Innovation Management - The online learning center for Managing Innovation.

In this series of three articles Paul Hobcraft explores the value of knowledge and education for innovation. Concluding the discussion, in part three the author reviews faulty innovation practice and argues in favor of recognizing innovation as a value enhancing and organizational life-changing event we need to move towards increasingly.

In this series of three articles Paul Hobcraft explores the value of knowledge and education for innovation. Continuing the discussion, in part two the author investigates the various aspects of modern knowledge exchanges including their psychology, mechanisms and complexities that govern them.

In this series of three articles Paul Hobcraft explores the value of knowledge and education for innovation. In part one he opens the discussion by exploring some of the biggest challenges faced by organizations today and provides encouragement to explore emerging practices.

There has been a continued debate around finding and adopting a set of standards for innovation. I blow a little hot and cold on this – not dependent on the time of day but the very “force” that is pushing the agenda along. Far, far too many who push for standards often have very narrow agendas, where this fits their commercial purpose and you get the feeling that they are not as aligned to the broader innovation communities as they should be.

In a completely revised and updated fourth edition, Robert Cooper reminds us that his Stage-Gate process has become the most widely used method for managing new products in industry today. Stage-Gate is an ideas-to-launch process that encompasses a solid body of knowledge and best practice gleaned from studies of thousands of new product developments.

Henry Chesbrough continues to be an influential voice in open innovation. Paul Hobcraft caught up with him on a recent trip to Denmark – and sought clarity on Henry’s latest work in open service innovation.

At the end of March the European Innovation Conference brought together senior executives from Europe’s leading firms. Paul Hobcraft who was at the meeting of innovators describes the outputs.

A new book by Innovation Management contributor Gaurav Bhalla tackles the growing importance of the customer in the innovation process. Paul Hobcraft looks at what it means to collaborate and co-create with customers.

Chesbrough is back with a new book on open innovation, this time extending the open paradigm to services. Paul Hobcraft goes past the sub-title “Rethinking your business to grow and compete in a new era”, in search of the real news.

In this book review Paul Hobcraft looks at “Personality Poker: The Playing Card Tool for Driving High-Performance Teamwork and Innovation” by Stephen M Shapiro.

So here we are already in December. Budgets are being argued, numbers fixed, concepts and plans discussed, high hopes build for a successful 2011. Tell me what did we learn from 2010 from an innovation perspective that we can build upon in 2011?

In this book review Paul Hobcraft looks at “Stoking Your Innovation Bonfire- a Roadmap to a Sustainable Culture of Ingenuity and Purpose” by Braden Kelley, published by Wiley.

In this book review Paul Hobcraft looks at “Service Innovation: How to go from customer needs to breakthrough services,” a book by Lance Bettencourt, published by McGraw-Hill.

In this book review Paul Hobcraft looks at “Reshaping Strategy: Exploring the Content, Process and Context of Strategic Innovation” a book by Marc Sniukas, published at VDM Verlag.

In this book review Paul Hobcraft looks at “Seizing the White Space”- Business Model Innovation for Growth and Renewal, a book by Mark. W Johnson, published by Harvard Business Press.