Innovation You by Jeff DeGraff

I recently read Innovation You: Four Steps to Becoming New and Improved.  It is a new book by the "Dean of Innovation", Jeff DeGraff.

I have been thinking about the topic of innovation.  Change has been so consistent in my life and I know the only way to find more success is to be willing to accept this reality.  If we want to discover our potential we must constantly be innovating.  I have the most fun working with those who are excited by change, as they are the ones who achieve results.

The companies, law firms and individuals I work with want more business in the changed economy, but many have remained the same in their attitudes toward business, sales, marketing, relationships, brand, visibility, etc.....  "We have always done it this way" has become the lamest excuse in the marketplace.  What worked before is no longer the guarantee for the future. (While it might work for some, not paying attention to what is new in your industry is a bad idea).

I also witness this struggle in myself.  As my business grows I find new and exciting opportunities, but I need to expand my expertise.  I am harnessed with the same economic conditions other businesses are facing, but I am not other businesses.  My unique situations present a chance for me to forge my own path to success.  I get excited when I can find ways to overcome problems with a new and fresh approach.

DeGraff is a professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and the Executive Director of Innovatrium, a creativity center for executives.  He works with some of the worlds "best and brightest" to help them rethink their innovation, approach, methods and journey.  His experience is important, but he goes further than just another academic who writes a book... he writes with impact that keeps the reader's attention and interest.

In the end, creativity is the key to innovation and success. He tells stories throughout the book that show how people can overcome the road-bumps and reached their victories.  The game has changed, and we all can use a dose on innovation.

Innovation You is a good book, and it is worth the time to read it, as it will kick-start your own re-engineering process.

Have A Great Day

thom singer

Lesson From Back to School Night

I do not always look forward to the "Back to School Night" ritual that happens each year in our schools. As an involved parent I appreciate meeting the teachers, but have come to believe the format is stale and does not often provide any new information (it is the same agenda my parents had when I was in school).

Last night I was blown away by how excited I was about my high school freshman's teachers, school, and what this means for her future.  She attends a public magnet school program for math and science.  The expectations and culture are very different my high school experience, and I enjoyed hearing from each teacher.  I was inspired by the challenges and opportunities she fill face this year.

The highlight of the night was meeting the "Sci-Tech" teacher and learning about this unique program.  It a mechanical engineering class required of all freshmen, and the students will work on a variety of projects throughout the semester that will engage them in ways I never imagined in school.

My favorite part is the journal they must keep in this class.  Each day every student must answer (in detail) the following five questions:

1.  What did I do or learn today?


2. What will I do or learn tomorrow?


3. What is my current progress: short term and long term?


4. What environmental factors or people influenced my productivity today? (identify setbacks or problems).


5. What did my teammates do today?

Think for a minute if grown-ups in real jobs had to reflect each day on our successes and failures in such a manner.  I am not talking about a typical HR annual review, but a focused reflection on each day.  WOW.  What if these young men and women learn from this experience to be this introspective about their progress for the rest of their lives --- I imagine the sky would be the limit.  I wonder what more I might have accomplished if I had experienced these lessons when I was 14-years-old.

I did not show up at Back to School Night expecting to be impacted.  I have not been able to stop thinking about the power in these questions for the business professionals whom I train and consult.  This morning I worked these five questions (giving full credit to the high school Sci-Tech program) into a speech to twenty people from a variety of careers.  BOOM!, they were all captivated by thought of the results that would come if they had the discipline to ask these questions every day.

What do you think?

CHALLENGE:.  Purchase a small notebook and write these questions on page one.  Everyday for the next month end your workday by pondering your experiences and recording the answers to the five questions.  I imagine if any of us really did this we would see more productivity and creativity spark in our lives.  

Have A Great Day.

thom singer