lightbulbsgrowingRemember when innovation was done by a specific department within your organization? The folks in R&D were like the modern day version of the CIA plus the NSA. They couldn’t really talk about what they were working on and the work they did do was under lock and key; it was pretty much the most secretive department within the organization. But innovation today is a very different story. This is the exact topic of a webinar I’m doing with the folks at IBM, which I encourage you to join. Here are some of things we are seeing that are different.

Innovation for all

Today the forward thinking organizations open up innovation to any employee within the organization. Actually, some companies take this several steps further by innovating with partners, suppliers, customers, and even competitors. Anyone connected with the company has the potential to contribute a game changing idea (or even just a regular idea!)

Speed of innovation

Technology today has greatly allowed us to not only scale innovation, but to dramatically increase the time it takes to go from idea to new product. Most companies around the world no longer have the luxury of spending years testing out new products or services. New processes such as the lean startup methodology have also dramatically impacted how innovations are implemented.

Innovation anytime

With collaboration platforms and mobile technology all we need to be able to get work done is connect to the web. Innovation doesn’t have to happen with a bunch of people sitting in a room drawing on a whiteboard. Instead, it can happen across timezones and locations asynchronously. Teams can be spread out all over the world in offices, co-working locations, coffee shops, or home offices.

These are just some of the topics I will be exploring with Chris Crummey, the worldwide director of sales for IBM. Innovation is a big part of the future of work so I look forward to seeing you there! The registration link is here.

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