innovation - Page number 4

Can a company bust bureaucracy by liberating people to manage themselves? A team of managers from Roche Pharmaceuticals set out to prove this point through a management experiment—and reaped big dividends in the process. » Read more

What leader today doesn't want more innovation? Yet, producing more (of anything) inside an organization generally leads to more process, which smothers individual creativity and all-too-often kills organizational innovation.

Innovation isn't about structuring a process to lead to an outcome so much as it's about creating space--both elbow room, the space to roam free of bureaucratic rules and red tape, and head room, the freedom to see differently, think wildly, and aim higher. The leaders who generate more creative energy and innovation are always wrestling with the question: How do we design in more slack? Or, how do we cultivate an environment and support work that enlists people as drivers of their own destiny and inventors of the company's future? » Read more

The exploration of open government and civic participation in Kansas City has already begun. This weekend, a new chapter begins. A chapter that will include open source, open data, citizen engagement, a Bike Walk hackathon, and more. In fact, it might materialize into several chapters that could start with rapid-fire lighting talks and end with dueling mayors who are innovating beyond borders. And what would a CityCamp be without an unconference? That's a whole chapter by itself.

Meet Jase Wilson, a civic entrepreneur and CEO of Luminopolis. He's one of the main organizers for CityCamp Kansas City. Before I head out to Kansas City this weekend, I wanted to know more about the event and the open government movement in the Kansas City metro area. Here's my interview with Jase Wilson. » Read more

Oracle v. Google has all the ingredients of an epic, high-stakes courtroom battle: a damages claim of up to $1 billion over the use of Java in the popular Android operating system, testimony by both Larrys (CEOs Page and Ellison) in the first week alone, and, of course, the disposition of some interesting legal issues, not the least of them whether APIs can be copyrighted.

But, more than all of that, the case serves as an important teaching moment, illustrating much of what doesn’t work in our patent system. » Read more

You've been thinking about starting an open source company. Or maybe you've got an idea but don't know how to take it to the next level. You need something to accelerate your idea. Maybe you need to pitch it to investors? Perhaps you're looking for a co-founder with skills that compliment yours? Startup Weekend could be the event that gets you moving.

We caught up with some of the organizers from a local Start-up Weekend in the Research Triangle, North Carolina. We wanted to find out what Start-up Weekend is looking to accomplish. And while we were investigating, something unique caught our attention—a track specifically designed for open source. » Read more

One of the great things about being a potter is the way that experience, tools, and tips are shared by those who love the craft. At my first lesson at the potter's wheel, I was blown away by the way my peers (who were strangers at the time) invested in sharing knowledge with the newbies. The more experienced folk were always glad to lend a hand, students modeled the behavior of their teachers, and the class became less of a "follow my lead" and more of a "discover what works" session. » Read more

Last Monday I had the pleasure of being in Mexico City for the OECD's (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) High Level Meeting on e-Government. CIO's from a number of countries were present - including Australia, Canada, the UK and Mexico (among others). But what really got me going was a presentation by Chris Vein, the Deputy United States Chief Technology Officer for Government Innovation. » Read more

While the global financial meltdown and its aftershocks have unleashed a flood of indignation, condemnation, and protest upon Wall Street, the crisis has exposed a deeper distrust and implacable resentment of capitalism itself. » Read more

Last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) announced a "Commerce Business Apps Challenge" to developers to look for innovative ways to utilize the Department’s  and other publicly available data to help businesses identify opportunities, grow, enhance productivity and create jobs.

With the submission deadline of April 30 fast approaching, I interviewed the Department’s Mike Kruger who is heading up the effort. » Read more