Innovation is an Inside Job

From the Heart of Innovation weblog, by Mitch Ditkoff.

"These days, almost all of my clients are talking about the need to establish a sustainable culture of innovation. Some, I am happy to report, are actually doing something about it. Hallelujah! They are taking bold steps forward to turn theory into action. My hat is off to all of them -- and sometimes, my head. Nevertheless, the challenge remains the same for them as it does thousands of other forward-thinking companies and that is, to find a simple, authentic way to address the challenge from the inside out -- to water the root of the tree, not just the branches. In other words, to get down to the essential DNA of what drives innovation.

In today's process-driven, OD-centric, Six-Sigma savvy organization, the tendency is to focus on systems as opposed to people -- as if systems were sufficient to guarantee change. Guess what? Systems are not sufficient to guarantee change. In the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes, "Systems die. Instinct remains."

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Sustainable Globalization - A 2008 Resolution

From the 21st Century Organization blog, by Victoria G. Axelrod

"Sutainable Globalization is not an oxymoron. In the last few days of finishing a book chapter on globalization it occurred to me that I have spent close to two years thinking, writing and consulting about the antiseptic "silicon" world while the "carbon" world has been grinding along half way around the planet, namely China.

The New York Times ran a photo journal series on China - Choking on Growth which causes flashbacks to the US and other developed nations "industrial revolution". China is not alone as other developing nations, India and Mexico, are keeping pace. We in the US complain about off-shoring, however what many do not realize is that by sending our manufacturing elsewhere we have also off-shored our environmental issues. But the chickens are coming home to roost. We only inhabit one planet.

"Corporate social integration" as Michael Porter reinvents the term corporate social responsibility has the unique capability to resolve the "tension between business and society." Imagine leap frogging the 20th century industrial wastes in China by understanding that "business and society are interdependent."

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