For Best Results, Forget the Bonus

“Do this and you’ll get that.” These six words sum up the popular way in which American business strives to improve performance in the workplace. And it is very popular. At least three of four American corporations rely on some sort of incentive program. After all, such incentives are basically rewards, and rewards work, don’t they?

The answer, surprisingly, is mostly no. While rewards are effective … [ Read more ]

Qualities of an Innovator

These days, the “innovation thing” is something of a no-brainer. Indeed, it seems that any company worth its low-salt lunch has identified innovation as a core competency worth developing. Who in their right mind (or is it right brain?) can deny the value of improving things? Isn’t this what human beings — those grand inventors of the microchip and the chocolate chip — are supposed … [ Read more ]

A Call to Innovation

“While many performance improvement programs have talked about innovation and the word is showing up increasingly in advertisements and mission statements, there seems to be little genuine understanding of how to build an innovation organization. We believe that the shift to innovation organizations will not come through programs, regardless of how well thought out they are. It will come by severing ties with the past. … [ Read more ]