Second Life simulation via blog.centerforinnovation.mayo.edu The Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation is one of the places at Mayo Clinic that participates in Second Life.   The Mayo Clinic is doing some amazing things in the innovation space, using service design. Mayo has a three year track record for holding an annual Innovation conference that engages [...]

The Future Midwest 2011 conference kicked off April 28, 2011. Here are some highlights: Oliver Starr discussing Curation via Pearltree, Example – Louis Vuitton store in Milan, Guggenheim museum in NYC
The Chicago “New Architects including Manifest Digital, consulting + digital including a focus on disruption, change: highlighting generational differences and the role of leadership in dealing with Evening keynote by Dan Gilbert: vision for WEBward Avenue, Make Detroit cars sexy again, the importance of tech and creative companies coming to Detroit. Detroit as a tough, resilent, creative, tech hub.

Higher education, generally not known for high creativity and agile strategy, could use a bit of rethinking, based on this excerpt below. Awhile back, I asked a young friend, Scott to write a guest blog post for Reveln entitled Right Sizing Your Education Options. It was based on learning of his inventive, innovative approach to reducing a high cost for his post-secondary education. Also note, Scott is gainfully employed.

It’s not surprising to me that creativity and imagination, with social media listening, could be a key gateway to the future. I’ve certainly experienced what a lack of it does to work environments. Brian Solis, a respected author, blogger, national speaker who hits it right on regarding traits that represent the future of business.

Theory U features concepts intended to help leaders and managers in the public and private sector break through unproductive patterns of behavior. This includes not listening to their staff and clients’ and producing ineffective patterns of decision making. Otto Sharmer’s diagrams and practices include accessible illustration on paths in listening, for example, reinforced through the book, as a key focus on the left side of the U:

People are usually a lower order value in many organizations, number seven (7) according to consultant Peter Block in his earlier writings.  In some rarified companies, the people rank is quite a bit higher, such as with SouthWest airlines, owing to its success in fractious airline industry. via flickr.com Another author I follow, Jeffrey Pfeffer [...]

The findings cited are common. Consider the Talent Myth not as a myth but as a capacity FACT. Such views that you can be ANYTHING create an economy of self-help seminars, books, academies and plenty of revenue in leadership coaching. One label for this prevailing viewpoint is Blank Slate, a you-can-be-anything view given the proper attitude, support and practice. It is also a recipe for frustration and unhappiness, often limiting full effectiveness and success. Consider a different approach.

Consultants are strategy and a strategy. This post reminded me it was time to integrate as Reveln social media, org. dev. consulting, & leader coaching integrate further via the next generation Reveln website launched May 2010. For example, this post is from my mini-blog Posterous site – the framework will be joined by a promised post on performance & participative organizations supporting strategic agility, my last regular Wordpress entry. My very current list of mini-blogs is at the end of this entry including Reveln Consulting with over 13,000 site views as of April-May, 2010. Posterous is a happening mini-blog service. I’m glad to demonstrate how beautifully it works on the upgraded Reveln website. Thanks Mat Piccinato & Ross Johnson for the website support!

What is Strategic Agility? There’s ample evidence that, no matter how much analysis and planning is done, strategic planning is inherently flawed, quickly out of date, and rendered ineffective due to slow and incomplete execution. This post gives examples as well as an overview of three consultant perspectives highlighting principles of strategic agility and execution including tactical choices for competitive advantage.

Are your goals strategic? This is the third of three posts in the MCG series focused on the goal stage, after “membership” and “control.” At this stage, teams are fully fit and ready to act, if there is a commonly understood goal and a plan to achieve it. As some leaders struggle in defining clear and strategic goals, tools and approaches are offered.