Business Archives

Experimentation and Innovation: How Testing Unlocks the Future

What’s the relationship between experimentation and innovation? Why is it useful to take things apart? How can you figure out what will work in the future? In The Innovator’s DNA, Hal Gregersen, Jeff Dyer, and Clayton Christensen describe five behaviors and skills—what they call Discovery Skills—that are most likely to generate creative ideas. One of these is experimentation. Read more to understand how experimentation in business is critical for innovation and to learn four ways to experiment with new ideas.

Why Shorter Workweeks Should Replace the 9-5

Why do most people work 40 hours per week? Are there benefits of a shorter workweek? The traditional 40-hour workweek is designed to keep employees productive and dedicated to the job, but it actually does the opposite. Instead, working an excessive amount of hours makes employees exhausted and less motivated. The solution is to form a shorter week that prioritizes employees’ happiness and health. Below we’ll look at reasons why a shorter workweek is beneficial and what can be done to implement it.

Why the Huge Number of Dollar General Stores?

What’s behind the huge number of Dollar General stores? Are dollar stores capitalizing on poverty or adding value to society? Dollar stores are the fastest-growing food retailers in the US and are working to become the top dog of one-stop-shopping for America’s poorest citizens. In particular, the number of Dollar General stores is exploding as the retailer opens three new stores a day. Read on to learn what’s behind this massive number of Dollar General stores and why it has some experts concerned.

Why Is Innovation Important in Business? New, Not Just Improved

Why is innovation important in business? What kind of innovation makes the most difference? Innovative businesses change the world. In The Innovator’s DNA, Hal Gregersen, Jeff Dyer, and Clayton Christensen explain how to drive meaningful change by embedding into your organizations and teams the key skills that are shared by the world’s most innovative business leaders. Read on to learn about the importance of innovation in business.

Actionable Gamification by Yu-Kai Chou: Book Overview

5 Steps to Practicing Empathy in the Workplace

Looking for an overview of Actionable Gamification by Yu-Kai Chou? Why are businesses turning to game mechanics to motivate customers and employees? Games have the power to unlock deep reserves of human motivation that drive customer and employee behavior. In Actionable Gamification, Yu-Kai Chou explains why many businesses that try to incorporate game elements into their business strategy end up failing. Keep reading for a brief overview of Actionable Gamification by Yu-Kai Chou.

The Innovator’s DNA: Book Overview & Key Takeaways

Which of your skills should you focus on if you want to be a disruptive innovator? Do you network for ideas and brainstorm for questions? Hal Gregersen, Jeff Dyer, and Clayton Christensen explore why innovation in business is so important. They outline the five behaviors and skills you can adopt to cultivate innovative thinking and explain how to drive meaningful change by embedding these behaviors and skills into your organizations and teams. Continue reading for our overview of The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators.

Gamification Rewards: How to Use Them in Business & Marketing

What are gamification rewards? What are the different types? How can you use gamification in your business? According to Yu-kai Chou, gamification rewards can make or break a game, and designing them effectively for your business can be a challenge. In his book Actionable Gamification, he explains that the key to motivating players with rewards is randomness and mystery. Read on to learn how to design the most effective gamification rewards, according to Chou.

What Are the 5 Discovery Skills? (The Innovator’s DNA)

How can the five Discovery Skills make you a disruptive innovator? Is it necessary to master all five? What’s the most important one? Creative thinking is crucial to innovation. The authors of The Innovator’s DNA describe five behaviors and skills—what they call “Discovery Skills”—that are most likely to generate creative ideas. These are associative thinking, questioning, observing, idea networking, and experimenting. Keep reading to learn the five Discovery Skills, a couple of important considerations about them, and tips for practicing each one.

QuestionStorming: A Tool for Unleashing Creativity & Innovation

What’s QuestionStorming? How can it unlock ideas and solutions you’d never find otherwise? In The Innovator’s DNA, Hal Gregersen, Jeff Dyer, and Clayton Christensen identify five key skills that are shared by the world’s most innovative business leaders. One of these skills is questioning, and the authors recommend a technique called QuestionStorming to develop and implement this skill. Read more to learn how you can use QuestionStorming to find innovative solutions.

Gamification Mechanics of Collectibles: Promote User Engagement

How can using collectibles enhance your gamification mechanics? What are the best strategies for integrating collectibles into games? According to gamification consultant Yu-kai Chou, gamification mechanics are the backbone of the player motivation system in games. One such mechanic is cultivating a sense of ownership through the use of collectibles, which encourages players to continue playing and investing in the game. Read on to learn about the gamification mechanics of collectibles, according to Chou.