Most true innovators are independent. They don’t fit well into the processes and procedures that are in play at most companies. They tend to be very interested in ideas and not very interested in developing the ideas. This is normal and must be recognized and even embraced to fully utilize the potential of innovation. Innovators […]

“Be like a postage stamp—stick to one thing until its delivered!” This statement by Josh Billings (the pen name of 19th century American humorist Henry Wheeler Shaw) is truer today than ever! Most of us are too familiar with the requirements for multitasking in the modern business climate. We all have 20 projects on our lists, along with […]

Being part of a trade organization is a great way to learn about innovation in our industry. There are 91,000 trade associations in the U.S. and these groups are responsible for $50 billion worth of volunteer time. That’s a lot of opportunity for learning! Every businessperson should owe part of his time and treasure to […]

Every January, we’re all offered a new start. I say, let’s make the most of it by increasing our personal value and the value of our products and services to consumers. Our value proposition as door and window innovators includes managing new ideas, as well as to improve our influence. The quantity and quality of those ideas, […]

What happens if your organization fails to innovate? As you can imagine, it’s not good. Let’s look at a few examples from just 2018. The companies under Sears Holdings were successful for 120 years and everyone had some buying connection to them. Sears retail was originally famous for its mail order catalog, which advertised thousands of items […]

We are all enjoying a great economy for our door and window products. As the run continues, the need for more innovation to help your competitive position grows. As this need grows, your need to hire innovators grows. So how do you hire the best innovators? A recent blog entry on “Board of Innovation” lists 10 […]

There are many ways to incentivize more innovation in your company. The normal methods of suggestion boxes and surveys may not be getting you the results that you wish. As we often discuss, innovation is the largest need in most companies. One example of a group that jump-started its innovation ideas is Adobe Systems. We […]

As leaders in our industry, how do you really think about innovation? No less of a thinker than Socrates said “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” Knowing your tendencies and real outlook can help focus your innovation efforts. Many of us could use a self-review to help understand how we react to challenges in […]

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” — Thomas Edison Many times we try to measure innovation by how many patents and new products emerge from the work. It is best to rethink this logic and see the difference between just inventing something and building a long-term innovation system. True innovation […]

Just how Innovative is your organization?  Beyond the normal measures of percentage of new products sold and evolutionary products in the pipeline, how change-friendly are you? This understanding is critical to your future and famed writer Peter Ducker agrees stating ” The enterprise that does not innovate inevitably ages and declines. And in a period […]