Posts Tagged ‘roger la salle’

Innovating the Innovators!

Sunday, April 30th, 2017

“Innovating” the Innovators
By Roger La Salle
www.innovationtraining.com.au

Innovation is certainly flavor of the month, if not the decade, but a question worth exploring is whether or not the conventional approach to innovation can itself be innovated?

Traditional tools ask you to find different ways to think about things. For example, use of the open question such as “what if” about a product or service? Whilst this may be an interesting way to stretch the imagination, it really fails to address the real issue which is the “why” of the “what if”?

Another common approach asks people what annoys or frustrates them and how resolving this may lead to breakthrough thinking.

Whilst these methods have great merit they don’t address the real question of how people interface with products and services. This surely has to be a good starting point and that comes down to observation. This is the real secret.

For example, the realization that a force called gravity existed was not an innovation but a discovery. It was the use people made of this observation, the opportunity if you like, that lead to innovations.

So too the principles of buoyancy, thrust, sound, heat, magnetism, light and the like, you name it!
All of these were discoveries, not innovations or inventions, but they opened the door to innovations in ships, submarines, aircraft, acoustics, navigation, flight and many more. The list of innovations resulting from discoveries, or perhaps of observations, is endless.

The secret that conventional approaches to innovation overlook is that of discovery, or as we refer to it “Opportunity Capture”, for without an opportunity there is little scope for innovation.

A better approach is to first explore the “opportunity horizon” and to look for areas of human interface with the products and services we use and with that in mind use one of the techniques we have developed known as “tracking”. This tool is fundamental to the art of “Opportunity Capture”. Indeed there are 36 trigger questions in the “Opportunity Matrix”.

In business, nothing happens until you sell something.

With innovation, nothing happens without first an opportunity.

**** ends ****

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Innovating the innovators!

Friday, April 21st, 2017

“Innovating” the Innovators
By Roger La Salle
www.innovationtraining.com.au

Innovation is certainly flavor of the month, if not the decade, but a question worth exploring is whether or not the conventional approach to innovation can itself be innovated?

Traditional tools ask you to find different ways to think about things. For example, use of the open question such as “what if” about a product or service? Whilst this may be an interesting way to stretch the imagination, it really fails to address the real issue which is the “why” of the “what if”?

Another common approach asks people what annoys or frustrates them and how resolving this may lead to breakthrough thinking.

Whilst these methods have great merit they don’t address the real question of how people interface with products and services. This surely has to be a good starting point and that comes down to observation. This is the real secret.

For example, the realization that a force called gravity existed was not an innovation but a discovery. It was the use people made of this observation, the opportunity if you like, that lead to innovations.

So too the principles of buoyancy, thrust, sound, heat, magnetism, light and the like, you name it!
All of these were discoveries, not innovations or inventions, but they opened the door to innovations in ships, submarines, aircraft, acoustics, navigation, flight and many more. The list of innovations resulting from discoveries, or perhaps of observations, is endless.

The secret that conventional approaches to innovation overlook is that of discovery, or as we refer to it “Opportunity Capture”, for without an opportunity there is little scope for innovation.

A better approach is to first explore the “opportunity horizon” and to look for areas of human interface with the products and services we use and with that in mind use one of the techniques we have developed known as “tracking”. This tool is fundamental to the art of “Opportunity Capture”. Indeed there are 36 trigger questions in the “Opportunity Matrix”.

In business, nothing happens until you sell something.

With innovation, nothing happens without first an opportunity.

**** ends ****

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Consequential change – what’s that?

Friday, March 17th, 2017

What are the consequences?
By Roger La Salle www.innovationtraining.com.au
Each Matrix Thinking diagrams carries a bold banner called “Consequential Change”. This asks you to think about the consequences of your innovation.

The boldest ever
The A380 Airbus would probably rank as one of the boldest ever innovations. To even contemplate this was breathtaking. The consequence of introducing the A380 was the need for runways and taxiways at all major hubs worldwide to be upgraded and all terminal building to have a second loading deck. The risk of this being a disaster were vast as the redevelopment costs at all major airports was immense.

Fortunately, the A380 is an outstanding success.

Apple and the I-Phone
When Apple introduced the smartphone they virtually killed their market for I-Pods. However, they clearly had thought about this and so innovated the standard I-Pod by introducing the Nano.

How about Wine labels
Recently an Australian company introduced a thermo-chromatic label for red wines, the idea being that the label colour would indicate the ideal drinking temperature.

I wonder if the prudent wine drinker when selecting a nice bottle may too often pass over this one as not “just the right temperature” wine and choose another, not so labeled?

How about locks?
We worked with an innovator with the “perfect” lock that the user could re-key themselves in seconds for less than one dollar. When presented with this, understandably lock companies were less than enthusiastic. Such a lock bypassed locksmiths, one of their major routes to market. The last thing we should do is threaten our channel.

It’s happening anyway!
The consequences for retailers of on-line shopping have been catastrophic as they operate without the vast overheads of staff, premises and stock. However, in this case the force is unstoppable and we are now see major retailers developing their own e-based channels.

UBER and Airbnb are other examples. Banks may be next, now being firmly in the sights of innovators.

What’s the message?
Innovation needs to be developed with the market consequences in mind, the upside being if you can threaten a major player with your innovation, there is a good chance you will be bought out in very short order for great financial gain.
**** ENDS ****

Roger La Salle, trains people in innovation, marketing and the new emerging art of Opportunity Capture. “Matrix Thinking”™ is now used in organizations in more than 29 countries. He is sought after as a speaker on Innovation, Opportunity and business development and is the author of four books and a Director and former CEO of the Innovation Centre of Victoria (INNOVIC) as well as a number of companies both in Australia and overseas. He has been responsible for a number of successful technology start-ups and in 2004 was a regular panelist on the ABC New Inventors TV program. In 2005 he was appointed to the “Chair of Innovation” at “The Queens University” in Belfast. www.innovationtraining.com.au

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Distance – Curious- to say the least

Monday, February 6th, 2017

Curious to say the least!
By Roger La Salle www.innovationtraining.com.au
A surprise to me…
A recent article from a senior CEO for whom I have some respect caught my attention.

The nub of the article suggested that one of the main problems for Australians with inspired new innovations was the distance to the world’s largest market, the USA.
Is it really true that it’s further travelling from Australia to the USA than the other way round?

Does this strike anybody else as a curious statement?

Why would they bother when we won’t?
Whilst it may be true that the USA is far off, I find it interesting that US based companies will spend millions establishing a place in the tiny Australian market (about the population of the great area of just Los Angeles), but we are daunted by the concept of travelling EXACTLY the same distance to explore the USA market, some 13 times the size of Australia.

One commentator on the Australian car industry even went so far as to say that our problem is that we drive on the other side of the road, compared with the USA and most of the EU. Yet, not surprisingly the “other side of the road manufacturers” spend vast fortunes making cars to suit our tiny right hand drive markets and specific local Design Rules.

So what’s the Issue?
It’s not distance that’s the issue but understanding what true innovation is all about, commercialization and having a proper market entry strategy.

Indeed in a host of workshops we have conducted in recent months covering more than five countries and some 400 SME’s, the common theme was that less than 10% of SME’s have a team developed and agreed business strategy, much less an innovation plan.

Too often we see inspired entrepreneurs confidently travelling to the USA with their basket of innovation expecting to be welcomed with open arms and having the locals embrace them with great vigor. Nothing could be further from the truth, and with Donald Trump now in the White House this is even more the case.

The issue is in the thinking of management, not the distance. The pity is the solution is not all that difficult if one thinks it through carefully.

More about that next article.

**** ENDS ****

Roger La Salle, trains people in innovation, marketing and the new emerging art of Opportunity Capture. “Matrix Thinking”™ is now used in organizations in more than 29 countries. He is sought after as a speaker on Innovation, Opportunity and business development and is the author of four books and a Director and former CEO of the Innovation Centre of Victoria (INNOVIC) as well as a number of companies both in Australia and overseas. He has been responsible for a number of successful technology start-ups and in 2004 was a regular panelist on the ABC New Inventors TV program. In 2005 he was appointed to the “Chair of Innovation” at “The Queens University” in Belfast. www.innovationtraining.com.au

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Colombia – We could learn a lot from these people!

Thursday, December 15th, 2016

We could learn a lot from these people!
By Roger La Salle
www.innovationtraining.com.au
Colombia
The publicity we hear about distant places like Colombia always seems to send a negative, a message that is far from accurate.

I have worked in Colombia on many occasions. It’s a place where I could live and to be honest, I see far more people begging in the streets of Melbourne than I have ever seen in the streets of Colombia.

I recently returned from work with the Chamber of Commerce in Bogota and a major university in Cali. The Chamber in Bogota and much the same in Cali runs innovation programs that would be the envy of the world. These people are knowledgeable, well-resourced and committed. The universities, the buildings and the facilities are to be admired. I have seldom seen better anywhere in the world. For example computer labs with wall to wall 60cm Mac computers, room after room.

UK and Poland
I will be working in the UK, Belfast and then for a week in Poland in January.

Again, much like Colombia, they do things properly. Indeed in January in Poland we have “Matrix Thinking Week”. A week committed to innovation, technology, training and meetings. Even their promotional material is to be admired, clean, crisp and to the point. See www.matrixthinkingweek.com

Coming soon
I’ll report back in late January with the outcomes and news of an exciting new development in Matrix Thinking being done at a university in Cali and expected to be available in January 2017.

These are indeed busy but exciting times and with innovation at the forefront of Government policy in Australia, perhaps the timing is ideal.

**** ENDS ****

Roger La Salle, trains people in innovation, marketing and the new emerging art of Opportunity Capture. “Matrix Thinking”™ is now used in organizations in more than 29 countries. He is sought after as a speaker on Innovation, Opportunity and business development and is the author of four books and a Director and former CEO of the Innovation Centre of Victoria (INNOVIC) as well as a number of companies both in Australia and overseas. He has been responsible for a number of successful technology start-ups and in 2004 was a regular panelist on the ABC New Inventors TV program. In 2005 he was appointed to the “Chair of Innovation” at “The Queens University” in Belfast. www.innovationtraining.com.au

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Business Insight – Too close to see!

Monday, November 28th, 2016

Too Close to See?
By Roger La Salle
www.innovationtraining.com.au
But it’s obvious!
I have a saying, “The obvious once made obvious is always obvious”.

When you point out the obvious to people the common response is, “I knew that”, as well they may have, but in fact they didn’t until it was pointed out.

For example, if I tell somebody that an odd number multiplied by an odd number always yields an odd number outcome, the common response is “of course, I knew that”. Yes they do now, but until told they hadn’t realized it.

Personally I don’t have a problem with that, it’s human nature, but what frustrates me is when people hear the obvious but are unwilling to change and learn, for fear of – well, I don’t know what?

A case in point
You may find this hard to believe, but this is a true story of how we can miss the mark if we are too close to the problem.

Some months ago I was at a function and speaking with a person who sells a common brand of petrol power tools such as chain saws, blowers, mowers and the like. I suggested they should also be into battery tools only to be promptly told that they have a complete range of battery tools.

I was amazed, I didn’t know that and it’s a common brand.

Check it out?
Curious at being so ignorant I went to their web site and looked, only to find nothing of the sort.

I then went to the little search bar at the top of their home page and typed in Battery Tools. The result shocked me – “No tools match this search term”. How could this be, I had been left in no doubt that they had a complete range.

My curiosity aroused I phoned the company and indeed spoke with the very person who told me they had such a range, only to be told that I needed to search “Cordless” not battery in the inquiry bar as “Cordless” is the industry term.

Cordless I thought, so is my petrol blower and chain saw?

Who is your customer?
Whilst cordless may well be the industry term this company’s web site is targeted at consumers and the public in general
who no doubt would refer to such tools as battery tools. Indeed, to cover all contingencies, what harm is there in cross-referencing both terms in their search bar facility?

Being too close – sad but true.
Just a few days ago, many months after this experience I again checked the company web site and again searched battery tools and again the result, “No tools match this search term”.

I find it immensely frustrating to see people so slow to change and to even consider the obvious?
Knowing your business and being close is of course essential, but so too is knowing your customer, who your web site is targeting and how your customer thinks.
**** ENDS ****

Roger La Salle, trains people in innovation, marketing and the new emerging art of Opportunity Capture. “Matrix Thinking”™ is now used in organizations in more than 29 countries. He is sought after as a speaker on Innovation, Opportunity and business development and is the author of four books and a Director and former CEO of the Innovation Centre of Victoria (INNOVIC) as well as a number of companies both in Australia and overseas. He has been responsible for a number of successful technology start-ups and in 2004 was a regular panelist on the ABC New Inventors TV program. In 2005 he was appointed to the “Chair of Innovation” at “The Queens University” in Belfast. www.innovationtraining.com.au

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Strategy – What’s that?

Monday, August 22nd, 2016

Strategy – Innovation – what’s that?
By Roger La Salle

Of course we have a mission
No doubt you have a mission which is most likely about growing your business to be best in class, but do you have a formal documented business strategy? Have you documented underpinning tactics of how you will implement that strategy?

Have you included your team in developing your strategic approach and more importantly, has each member of the team embraced an implementation role with metrics and deliverables they have accepted and agreed? Without that you may be flying blind and simply bounding from one opportunity to the next ever searching for short term revenue and profit growth.

Is it Innovation?
To many people innovation is thought of only in terms of making new and better products and services with the expectation that such new offerings will keep the business buoyant and growing.

Though this is a sound strategy it’s just one of the so called “verticals” that are possible, and the art of innovation, and in particular the new paradigm of “Opportunity Capture” are the means to access the many other verticals to achieve business growth, just some of which include:
• Organic
• Acquisition
• Range extension
• New verticals
• New markets
• Cost down
• Price
• Place
• Variety
• Customer Service
• Quality
• Innovation
• Brand
• Efficiency and speed
• Exports
• Partnering
• Agency
• Franchise
• Off-loading orphan technologies
• Staff inclusion – part MBO
• MBO
• Basic research
• And many more

It’s all very logical
This may all sound like management 101 but how many businesses really do develop a documented strategic approach to business building with underpinning tactics and reports as to progress?

Uncertain times
I think it would be fair to say we are living in uncertain times with businesses all facing margin squeeze, the BREXIT unknowns, the USA deep in election mode and the Chinese market in transition. The time to be revisiting your strategic plan is now, and to do it with your team in an
“off-site” where you are free of disturbances. The alternative may be to wake up one morning and realize the world has changed and we didn’t change with it.
**** ENDS ****

Roger La Salle, trains people in innovation, marketing and the new emerging art of Opportunity Capture. “Matrix Thinking”™ is now used in organizations in more than 29 countries. He is sought after as a speaker on Innovation, Opportunity and business development and is the author of four books and a Director and former CEO of the Innovation Centre of Victoria (INNOVIC) as well as a number of companies both in Australia and overseas. He has been responsible for a number of successful technology start-ups and in 2004 was a regular panelist on the ABC New Inventors TV program. In 2005 he was appointed to the “Chair of Innovation” at “The Queens University” in Belfast. www.matrixthinking.com

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So it’s good to fail – is it?

Thursday, May 19th, 2016

So it’s good to fail – is it?
By Roger La Salle

Are these people “for real”
Yet again I was at a conference hearing speakers on innovators and entrepreneurship in essence extolling the virtues of failure. The inverted logic suggests that if you fail often enough the learnings from this will somehow as if by magic eventually lead to success. It seems that for some it’s axiomatic that failure begets success.

Does this really happen?
Time and time again the common theme of all speakers that have made it big is that they had to fail first to learn the lessons that led to their success. Further, many, no in fact all, suggest that it was their persistence against all the odds that led to their success. The doubters and naysayers were aplenty, but they persisted and won. I have no argument with these people and one must admire their success. Of course the take aways from such presentations are twofold. First, it’s ok, indeed perhaps even good to fail and second, if you persist you will win.

There is a saying I picked up that was doing the rounds in Malaysia some time ago to the effect that a person has only two options, to persist or die. This saying was indeed embraced and promoted as good business thinking. I trust not too many took it literally.

What’s the real message?
Whilst persistence is important, indeed vital, one must be aware of when to stop. It’s a bit like what Einstein is said to have stated, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome is madness. Admittedly, the new product entrepreneur may simply be looking at different ways to make or sell something, but notwithstanding, there does come a time to cut ones losses and move on.

As for the art of failure, yes it’s ok to fail, but fail fast and fail cheap, don’t bet the farm on any single initiative as the odds of success are small, almost vanishingly small when you compare the number of successes with the number of triers.

The digital age
In this the digital age we can now see budding entrepreneur nerds popping up everywhere where the cost of exploring new horizons can be negligible. I wonder how much was invested to get Facebook off the ground, or Twitter or Amazon for example, compared with a company such as Apple where the start-up investment would have been huge.

Sure the digital age has opened new doors, but still the same advice applies.

What now
As more speakers come to the podium, and of course we only get to hear from the successes, please refrain from preaching these uninformed opinions. Failure may be a good learning curve, but it’s not a virtue, nor is blind persistence.
**** END ****

Roger La Salle, trains people in innovation, marketing and the new emerging art of Opportunity Capture. “Matrix Thinking”™ is now used in organizations in more than 29 countries. He is sought after as a speaker on Innovation, Opportunity and business development and is the author of four books and a Director and former CEO of the Innovation Centre of Victoria (INNOVIC) as well as a number of companies both in Australia and overseas. He has been responsible for a number of successful technology start-ups and in 2004 was a regular panelist on the ABC New Inventors TV program. In 2005 he was appointed to the “Chair of Innovation” at “The Queens University” in Belfast. www.matrixthinking.com

**** END ****

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Business Insight – Is it Innovation or Research?

Monday, April 4th, 2016

Is it Innovation or Research?
By Roger La Salle
Setting the scene!
To preface this article the following TED talk may be worth a watch, (although I did give this link in the last article). This talk shows some of our energy problems and is a real laugh as you get into it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg1lFjRKKHY

A little one sided
The ABC in Australia recently screened a program on the virtues of home battery power storage. Unfortunately they failed to once mention that with present technology there is absolutely no financial payback for such a system. Further, even a 10kWhour battery would have insufficient power to cook a single large family roast dinner.

Of course the charging of batteries can be from solar panels but no mention was made of the cost of these or the need to keep them clean or that in Australia even the most sun drenched place has only 36% of full sun hours. To their credit the program highlighted the great benefit of off peak charging from the grid.

No doubt that in the fullness of time local power will be the order of the day. How long it takes us to get there is anybody’s guess but one thing is certain, whilst this technology is being rolled out, with vast subsidies, power prices are being forced up and tax payers worldwide are footing the bill whether or not you embrace this technology. Much the same of course can be said of the power from the ever growing array of wind farms.

On the positive side one may think this will eventually lead to the extinction of the ugly, expensive and fire prone poles and wires – not so.

More poles and wires are being installed every day to support the growing farms of wind generators, again subsidised by the taxpayer.

Personally, I am all for renewables, but at what cost and who is driving this agenda and what is the effect on power hungry industries such as aluminium manufacture or smelting and the like. Is this agenda killing industries in developed countries, industries that make essential products that are not then removed from the face of the earth but simply relocated to lower cost countries with the nett effect on carbon emissions being the same or more likely, even worse.

Can it work anywhere?
Presently I am involved in a project that uses battery power, supplemented in some small way by the grid, but this is a commercial application with real payback, a positive value proposition. That makes it workable and different and we don’t need any government subsidy to make it workable.

Innovation – the way forward
Anybody that knows me recognises I am a champion of innovation, but in the commercial world innovations need to stand on their own legs.

Innovation is about “change that adds value”, otherwise it’s called research.

**** END ****

Roger La Salle, trains people in innovation, marketing and the new emerging art of Opportunity Capture. “Matrix Thinking”™ is now used in organizations in more than 29 countries. He is sought after as a speaker on Innovation, Opportunity and business development and is the author of four books and a Director and former CEO of the Innovation Centre of Victoria (INNOVIC) as well as a number of companies both in Australia and overseas. He has been responsible for a number of successful technology start-ups and in 2004 was a regular panelist on the ABC New Inventors TV program. In 2005 he was appointed to the “Chair of Innovation” at “The Queens University” in Belfast. www.matrixthinking.com

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Is Sustainability – sustainable?

Tuesday, March 1st, 2016

Is sustainability – sustainable?
By Roger La Salle

Is the video more powerful than the pen?
This business insight is a recent TED talk. It exposes some very serious issues, but is quite entertaining and funny as well, so I am advised.

The talk actually went for close to an hour but the TED people very skillfully edited it to their preferred 18 minute format.

Please have a look, think about the message, have a laugh and forward it to a friend or colleague.

Next month’s article will ask the question – “Is it good to fail?”

**** END ****

Roger La Salle, trains people in innovation, marketing and the new emerging art of Opportunity Capture. “Matrix Thinking”™ is now used in organizations in more than 29 countries. He is sought after as a speaker on Innovation, Opportunity and business development and is the author of four books and a Director and former CEO of the Innovation Centre of Victoria (INNOVIC) as well as a number of companies both in Australia and overseas. He has been responsible for a number of successful technology start-ups and in 2004 was a regular panelist on the ABC New Inventors TV program. In 2005 he was appointed to the “Chair of Innovation” at “The Queens University” in Belfast. www.matrixthinking.com

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