Innovation Needs a Home An innovation program needs a home. Many believe it should be as close to the business units or revenue source as possible. While occasionally this works, I have found if the innovation program is placed inside the business unit, typically it results in improvements vs. innovation. Innovation based in the individual…

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Sometimes the fact you are keeping a trade secret is well known in the marketplace. Your product may work better than competitors’ products; you may have a price advantage; or others just cannot replicate your product. Competitors may be working hard to reverse engineer or replicate your secrets. If you want to protect your trade…

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If you have ever watched calf roping in the rodeo, you have seen the cowboy ride out after a running calf, rope it, throw it to the ground, loop a rope around its back legs, and throw his hand in the air. Some innovation programs are run in a similar manner. I have been associated…

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How to Recognize and Grow Different Types of Inventors Innovators are often difficult to recognize. They don’t wear signs or fit a particular personality profile. Sometimes they quietly go through the day while drawing little attention to themselves and many times it seems they cannot stop talking about their ideas or inventions. What often happens…

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I can’t tell you it is a secret – well ok… Trade secrets have a number of fundamental flaws. Probably the most difficult thing about keeping a trade secret is your company has to be able to keep a secret. While the concept of keeping a secret is easy, the implementation can be extremely difficult. With…

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We naturally think an ecosystem should be positive or encouraging toward their end goal and naturally evolve to support their stated purpose. However, innovation tends to be different. If left unchecked or allowed to evolve on its own, innovation within an organization tends to become an innovation prevention program instead of a positive ecosystem to…

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