Today I popped into Waterstones at lunchtime to buy a book. Lots of people seemed to be spending their lunch hours browsing ... out of the thousands of books in the shop how do people choose one ...
- do we pick the books we have heard of? that have been advertised? or are best sellers?
- do we pick the books that are similar to those we've already read? what would make us pick something completely different? (other than being on an innovation course and wanting to improve our diversity!)
- are we swayed by the 3 for 2 offer?
In my recent house hunt I've sometimes noted that the contents of some people's bookcases are almost identical to mine. Are these really the "best" books or has some marketing strategy won me and similar people over?
Would I have bought the same book if I'd gone into a borders or some other bookshop?
Thursday, 28 June 2007
Wednesday, 27 June 2007
Decisions
Everyday I make decisions at work, it goes with the job. Some are big decisions - affecting the working lives of others and often ultimately people's lives outside of work (as whether people enjoy their jobs, or whether they have a job then touches those who are important to them). I make these decisions, they aren't all easy but they get made.
Why is it then that while I normally have no problems making decisions I've recently found myself "agonising" over a couple of decisions .. and initially not being able to see a way to make them. Is it because they have affected me, rather than me affecting others? Is is because they are "new decisions" where I have limited experience of what I am trying to decide? Is it because they are "big decisions" in terms of the impact (financially/emotionally) if my choice isn't right? Is it because there's no right or wrong, the choices are just different? Or am I just having an indecisive "phase"?
What makes some decisions harder to make than others? If innovation is about solving problems/improving things then once the ideas have been generated, decisions will need to be made ..... (and as we'll be working as a group with different starting points this could well be interesting .. or agonising!)
Why is it then that while I normally have no problems making decisions I've recently found myself "agonising" over a couple of decisions .. and initially not being able to see a way to make them. Is it because they have affected me, rather than me affecting others? Is is because they are "new decisions" where I have limited experience of what I am trying to decide? Is it because they are "big decisions" in terms of the impact (financially/emotionally) if my choice isn't right? Is it because there's no right or wrong, the choices are just different? Or am I just having an indecisive "phase"?
What makes some decisions harder to make than others? If innovation is about solving problems/improving things then once the ideas have been generated, decisions will need to be made ..... (and as we'll be working as a group with different starting points this could well be interesting .. or agonising!)
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Observations .....
On our course we were convinced that to improve our innovation skills we need to get good at opening our eyes, observing what is happening without judging too quickly and spotting problems that maybe need a solution.
So I plan to start my blog by trying to do this ...
At work I spend time making sure the site is tidy, that equipment has a home and that any surplus equipment is moved off site. This includes cardboard boxes which should be put into a bailing machine - and if this isn't done I make a fuss as it makes my site a mess and less safe. I'm now in the process of moving house and find that I need cardboard boxes .. but that now I need them they are really hard to come by in large quantities. The local greengrocer has a few (but I have a lot of stuff), I've looked on e-bay - but why should I have to pay for these (when I normally see them as rubbish)?
There must be so many things which are rubbish at one moment and in one context but of value the next ...... is there something more that could be done to get resources and stuff in the place that it's needed (and out of landfill sites/recycling plants)?
So I plan to start my blog by trying to do this ...
At work I spend time making sure the site is tidy, that equipment has a home and that any surplus equipment is moved off site. This includes cardboard boxes which should be put into a bailing machine - and if this isn't done I make a fuss as it makes my site a mess and less safe. I'm now in the process of moving house and find that I need cardboard boxes .. but that now I need them they are really hard to come by in large quantities. The local greengrocer has a few (but I have a lot of stuff), I've looked on e-bay - but why should I have to pay for these (when I normally see them as rubbish)?
There must be so many things which are rubbish at one moment and in one context but of value the next ...... is there something more that could be done to get resources and stuff in the place that it's needed (and out of landfill sites/recycling plants)?
Making a start ....
Welcome to Anna's space ...
For anyone who stumbles on this page this is my first ever blog ... the idea is that it's all about innovation and working to improve this in my company and workplace (and maybe even my world outside of work).
It would be easy to put off starting this blog .. I'm not one for keeping a journal, not sure what to write, not sure what you might make of it, not not sure where this is all going ... but in the spirit of "nothing ventured nothing gained" then I'm up for giving it a go... so here goes.
Innovation .. what's it all about??
Wikipedia defines it as" the process of making improvements by introducing something new" ... I think there's probably far more to it than this (and there are about 10 more pages of explanation) but this is fine as a simple one liner for starters - after all if it's all about improving things that can't be bad!
For anyone who stumbles on this page this is my first ever blog ... the idea is that it's all about innovation and working to improve this in my company and workplace (and maybe even my world outside of work).
It would be easy to put off starting this blog .. I'm not one for keeping a journal, not sure what to write, not sure what you might make of it, not not sure where this is all going ... but in the spirit of "nothing ventured nothing gained" then I'm up for giving it a go... so here goes.
Innovation .. what's it all about??
Wikipedia defines it as" the process of making improvements by introducing something new" ... I think there's probably far more to it than this (and there are about 10 more pages of explanation) but this is fine as a simple one liner for starters - after all if it's all about improving things that can't be bad!
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