Category Archives: Innovation

Play Your Own Zune

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Stuart Cross

I read in this morning’s FT that the Zune is to be taken off the market. You know, the Zune. What do you mean, you’ve never heard of it? Actually, I’m not totally surprised the Zune may have passed you … Continue reading →

Posted in Innovation, Strategy | 1 Comment

The Art Of Prototyping

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Stuart Cross

I had the good fortune to spend a couple of hours at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on Saturday. My favourite area of the gallery is the impressionist section. You may think that impressionist artists just went straight to … Continue reading →

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Innovation Lessons From The Ancient Greeks

Posted on November 15, 2010 by Stuart Cross

A few years ago I attended a lecture by a psychologist on creativity and chaos theory (yes, really!). In that lecture the speaker outlined the two Ancient Greek concepts of time: (1) kronos – clock time or the passage of … Continue reading →

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Sources Of Growth In Turbulent Times

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Stuart Cross

In periods of economic and social turbulence, it can be tempting to wait for the latest wave of change to hit the shores of your business before deciding where to focus. But the frequency and ferocity of these waves continue … Continue reading →

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New! Fast-Lane Innovation Booklet

Posted on August 13, 2010 by Stuart Cross

I am delighted to announce the publication of my new booklet, Fast-Lane Innovation: How To Accelerate Growth And Leave The Competition Behind. This 43-page booklet helps business leaders make innovation a way of life. It provides insights, case studies and … Continue reading →

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Stop Trying To Be So Clever

Posted on July 1, 2010 by Stuart Cross

We spend so much time trying to find clever, sophisticated solutions to our problems that we can miss the simple, obvious ones. A new dual carriageway is being built close to our village (a remnant of the Labour party’s response … Continue reading →

Posted in Innovation, Performance Improvement, Simplicity | 2 Comments

No Empowerment = No Innovation

Posted on June 22, 2010 by Stuart Cross

No business can continuously and consistently deliver exciting new innovations without the drive, commitment and creativity of its people. As businesses grow, however, the entrepreneurialism that characterised its initial success can be ground down by the implementation of the more … Continue reading →

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Are You An Integrated Innovator?

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Stuart Cross

Strategic advances are made when organisations become the first to find a profitable way to exploit new opportunities. These opportunities may be created by changes in customer tastes, technology, economics or other external factors, or, more likely, a combination of … Continue reading →

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Innovation: Exploit The Unexpected

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Stuart Cross

Managers value predictability; it gives them a sense of control over external events. In my experience, results that do not match initial expectations are not normally welcomed, and actions are quickly put in place to restore performance to expected levels. … Continue reading →

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Mind The Gaps

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Stuart Cross

If you are doing little to find solutions to your customers’ unmet, and often unspoken needs, you will be unlikely to transform your business performance. Transformational innovation occurs when a business finds a way to meet a need that customers … Continue reading →

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