients leading innovation / transformation I decided I needed a point of view on the competencies linked to their leadership success. Recognising the diversity of roles, cultures and organisational contexts my pragmatic ambition was a model that a) was... Continue Reading →
To be honest I am much more comfortable describing the future of a brand or business than my own future. Despite this I took the challenge of visualising my future 'best possible self' late last year. Writing for just over 2 hours I responded to the instructions used by Laura King in her 2001 study,... Continue Reading →
Goals are good for organisations and individuals If you have read John Doerr's Measure What Matters you will be very aware of the organisational benefits of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). Backed with excellent examples, Doerr demonstrates that focus on prioritised, specific and action-oriented initiatives that flow from strategic priorities are critical for organisational success. He... Continue Reading →
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