July 17, 2009
BREAKTHROUGH COLLABORATION: The Rise of Looser Networks

Ummm... it only took me four years to discover Clay Shirkey's TED lecture about how closed groups and companies will give way to looser networks where small contributors have a much bigger role to play. Fascinating. Well worth the 20 minutes of viewing time...

www.TED.com

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 07:55 AM | Comments (0)

July 15, 2009
Jump Start Innovation in 7 Minutes

I begin this blog posting with a big, fat assumption -- that you, dear reader, are involved in some kind of project, venture, or team that's committed to innovation, growing your business, or breakthrough results.

I'm also assuming that your project, venture, or team, gets in a rut from time to time.

Bold new ideas are needed... a clearer vision of what's possible... and increased forward momentum.

If so, click here. It will take you to an online brainstorming game designed to spark breakthroughs. Reading about it, however, isn't enough. You actually have to DO it.

"If not YOU, who? If not NOW, when?"

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:32 AM | Comments (0)

July 11, 2009
Yoo Hoo! Customer Service! Wake Up!

Mahatma Gandhi knew how to get the word out. Mother Teresa, too. Now, along comes Dave, a guitar player who wouldn't take NO for an answer after United Airlines blew him off after breaking his guitar. Dave didn't just write a complaint letter, he posted a YouTube video that has now been viewed more than 2 million times. Customer service take note! Every customer is a possible Dave.

Thanks to Val Vadeboncouer for the heads up!

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:55 PM | Comments (0)

July 09, 2009
Creativity or Creactivity?

Time? Do you have it or does it have you?

Recent studies have shown that workers get an average 156 e-mails a day. And when they're not reading or deleting emails, they're switching tasks every three minutes.

We're spending more than a quarter of our workday dealing with interruptions and their needed recovery time. Ouch!

The effect of all this firefighting? A pronounced drop in creativity and innovation. Read more about Terese Amabile's research on this topic here.

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:02 AM | Comments (1)

July 07, 2009
No Strings Attached

Tired of going to long, boring conferences that promise to give you the "competitive edge," tool you up with the latest best practices, and supercharge your ability to see the future clearly? Of course you are. And so, in the spirit of true customer service, Idea Champions is happy to provide you NOW with two minutes of priceless wisdom rarely shared at corporate gatherings. (No handouts! No 3-ring-binders! No tapes to buy at the back of the room!)

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:08 PM | Comments (0)

July 02, 2009
The Single Sock Theory

Dear Movers and Shakers:

We now interrupt this blog with an official announcement of the first annual WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SINGLE SOCKS? contest.

While we all have our differences, there is one thing we all have in common and that is the SINGLE SOCKS experience -- as in "Where the hell is my other sock?"

Let the theories begin!

Simply submit your favorite theories here and, who knows, you might end up the GRAND PRIZE WINNER: An Idea Champions Silver Innovation Kit (retails for $199) + five of my unmatched socks (which some sock conspiracists tell me are likely to match yours.) Sock it to me!

Photo

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:58 PM | Comments (12)

Who Are We?

Idea Champions is a consulting and training company dedicated to awakening and nurturing the spirit of innovation. We help individuals, teams and entire organizations tap into their innate ability to create, develop and implement ideas that make a difference.

MitchDitkoff.com
Click here for the simplest, most direct way, to learn more about Idea Champions' semi-fearless leader, Mitch Ditkoff. Info on his keynotes, workshops, conferences, and more.
Storytelling for the Revolution
Storytelling for the Revolution is Mitch Ditkoff's newly published book about the power of personal storytelling to elevate the conversation on planet Earth. Provocative. Evocative. And fun. YOU have stories to tell. This book will help you tell them.
Storytelling at Work
"The world is not made of atoms," wrote the poet, Muriel Rukeyser. "It's made of stories." Learn how to discover, honor, and unpack the stories of yours that show up "on the job" in Mitch Ditkoff's award-winning 2015 book, Storytelling at Work.
Top 5 Speaker
Mitch Ditkoff, the Co-Founder and President of Idea Champions, has recently been voted a top 5 speaker in the field of innovation and creativity by Speakers Platform, a leading speaker's bureau.
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Workshops & Trainings
Highly engaging learning experiences that increase each participant's ability to become a creative force for positive change
Brainstorm Facilitation
High impact certification training that teaches committed change agents how to lead groundbreaking ideation sessions
Cultivating Innovation
Your "best and brightest" are the future leaders of your company, but unless they know how to foster a culture of innovation, their impact will be limited. A one-day workshop with us is all they need to begin this journey.
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Our Heart of Innovation blog is a daily destination for movers and shakers everywhere — gleefully produced by our President, Mitch Ditkoff, voted "best innovation blogger in the world" two years running.
Team Innovation
Innovation is a team sport. Brilliant ideas go nowhere unless your people are aligned, collaborative, and team-oriented. That doesn't happen automatically, however. It takes intention, clarity, selflessness, and a new way of operating.
Awake at the Wheel, Book about big ideas If you're looking for a powerful way to jump start innovation and get your creative juices flowing, Awake at the Wheel is for you. Written by Mitch Ditkoff, Co-Founder and President of Idea Champions.
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