The 90% Rule, innovative entrepreneurial thinking for businesses

Nov 9, 2011

The 5 Types Of Employees That Are Destroying Your Business

Elaine Pofeldt, originally published on The American Express Open Forum Blog on October 31, 2011

Some people are easy to avoid hiring because they give glaring hints that they’re unprofessional by doing things like treating your receptionist rudely or showing up an hour late to the interview.

But many experienced entrepreneurs find that there are other folks, who, while polished, can eventually undermine a company culture. Some of these folks provide subtle signs that many bosses miss during the interview process. Others may essentially be good employees, but react poorly to changing circumstances at a company.

Here are five types of employees that can undermine your company—and what you can do to stop them.

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By Ken Tencer Blog, business strategy, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Thinking, entrepreneurship, Innovation, marketing, optimzing innovation, The 90% Rule No comments

Nov 7, 2011

Innovation Insight: “Type and navigate with ease”

One of a series by Ken Tencer, Spyder Works CEO

Research in Motion is takings its lumps these days, but I am impressed by RiM’s new 9900 series BlackBerry. Since fully touch-screen phones came out, I have resisted. I am not a short-form, emoticon kind of guy, and I never felt touch-screen phones were conducive to the long-form e-mails that occupy my day.

I always hoped somebody would combine a sturdy keypad with touch-screen navigation. Well, BlackBerry’s done it. Who knows, if the financial pundits would only leave them to their innovating ways, we might see more of the ground-breaking innovation that took RiM to the top for so long.

As tough as it may be, every company needs to block out the noise and keep a focused eye on new and relevant product introductions. Always.

By Ken Tencer Blog, branding, business, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Thinking, Innovation, social media, strategy, The 90% Rule No comments Tags: business, business strategy, social media, strategy, The 90 percent rule, The 90% Rule

Nov 2, 2011

You Need Both Hemispheres for Innovation

The RSA, an enlightenment organisation committed to finding innovative practical solutions to today’s social challenges, frequently posts animated videos topics. We interpret that these informative videos can help us to understand behaviours and more importantly, how to harness our innovative inner self.

In this RSAnimate, renowned psychiatrist and writer Iain McGilchrist explains how our ‘divided brain’ has profoundly altered human behaviour, culture and society. The video was taken from a lecture given by Iain McGilchrist as part of the RSA’s free public events programme.

McGilchrist explains that our pre-conceived notions about left brain and right brain thinking are not entirely accurate. You need both the left brain and the right brain for both rational thinking and creative thinking.

How does this relate to innovation? Traditionally we have encouraged left brain thinking. That is, de-contextualized, general in nature, fixed, isolated, static and lifeless thinking. This type of thinking does not evolve or become greater than it is. In business, this means that we get trapped in a sort of ‘hall of mirrors’, to borrow McGilchrist’s metaphor, where we continuously learn more about what we already know and don’t adopt any new thinking. Essentially, if we only embrace this type of thinking, we become trapped and can’t innovate or move forward.

The right brain, says McGilchrist, is responsible for individual, changing, evolutionary, interconnectivity, implicit, incarnate, abstract and living thinking. This type of thought is what allows us to evolve, to innovate and to be true entrepreneurs. More credence needs to be given to right brain type thinking in order to move forward in business.

But don’t just take my word for it – watch the video.