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# Jeff DeGraff - The Dean of Innovation

Jeff DeGraff, the Dean of Innovation, is CEO of Innovatrium, Founder of Intellectual Edge Alliance, and Clinical Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. Co-creator of the Competing Values Framework and developer of the Innovation Code and Innovation Genome methodologies.

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://jeffdegraff.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Blog](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/) - Explore Jeff DeGraff’s blog featuring insights on creativity, innovation, leadership, podcasts, and strategies for developing a creative mindset.
- [Jeff DeGraff Recommendations of 2025](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2026/01/jeff-degraff-recommendations-2025/) - Explore Jeff DeGraff’s curated selection of the best non-fiction books, articles, and essays of 2025, featuring insights on innovation, leadership, creativity, institutions, and the future of global competition.
- [The Art of Change Remarkable Leadership Podcast](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2026/03/the-art-of-change-remarkable-leadership-podcas/) - Original podcast website The Remarkable Podcast Leadership with Kevin Eikenberry episode webpage: The Art of Change
- [How to Be Awesome at Your Job](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2026/03/how-to-be-awesome-at-your-job/) - Original podcast website Awesome at Your Job with Pete Mockaitis episode webpage: How to Navigate Change and Encourage Innovation
- [The Innovation Code by Jeff DeGraff | Chapter 10](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2024/04/the-innovation-code-by-jeff-degraff-chapter-10/) - Chapter 10 of The Innovation Code explores how the diverse mindsets of the Athlete and Sage fuel powerful innovation.
- [The Innovation Code by Jeff DeGraff | Chapter 1](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2024/03/the-innovation-code-by-jeff-degraff-chapter-1/) - Chapter 1 of The Innovation Code reframes weakness as the hidden source of innovation strength. A dominant worldview is both a gift and a limitation, shaping how challenges are interpreted and solved. Meaningful innovation begins with recognizing this double edge and learning how to combine contrasting strengths rather than seeking comfortable alignment. The framework highlights
- [The Innovation Code by Jeff DeGraff | Chapter 2](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2024/03/the-innovation-code-by-jeff-degraff-chapter-2/) - Chapter 2 of The Innovation Code examines how opposing personalities ignite breakthrough innovation. Rather than focusing solely on individual traits, real progress emerges from the dynamic interactions between contrasting mindsets. Personality assessments often overlook this relational energy, but innovation thrives in the friction between different approaches. Teams function not as isolated dots, but as interconnected
- [The Innovation Code by Jeff DeGraff | Chapter 3](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2024/03/the-innovation-code-by-jeff-degraff-chapter-3/) - Chapter 3 of The Innovation Code explores why constructive conflict is not an obstacle to innovation but its driving force. Using the Competing Values Framework, leaders can better understand the dynamic tension between collaboration, creation, competition, and control. Innovation emerges when contrasting archetypes collide, such as the Artist’s imagination with the Engineer’s precision, or the
- [The Innovation Code by Jeff DeGraff | Chapter 4](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2024/04/the-innovation-code-by-jeff-degraff-chapter-4/) - Chapter 4 of The Innovation Code highlights the essential role of diversity in thought when creating meaningful solutions. Innovation is not a solo performance but a dynamic symphony of differing perspectives, rigorous debate, and shared purpose. Breakthroughs emerge through constructive conflict, where the friction of competing ideas produces hybrid solutions that no single viewpoint could
- [The Innovation Code by Jeff DeGraff | Chapter 5](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2024/04/the-innovation-code-by-jeff-degraff-chapter-5/) - Chapter 5 of The Innovation Code explores how the Artist archetype fuels breakthrough innovation by challenging convention and reimagining what is possible. The Artist thrives on creativity, organic growth, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty, viewing obstacles as opportunities to design a new future. Yet true artistic innovation is not reckless imagination. It requires blending
- [The Innovation Code by Jeff DeGraff | Chapter 11](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2024/04/the-innovation-code-by-jeff-degraff-chapter-11/) - Chapter 11 of The Innovation Code brings together the full spectrum of innovation by highlighting the dynamic interplay between four essential archetypes: the Artist, the Athlete, the Engineer, and the Sage. Innovation emerges not from a single dominant trait but from the tension and balance among creativity, drive, structure, and wisdom. Resistance, uncertainty, and structural
- [The Innovation Code by Jeff DeGraff | Chapter 8](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2024/04/the-innovation-code-by-jeff-degraff-chapter-8/) - Chapter 8 of The Innovation Code examines the art of adaptation in teaching and leadership, emphasizing the importance of questioning assumptions and evolving strategy. When traditional structures fail to engage, growth begins through openness, dialogue, and inclusive approaches that foster genuine connection. By integrating research, community insight, and modern methods, learning environments become more dynamic
- [The Innovation Code by Jeff DeGraff | Chapter 7](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2024/04/the-innovation-code-by-jeff-degraff-chapter-7/) - Chapter 7 of The Innovation Code reveals the extraordinary power of metaphors as a tool for unlocking clarity from complexity. Metaphors allow expansive ideas to be expressed simply while also uncovering hidden layers of insight. By combining the imaginative vision of the Artist with the analytical precision of the Engineer, metaphor becomes a bridge between
- [The Innovation Code by Jeff DeGraff | Chapter 9](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2024/04/the-innovation-code-by-jeff-degraff-chapter-9/) - Chapter 9 of The Innovation Code highlights the transformative influence of the Sage mindset in shaping strong, connected communities. Innovation extends beyond cutting edge tools and technologies into the nurturing of empathy, mentorship, and shared purpose. By weaving diverse ideas into a cohesive cultural fabric, organizations unlock collective wisdom and create lasting value. Progress becomes
- [The Innovation Code by Jeff DeGraff | Chapter 6](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2024/04/the-innovation-code-by-jeff-degraff-chapter-6/) - Chapter 6 of The Innovation Code explores the quiet but essential power of the Engineer mindset in driving meaningful innovation. Engineers are systematic, persistent, and grounded in structure, focusing not on flashy disruption but on refining and improving what already works. Organizations like Dell and Toyota demonstrate how steady, disciplined improvements create scalable and lasting
- [Jeff DeGraff at Schaeffler Symposium](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2010/10/jeff-degraff-at-schaeffler-symposium/) - Jeff DeGraff giving a keynote speech at the Schaeffle Symposium on September 28,2010 at the Detroit Institute of Art
- [Jeff DeGraff Speaking at General Electric](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2010/09/jeff-degraff-speaking-at-general-electric/) - Jeff DeGraff speaks about Leading Innovation at General Electric
- [Jeff DeGraff - Competing Values Framework - Yellow (Part 1)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2010/09/jeff-degraff-competing-values-framework-yellow-part-1/) - Jeff DeGraff Explains the Competing Values Framework - "Collaborate" - at an Executive MBA program at the Ross Business School, University of Michigan
- [Jeff DeGraff - Competing Values Framework Profile - Blue (Part 2)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2010/09/jeff-degraff-competing-values-framework-profile-blue-part-2/) - Jeff DeGraff explains the Competing Values Framework Profile - "Compete" - at an Executive MBA program at the Ross Business School, University of Michigan
- [Jeff DeGraff - Competing Values Framework Profile - Red (Part 3)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2010/09/jeff-degraff-competing-values-framework-profile-red-part-3/) - Jeff DeGraff explains the Competing Values Framework - "Control" - at an Executive MBA class at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan
- [Jeff DeGraff - Competing Values Framework - Green (Part 4)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2010/09/jeff-degraff-competing-values-framework-green-part-4/) - Jeff DeGraff explains the Competing Values Framework profile - "Create" - at an Executive MBA class at the Ross Business School, University of Michigan.
- [Jeff DeGraff Speaking Clip](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2010/08/jeff-degraff-speaking-clip/) - Jeff giving the Keynote address for the incoming MBA Class of 2010 Orientation at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
- [Responsibility of Creativity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/02/responsibility-of-creativity/) - Originality, creativity and divergent thinking are assets. They enable people to spot opportunities for improvement or profit, spawning inventions and innovations. Phrased differently, it could be said that creativity allows people to take advantage of a situation in a way that suits them, resulting in societal benefits or detriments. Henry Ford revolutionized the American manufacturing
- [Welcome!](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2010/12/welcome/) - Welcome to my Blog! I am just getting the blog started, so please check back soon for my first post! - Jeff The Dean of Innovation
- [Status update on January 20, 2011 at 10:09 pm](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/01/status-update-on-january-20-2011-at-1009-pm/) - This interesting article in the Entrepreneur gives a good example of creative destruction, a core tenant of Innovation, and points out some disrupters that are likely to be opportunities for growth. An increasingly dynamic society is filled with opportunities to apply creativity, and the baby-boomers (a generation that did not grow up with the internet)
- [Status update on January 22, 2011 at 6:43 pm](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/01/status-update-on-january-22-2011-at-643-pm/) - http://ping.fm/XcSP4 This is an interesting article from the Harvard Business Review that points out the need for companies to be consistently looking to reinvent themselves, rather that just adapt. Early in a business' life, it is initially dynamic and adaptive as it finds a niche in the market. It then solidifies its processes to maximize
- [Businessweek Article: Innovating in Humanity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/01/businessweek-article-innovating-in-humanity/) - There are many recipes for innovation, as the Ritz-Carlton exemplifies. Dov Seidman points out in this Businessweek article that empowering employees to think up and act on ways to improve customer service is an unconventional, yet very effective, means of bringing out the creative and innovative culture at the Ritz. http://ping.fm/2edy3
- [Generational Wisdom at Google](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/02/generational-wisdom-at-google/) - The rise of internet popularity in the last two decades has led to the emergence of companies that face a new set of challenges. Websites need to optimize the user experience, which is a difficult task when the users' ages range from 5 to 95. As Bruce Nussbaum details in this article, Google has adapted
- [A Marketer's Formula](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/02/a-marketers-formula/) - Marketing requires creativity. It takes getting inside the minds of consumers, and figuring out their wants, needs and motivations. It is an inherently qualitative and imaginative process, more of an art than a science. While the best marketers are able to consistently re-create their successes, 95% of new consumer products still fail. This high rate
- [Emulating Zeus](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/02/emulating-zeus/) - Innovation does not take a genius; it takes will power. Most people have it in them to look at a problem and formulate an invention or innovation as a solution, but what then? This is a point where many become uncertain. It is a point where an uncountable number of potentially earth shaking revelations have
- [Status update on March 11, 2011 at 11:00 pm](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/03/status-update-on-march-11-2011-at-1100-pm/) - Here's a five minute video of me discussing what has been going on in current events and how it ties in with innovation. Check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DTnh0Znr88
- [Unexpected Uses of Innovative Products](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/03/unexpected-uses-of-innovative-products/) - It is quickly becoming apparent that Facebook has more uses than previously thought possible. Companies are so smitten with this new social platform that they are centering advertising campaigns on driving consumers to their corporate Facebook pages. Dissatisfied populaces are using it to express political sentiments, rally citizens to their cause, and stage protests. And
- [Manufacturing a Future](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/03/manufacturing-a-future/) - Much has been made of manufacturing outsourcing in the last twenty years, and the discussions persist. Should companies continue to manufacture domestically or do we outsource and retrain the workers for a different industry? Gary Shapiro wrote an interesting article today in Forbes that beautifully applies this discussion to the recent challenge by President Obama
- [MBA's Facilitation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/03/mbas-facilitation/) - Throughout my blogging I have maintained that anybody can invent, create or innovate. Good ideas don’t have to come from the most intelligent, most educated, or most powerful. Rather, the ideas arise when people apply their minds to areas they know best. It takes the willingness to ponder and think, “how can this be solved?
- [Cater to Creativity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/03/cater-to-creativity/) - American public schools are in quite a bind. They need to improve immediately, if not yesterday, but they are not sure exactly how to make that happen. The US has been slipping down the global educational rankings, and the legislative response has been to increase standardization in schools, focusing particularly on math and science. It
- [Innovating Super Cities](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/03/innovating-super-cities/) - Apparently the size of a city has a direct impact on its innovation. According a report published in Seed Magazine, the number of patents filed, and the quantity of research/education institutions goes up 15% when a city doubles in size. This is an interesting statistic that begs the question, what is the ideal investment for
- [Making Scientific Breakthroughs Commercially Viable](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/02/making-scientific-breakthroughs-commercially-viable/) - During the recent State of the Union Address, the President emphasized fiscal responsibility and a need to focus on innovation to protect America's future. This is not a new direction for the government policy, which has been focusing on maximizing returns on innovation for some time. In March of 2010, the Office of Science and
- [The Importance of IP Protection](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/02/the-importance-of-ip-protection/) - In “A Connecticut Yankee in King Authur’s Court” Mark Twain makes an interesting argument for the importance of intellectual property protection. In it, the protagonist argues that no society can advance without a proper patent office. The sustained technological advancement of the last three centuries can be seen as a testament to IP laws, and
- ["Ecosystem Investing" Strategies](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/02/ecosystem-investing-strategies/) - Developments in corporate strategy come in all shapes and sizes. They can be anticipatory, with companies foreseeing new breakthroughs or deals before they happen, or the may be reactionary, as companies realize existing industry conditions can be harnessed for their benefit. Frequently they are a combination of both. Increasing global connectivity is an example of
- [A Country of Risk Takers](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/03/a-country-of-risk-takers/) - American successes for the last two hundred years are nothing short of impressive. This country created nearly every major invention and world changing discovery in the 19th and 20th century. These achievements have ignited a pride in our country and fueled our patriotism. The slew of successes for the last two centuries has produced an
- [Speaker for the MichBio!](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/03/speaker-for-the-michbio/) - I'm excited to announce that I will be speaking at the MichBio Annual Meeting and Showcase on April 18th. For more info, check out this press release! http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Dean-of-Innovation-Jeff-DeGraff-to-Keynote-at-2011-MichBio-Annual-Meeting-Showcase-1411873.htm
- [Classroom Tech](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/04/classroom-tech/) - Many high schools, colleges and universities are taking stance on the technology revolution when it comes to their classrooms. They are fighting it tooth and nail. Classes typically begin with the professor saying, “Please close your laptops, and turn off your cell phones until class is finished. Thank you.” Students comply without complaint because it’s
- [Innovation Pizza](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/04/innovation-pizza/) - For those who work in the innovation field, life is always about change—bringing change to companies, creating change that will last, changing the way companies are creating change. Sometimes industry professionals need to change how to foster/implement innovation, and to do that, it’s important to acknowledge other innovation concepts. Innovation has hundreds of different professionals
- [Call Your Mother](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/04/call-your-mother/) - Social media has made it incredibly easy to maintain a large social network. Facebook tells you what friends are doing. You get alerts about birthdays and the relationship status of someone you might not have talked to in months. Twitter lets you follow the thoughts and even hunger pangs of people you met at a
- [April Video Interview](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/04/april-video-interview/) - Here's a new interview video discussing innovative company's and overcoming hurdles to innovation. It's been broken up into three parts, one for each of the questions I address. Check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmqjJYIkO40 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkJcmCl8er0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01nobiNicww
- [Innovation Genome – Interview with Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/05/innovation-genome-interview-with-jeff-degraff/) - This is an Idea Connection interview with Jeff about the innovation concepts explained in his Leading Innovation book. From: http://www.ideaconnection.com/open-innovation-articles/00253-The-Innovation-Genome.html
- [Amazon.com: Innovation You: Four Steps to Becoming New and Improved (9780345530691): Jeff Degraff: Books](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/05/amazon-com-innovation-you-four-steps-to-becoming-new-and-improved-9780345530691-jeff-degraff-books/) - Innovation You, the guidebook for personal innovation will be released on July 26, 2011. From: http://www.amazon.com/Innovation-You-Steps-Becoming-Improved/dp/0345530691/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305224275&sr=8-4
- [The Enlivened Self](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/07/the-enlivened-self/) - “Man is a piece of the universe made alive” (Ralph Waldo Emerson) My first memory as child involves wrestling with a rebellious orange life-vest that smelled like an unfortunate combination of grass clippings and Lucky Strikes. In my Grandpa’s trusty old wooden row boat, my older brother John got the enviable lookout point while I
- [SECTION I: First Principles of Growth](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/07/section-i-first-principles-of-growth/) - “Time is the substance I am made of. Time is a river which sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger that devours me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire that consumes me, but I am the fire.” (Jorge Luis Borges) Creativize We travel this world though a
- [SECTION I: First Principles of Growth – Part 2](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/07/section-i-first-principles-of-growth-part-2/) - The diversity of history and thought has provided us with a wide array of building blocks to construct and make sense of our lives. A few highlights to revive the old memory: The Indian sages saw life as an ongoing cycle spinning like a wheel with experiences that mold us into our essential being. They
- [Ride What Moves](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/07/ride-what-moves/) - “Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world” (The Beach Boys) Near Santa Cruz, on beautiful Monterey Bay, there is a marvelous place called Steamers Lane where the accomplished and novice surfers test their skills of balance and timing against the temperamental Pacific Ocean. The rookies jump on their boards too early
- [We Are Only the Star in Our Own Movie; to Everyone Else We Are Just Extras](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/07/we-are-only-the-star-in-our-own-movie-to-everyone-else-we-are-just-extras/) - “I am big! It's the pictures that got small.” (Norma Desmond) While our destiny may move towards wholeness, becoming fully one, we remain only one. We make sense of our world through a fluid narrative that throws us our forgotten lines when we have botched the dialog or lost the story. Our personal script moves
- [The Need for Courage](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/03/the-need-for-courage/) - Stories are great ways to teach lessons. A good story is more interesting than being talked at through bullet points, is easy to remember, and has a setup, a culmination, and a take away. And really good stories are passed along so others can learn from the situation without first hand knowledge. Peter Bergman told
- [Guest Post: Stop Competing – Start Innovating – Part 1](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/07/guest-post-stop-competing-start-innovating-part-1/) - By Daniel Burrus Daniel Burrus Technology Futurist, Keynote Speaker on Business Trends, Technology and Future Trends. Author of the best-selling book, Flash Foresight. Contrary to popular belief, competing with other companies is counterproductive. No matter what your angle for competing – whether you’re competing on price, service, quality, time, design, or anything else – the
- [Innovation You Workshop: Surefire Steps to Achieving Your Goals](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/06/innovation-you-workshop-surefire-steps-to-achieving-your-goals/) - Jeff DeGraff is a visionary in the field of Innovation and Creativity. The long list of companies and organizations who have sought his advice includes GE, Eaton, Coca Cola, the FBI, Telemundo, Pfizer, and many more. His breakthrough methods for the systematic development of innovation, applying innovation to the practice of leadership, and monetizing innovation,
- [Innovation You with Dr. Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/06/innovation-you-with-dr-jeff-degraff/) - Jeff DeGraff is a visionary in the field of Innovation and Creativity. The long list of companies and organizations who have sought his advice includes GE, Eaton, Coca Cola, the FBI, Telemundo, Pfizer, and many more. His breakthrough methods for the systematic development of innovation, applying innovation to the practice of leadership, and monetizing innovation,
- [Jeff DeGraff: The Innovatrium](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/04/jeff-degraff-the-innovatrium/)
- [Guest Post: Stop Competing – Start Innovating – Part 2](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/07/guest-post-stop-competing-start-innovating-part-2/) - By Daniel Burrus Daniel Burrus Technology Futurist, Keynote Speaker on Business Trends, Technology and Future Trends. Author of the best-selling book, Flash Foresight. How to Innovate If you’re ready to stop being a competer and start being an innovator, here are a few tips that will help. Be Future-Oriented Since you’ll be spending the rest of
- [Fail Early and Off-Broadway](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/08/fail-early-and-off-broadway/) - “You know, I believe we have two lives. The life we learn with and the life we live with after that.” (Iris Gaines, The Natural) When Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe opened their new musical Camelot in Toronto in 1960, the curtain came down four and half hours after the opening number – over
- [We Grow When Our Life Sucks](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/08/we-grow-when-our-life-sucks/) - “When you ain't got nothin', you got nothin' to lose” (Bob Dylan) Organizations are designed to maintain their equilibrium. Our culture, customs and rituals are used to underscore our continuity and to eliminate the wild variation that is the human condition. From our socialization in schools to our sacred sacraments in church, we are perpetually
- [There is No Data on the Future Where Growth Happens](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/08/there-is-no-data-on-the-future-where-growth-happens/) - We must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day had been. (Sophocles) Epistemology is the study of what we really know and how we come to know it. When we are self-aware we realize that we come to understand things in different ways and that these biases lead to our enlightenment or
- [The Best Place to Light a Fire is Where the Sparks Fly](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/08/the-best-place-to-light-a-fire-is-where-the-sparks-fly/) - “In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the human spirit.” (Albert Schweitzer) Ralph Waldo Emerson famously noted “There is properly no history; only biography.” This maxim is often
- [Connect the Dots](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/09/connect-the-dots/) - “And if there had been more of the world, They would have reached it” (Luis de Camoes) It is an old saying that innovation happens at the edges of disciplines. Within any field of inquiry the rules of investigation and experimentation become tired and rigid as they focus more on efficiently self perpetuating a line
- [Wholeness is an aspiration; not a destination](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/09/wholeness-is-an-aspiration-not-a-destination/) - “The self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through choice of action.” (John Dewey) Central to the Western consciousness is the concept of progress where our growth is made manifest through our ingenuity and industry with a couple of lucky bounces thrown in for good measure. American literature, music and political philosophy
- [Thoughts on First Principles](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/09/thoughts-on-first-principles/) - “Divine am I inside and out, and I make holy whatever I touch or am touch'd from” (Walt Whitman) In any field of endeavor, there are core assumptions that serve as a foundation for more complex and ornate ideas: The laws of thermodynamics, the hierarchy of needs and the intractable rules of etiquette like never
- [The Structure and Dynamics of Growth - Part 1](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/09/the-structure-and-dynamics-of-growth-part-1/) - Wholonics “Everything is both part of a greater system and a whole thing unto itself” (Immanuel Kant) The term cosmology is usually taken to mean a theory or model of how the universe works or doesn’t depending on the kind of day we are having. It suggests that this set of principles can be applied
- [The Structure and Dynamics of Growth - Part 2](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/09/the-structure-and-dynamics-of-growth-part-2/) - Wholonics How we come to know a thing is a curious amalgam of experience, perception, interpretation and its assimilation with what we believe we already understand. Though we assume our world view to be comprised of astute observation and cool rationality, it’s just as likely to be the product of magical thinking about how do
- [Pay Attention to What Gives and Takes Energy](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/10/pay-attention-to-what-gives-and-takes-energy/) - “It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap We gotta get out while we're young `Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run” (Bruce Springsteen) We are mesmerized by the ball and puck as it moves from one end to the other on the field of play. The contest becomes a series of
- [The Revisionary Visionary](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/10/the-revisionary-visionary/) - Originally published on PsychologyToday.com. In the end, our vision is always revision. In the film The Natural, a parable about redemption set inside the batter’s box, the heroine Iris Gaines tells the fallen slugger Roy Hobbs: “You know, I believe we have two lives. The life we learn with and the life we live with after
- [How We Create is What We Create](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/07/how-we-create-is-what-we-create/) - “If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.” (Lewis Carroll) A trip through the MET or the Hermitage or the Louver reveals the history of western civilization in the color and form of paint and plaster. Renaissance artists like Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael used scientific instruments and employed the
- [The Cavalry Isn't Coming](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/08/the-cavalry-isnt-coming/) - "The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing, in so far as it stands ready against the accidental and the unforeseen, and is not apt to fall." (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus) In old Hollywood Westerns the action started when a disheveled old Gabby Hayes character would ride into camp and announce “The cavalry isn’t
- [Bolster Your Ingenuity and Remake Your Life!](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/07/bolster-your-ingenuity-and-remake-your-life/) - “Whether you’re looking to stay competitive professionally, make a career change, or just be inspired to greater personal creativity, this is the book to light the proverbial fire underneath you. It is a pragmatic step-by-step framework for unlocking the unique capacity for growth in each of us.” –TOM GLOCER, CEO, Thomson-Reuters Groups, PLC Dear friend,
- [Master the Art of SODOTO](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/11/master-the-art-of-sodoto/) - “It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.” (Harry Truman) Ornithologists report that New Caledonian crows fashion twigs into tools for collecting and extracting insects from the hollows of trees. What is more remarkable is that these birds pass their inventions along to others in the flock. With each succeeding migration and generation,
- [Promises, Promises](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/10/promises-promises/) - “Yes, there really is a Kalamazoo” the bumper stickers declared defiantly. Halfway between Chicago and Detroit, the Dutch enclave was crowned the “All-American City” by Life Magazine in the 1960’s. After all it was home to post-war corporate giants like Fisher Body, Checker Motors, the Upjohn Company and that symbol of the generation in motion,
- [Stack the Russian Nesting Dolls](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/10/stack-the-russian-nesting-dolls/) - “like the picture on the Quaker Oats box that shows a figure hold up a box upon which is a picture of a figure holding up a box and the figure smaller and smaller and further away each time a picture of shrinking reality itself….” (Lawrence Ferlinghetti) Matryoshka dolls, or Russian nesting dolls as they
- [I’m Mad as Hell and I’m Not Going to Take It Anymore](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/10/im-mad-as-hell-and-im-not-going-to-take-it-anymore/) - “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore” declared the longtime news anchor Howard Beale in the 1975 film classic Network. In the picture, people everywhere toss open their windows and repeat the catchphrase with a barbaric yap. They rush to the streets in maddening throng to air their grievances. Not
- [Hail to the Victors Valiant](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/10/hail-to-the-victors-valiant/) - Many consider the University of Michigan as the prototype for the modern research university: Largest graduate school in the world, top ranked in most areas, globally connected and integrated, and the winningest football program in the land. Since innovation happens at the edges of disciplines, it’s no wonder that everything from the polio vaccine to
- [Practice Prismatic Thinking](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/10/practice-prismatic-thinking/) - “Four seasons fill the measure of the year; There are four seasons in the mind of man.” (John Keats) The magic of the prism is that it appears to create color from ubiquitous streams of white light that imperceptibly dance about us at all times. Like a cheap Carney trick, all one needs is a
- [Necessity and Innovation: How to Utilize the Blessings of Dark Time](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/10/necessity-and-innovation-how-to-utilize-the-blessings-of-dark-time/) - Why is necessity the mother of invention? If positivity leads to high performance, then why is it that breakthrough innovations have a tendency to emerge in the depths of the worst types of crises? Terrorist attacks, pandemics, political revolutions, financial meltdowns, natural disasters, and the like have forged our modern world in the fiery furnaces
- [In the Pink of Health](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/11/in-the-pink-of-health/) - The Green Bay Packers played their rivals the Minnesota Vikings in what National Football League fans call the “black and blue” division because of the hard hitting play. But something was amiss on this Monday night for both teams wore jerseys with their club colors highlighted in bright pink. After a particularly brutal skirmish, television
- [Innovation You: Creating Growth](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/11/innovation-you-creating-growth/) - My new manifesto for ChangeThis.com has been published: “There are four fundamental forces that pursue competing values and pull us and all the constituents in our situations in different directions: Collaborate, Create, Compete and Control. These forces drive or thwart growth in dyadic oppositions: Collaborate vs. Compete and Create vs. Control. The paradox of growth
- [A Legacy is More Intimidating than any Opposition](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/11/a-legacy-is-more-intimidating-than-any-opposition/) - In the commercial, a very old man with a menacing stare pulls on a black jersey with a small single silver feather while a young woman sings “Bless ‘em All” the tender hymn of the Allied Forces. Each man dissolves into the next younger one signifying the succession of greatness as they don the simple
- [Hedge First, Optimize Later](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/11/hedge-first-optimize-later/) - "Truth will sooner come out of error than from confusion." (Francis Bacon) As with all religions or political philosophies, the converted are always the great evangelists for they have overcome the darkness within to find the greater illumination. But Saint Paul is a particularly difficult figure to reconcile. He is at once both a
- [Wrong Way Columbus](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/11/wrong-way-columbus/) - Most school children know the story of the First Voyage of Christopher Columbus though its interpretation now ranges anywhere from the triumph of the spirit to persevere in the Age of Discovery to some corrupt form of economic plundering in the Age of Imperialism. History is seldom clean. It is full of flawed characters and
- [Think in Terms of Cycles; Not Lines](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/11/think-in-terms-of-cycles-not-lines/) - “To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.” (George Santayana) Most of our Western concepts of time are linear. Chronos, named for the ancient Greek version of Father Time, is sequential and man-made as indicated by the technical name for a watch
- [It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/12/its-not-nice-to-fool-mother-nature/) - Many believe the American Environmental Movement had an unlikely start in 1962 with the publication of The Silent Spring written by a marine biologist named Rachel Carson. While her warnings about the death of birds, thus the silence, and their absence from traditional migratory habitats, thus the spring, facilitated the ban of the pesticide DDT
- [All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Waffle House](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/12/all-i-really-need-to-know-i-learned-in-waffle-house/) - By Guest Author James Adams As evidenced by the “Occupy Wall Street” movement and European debt debacles, the pervasive sense of economic malaise that began more than three years ago isn’t fading anytime soon. The apparent ineffectiveness of stimulus packages and a zero interest rate policy have left Americans understandably skeptical of their government’s ability to
- [Look For the Signs to the On and Off Ramps](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/12/look-for-the-signs-to-the-on-and-off-ramps/) - “We do on stage things that are supposed to happen off. Which is a kind of integrity, if you look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else.” (Tom Stoppard) We rush through the world on the way to our imagined destinations. Though the freeway is disordered and the traffic unyielding, we stay in
- [The Leading Lady](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2011/12/the-leading-lady/) - Corazon Aquino’s ascent to the presidency of the Philippines reads like something out of Shakespeare where heroines “have greatness thrust upon ’em.” The convent educated mother of five and wife of Benigno Aquino, the brilliant Philippine senator and leader of the opposition Liberal Party, went from a minor character in the drama to the leading
- [Customize the Contradictions](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/01/customize-the-contradictions/) - “Crude classifications and false generalizations are the curse of the organized life.” (H. G. Wells) We are awash in contradictions. Predators by nature genetically armed with pernicious incisors and a three pound processor all courtesy of a protein rich diet for a few million years, our fondness for beast and fowl as conscientious objectors may
- [The Most American Thing In America](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/01/the-most-american-thing-in-america/) - While perfection is praised in most cultures where the steady hand paints the smooth line and polishes the shinning gear, there are some that value novelty instead. Their customs are frenetic and clumsy - a work in progress never fully realized. After the Civil War, the United States was a complex combination of idealist vision
- [Deconstruct to Reconstruct](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/01/deconstruct-to-reconstruct/) - No single thing abides; but all things flow. Fragment to fragment clings - the things thus grow Until we know them and name them. By degrees They melt, and are no more the things we know. (Lucretius) Democritus was a loony. He believed that the entirety of the universe is composed of indivisible units of
- [A Waldorf Salad](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/01/a-waldorf-salad/) - Nineteenth Century social innovator, mystic and eclecticist extraordinaire Rudolf Steiner sought to synthesize the entirety of science and spirituality through a new approach he called Anthroposophy. This philosophy and accompanying methodologies posited that the integral laws of nature could be applied to just about everything imaginable from the arts to medicine to farming. He asserted
- [Youtopia is Nowheresville](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/02/youtopia-is-nowheresville/) - “Beware of sentimental alliances where the consciousness of good deeds is the only compensation for noble sacrifices.” (Otto von Bismarck ) The late antiquity philosopher Plotinus suggested that by means of reason we can intellectually transcend the confines of our body and attain a blissful vision of the perfect places that exist at higher levels
- [A Capital Idea](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/02/a-capital-idea/) - The causes of poverty have long vexed scholar and practitioner alike. Whether the result of political indifference and incompetence or the brutality of famine and war or just the seven deadly sins in action, sustainable solutions have eluded all from village chieftain to the General Assembly of the United Nations. The central challenge of poverty
- [Thoughts On the Structure and Dynamics of Growth](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/02/thoughts-on-the-structure-and-dynamics-of-growth/) - “To truly know the world, look deeply within your own being; to truly know yourself, take real interest in the world.” (Rudolf Steiner) Not all that long ago, we thought that Man was the only sentient animal that walked among the curious amalgam of creatures that share this earth. By virtue of our brain or
- [How to Grow - Part 1](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/03/how-to-grow-part-1/) - “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.” (Yogi Berra) Innovatria Growth is a tricky business. While we start with some clear destination fixed in mind like steadfast Polaris, we surely navigate the most circuitous of routes on way to El Dorado or Shangri-La or some other lost horizon.
- [How to Grow - Part 2](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/03/how-to-grow-part-2/) - There are four basic stages to putting the first principles and structure and dynamics of growth into motion in our own lives: Set high quality targets Enlist deep and diverse domain expertise Run a wide array of experiments Review what works and doesn’t and make revisions First, set high quality targets. It is common to
- [Empty the Bag](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/03/empty-the-bag/) - “Obsolescence never meant the end of anything, it's just the beginning”. (Marshall McLuhan) We are bound up and packaged within our stuff. Not just the expensive shoes in our closet that we never wear but refuse to depart with because they are of good quality, but also our outmoded beliefs, tired rituals and ancient grievances.
- [Exhibit the Artifacts of Life](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/03/exhibit-the-artifacts-of-life/) - Gestalt psychology espouses that we make sense of the chaotic and variant stimuli that barrage us at every moment of our post-modern existence by building dynamic correlations between what we perceive and how we experience it. For example, driving a car requires us to attend to a mixture of information scurrying across the contiguous windows,
- [The Art of Growing Old](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/03/the-art-of-growing-old/) - One of the side effects of my portfolio life is that I travel more than any rational person should. I have inadvertently become an inconspicuous observer of world cultures as I briefly move through all manner of terra incognita. I mostly come away with small fragments that wouldn’t make the final edit of a Rough
- [Take a Higher Point of View](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/04/take-a-higher-point-of-view/) - "I don't care if it's a white cat or a black cat. It's a good cat so long as it catches mice.” (Deng Xiaoping) While the Spanish conquered the native peoples of the Americas with the cruelty of musket and chains and the disjunctive English starved through the winters at Jamestown, the French enjoyed relative
- [Inventory the Goods](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/04/inventory-the-goods/) - In peak moments of flow and manic machinations of enthusiasm unbound we kid ourselves into believing that we truly know who we are in full. Charged events of loss and favor reveal to us in a Satori instant of enlightenment our real potential for depth and insight but often bring only the disappointing intuition that
- [Sync it Up](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/05/sync-it-up/) - “Having just a vision's no solution, everything depends on execution The art of making art is putting it together” (Stephen Sondheim, Sunday in the Park with George) In the old television series Star Trek, the Klingon’s were portrayed as a war mongering race focused on destroying Starfleet, the peacekeeping force for the United Federation of
- [Watch the Weather](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/05/watch-the-weather/) - Some of the most fantastical advancements in modern science and technology are designed to predict weather patterns. Seeing a hurricane gather in plan view on Doppler radar as it creeps towards an indefensible megalopolis or nameless burg is as menacing as any Godzilla versus Rodan smack down. While we may forecast where the wind blows
- [Devise with Revisionary Eyes](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/05/devise-with-revisionary-eyes/) - “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” (Lao Tzu) Politicians use the term revisionist to label both challenger and foe as a liar or as inconstant as a horse midstream. Of course this claim is absurd given that most intractable wars, intolerable religious practices and counterproductive laws are
- [Viva la Revolucion](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/05/viva-la-revolucion/) - French Enlightenment philosopher and impecunious renegade Jean-Jacques Rousseau emblematic bon mot “Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains” was not just an observation on the state of pre-Republican Europe but also a commentary on our self-imposed servitude. Questioning the authority of the monarchy and clergy brought liberté, égalité, fraternité to the common
- [Innovating Your Way to a Good Job](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/10/innovating-your-way-to-a-good-job/) - The Great Recession is over or so we are told. It sure doesn’t feel that way to the millions of Americans still searching for gainful employment. Similarly, there are countless numbers of creative and capable folks looking to find more meaningful work. It’s no wonder. The contraction of the US economy in 2008 was
- [Forget 80/20; Use the 20/80 Rule Instead](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/06/forget-8020-use-the-2080-rule-instead/) - Every revolutionary ends up either by becoming an oppressor or a heretic.” (Albert Camus) We long to be immortal – to live on in song or deed or college endowment. The landscape is splattered with the urge for legacy from the Great Pyramid at Giza to the shapely Taj Mahal to the seriously ugly conceptual
- [Break Down the Game Film](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/06/break-down-the-game-film/) - American football is a game of strategy and confidence tricks that would make a flimflam man rosy. Commanders, sandbaggers and their minions spend the autumn evenings in tenebrous war rooms where game plans are fiendishly devised to out maneuver the enemy in every possible way. From strategic advantage to tactical matchups no scenario is left
- [Hide Inside Trojan Horses](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/06/hide-inside-trojan-horses/) - “It’s better to get something worthwhile done using deception than to fail to get something worthwhile done using truth.” (Carlos Castaneda) Whether Greeks bearing gifts for stalwart King Priam of Troy or a malware computer virus masquerading as a “can’t miss” offer, the Trojan horse has come to represent a manipulative strategy of trickery and
- [Go Double Dutch](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/07/go-double-dutch/) - We see him emblazoned like a superhero on the glossy covers of popular business comic books. The Homeric photo tells the story inside - hands on the hips, powerful stance and clear thinking eyes fixated straight ahead as if he were seeing the future first. This is Outstanding Man - independent, free thinking and self-determining
- [Apprentice the Sorcerer](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/07/apprentice-the-sorcerer/) - “But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talents, new creations. The new needs friends.” (Ratatouille, Anton Ego) In the vaudevillian Monte Python lion tamer skit a timid accountant named Mr. Anchovy enters a career
- [Getting Better Every Day in Every Way](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/08/getting-better-every-day-in-every-way/) - Nineteenth Century French psychologist turned célébrité Émile Coué famously recommended that repeatedly chanting "Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better" would activate the subconscious mind in the process of personal improvement. This principle of positive visualization and repetition is used today in everything from affirmations to help us feel good about our
- [Take Multiple Shots on Goal](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/08/take-multiple-shots-on-goal/) - The laws of probability, so true in general, so fallacious in particular.” ( Edward Gibbon) Retired center Wayne Gretzky is still referred to as the Great One because he holds the record for the most goals scored and assisted in the history of the National Hockey League. In the frozen North Country his legacy of
- [From Theory to Practice](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/08/from-theory-to-practice/) - Enlightenment may be in some degree an article of faith but in substance it is an act of investigation and demonstration.
- [Show; don’t tell](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/08/show-dont-tell/) - “Picture yourself in a boat on a river, With tangerine trees and marmalade skies.Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, A girl with kaleidoscope eyes.” (The Beatles)
- [Enlighten and Entertain](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/09/enlighten-and-entertain/) - From grade school and up we put our wares on exhibition and show and tell the story of our stuff. Of course what we are really doing is manufacturing desire and consent not so much for our acquisitions or handy work but for ourselves. While it may be true that advertisers objectify the beautiful people
- [Make Stone Soup](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/09/make-stone-soup/) - “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality”. (Dante Alighieri ) In the classic children’s story Stone Soup three wily soldiers with no money or food come to a wary village and set a large iron caldron by the well in the town square.
- [Cast the characters](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/09/cast-the-characters/) - The great Italian director Federico Fellini incessantly teased his audience through his combination of cinematic collage and bacchanalian montage glued together into a cohesive ensemble of freak show faces and idiosyncratic incidences. What makes his work memorable is that it feels like our own experiences of life – bits and pieces of film edited together
- [Thoughts on How to Grow](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/09/thoughts-on-how-to-grow/) - “The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.” (Bertrand Russell) There is an epidemic sweeping all the great nations of our world. It’s commonly called “Old Man’s Disease.” It can be seen and heard in all variety of places – airports, restaurants, ball parks, and
- [Ever Onward](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/10/ever-onward/) - “The world is its own magic.” (Shunryu Suzuki) We give counsel to kings, boom to the voice of the wizard and call the blue hot fire of the universe to dance. We are the golden child that has come into our inheritance in every age by seeing anew and delving deep and finessing the fantastic.
- [Three Types of Reviews You Want Your Business to Receive](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/10/three-types-of-reviews-you-want-your-business-to-receive/) - In today’s world, small businesses have nothing short of an extensive array of options when it comes to social networking. Five years ago, being social online was seen as something for young adults and teenagers. In 2004, Facebook was only available to a select number of college students. It did not become available for all
- [4 Fundamentals of Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/08/4-fundamentals-of-innovation/) - Jeff DeGraff explains the four basic principles of innovation
- [Introduction to Leading Innovation and Growth](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/06/introduction-to-leading-innovation-and-growth/) - Jeff DeGraff explains the Leading Innovation and Growth Program at the Innovatrium
- [Competing Values Framework Introduction](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/06/competing-values-framework-introduction/) - Jeff DeGraff explains the Competing Values Framework
- [Rebalancing Your Portfolio Life](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/11/rebalancing-your-portfolio-life/) - Have you ever fantasized about your great escape? You know, the stressful job, the daily grind, the loveless marriage. What if you made a break for it and actually got all the way to the land of plenty only to find that it wasn’t what you really wanted? That’s exactly what I’ve done a
- [Is There Room for Mass Marketing?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/11/is-there-room-for-mass-marketing/) - Is there a place for mass marketing or should businesses focus only on target marketing? Target marketing is designed to give you the most revenue for the least amount of marketing. By directing the marketing towards the specific type of person intended to use your business, you save money and time. There are disadvantages and
- [Your Only Friend](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/11/your-only-friend-2/) - Innovation is different from everything you do as a leader in three distinct ways. First, innovation happens in the future for which you currently have no data. In fact, one of the most common forms of resistance to innovation is excessive data collection because it stops your company from taking purposeful action. Second, innovation is
- [A Conflicted Country And The Strategy of the Third Path (Guest Post by Robert Quinn)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/11/a-conflicted-country-and-the-strategy-of-the-third-path/) - Tuesday was the presidential election. On Wednesday morning I went to the gym. There were two women there who are in their seventies. One was wearing an Obama shirt and looked very happy. The other said to me, “I grew up in WWII and I have always believed that God watched over America. Today I
- [Changing Into Your Christmas Culture](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/11/changing-into-your-christmas-culture-2/) - What if you could change your culture? You know, culture, that invisible collection of beliefs and morals made manifest through your use of language, customs and rituals. Your culture informs everything in your life from how you select your spouse to what you believe about God. Anthropologists study it, business school professors proclaim its
- [Do Your Industry Homework (Guest Post By Megan Totka)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/12/do-your-industry-homework-guest-post-by-megan-totka-2/) - Marketing to your target and targeting your market are two very different concepts. Finding a target market is something your business does once it is established and growing. Before getting that far though, your business must know what market or in other terms, what industry you belong in. You need to know who your competitors
- [Media Attention (Guest Post By Megan Totka)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/12/media-attention-guest-post-by-megan-totka-2/) - Is media attention even helpful anymore? Whether news media on local TV at 5 p.m. or social media flooding in at all hours through Facebook, Twitter and the likes of them, information is quickly spread regarding news and events around the world. Even business reviews get tangled up in the media. We rely on this
- [End the Love-Hate Relationship with Sales](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/01/end-the-love-hate-relationship-with-sales-3/) - By Guest Authors David and Marhnelle Hibbard Many salespeople have a love-hate relationship with sales. They love the profession, but they often hate bringing in net new logos. It’s the classic case of wanting to have it all without the most dreaded aspect of the process. If you’ve been in the business of selling for many
- [Your New Year’s Absolution](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/01/your-new-years-absolution/) - When did ambition become a bad thing? If you just read the comments under your favorite blogs and columns you would think we’ve become a nation of naysayers, slackers and reactionaries with a poor command of the language save expletives - “Life is unfair and you suck.” Apparently there is always someone to blame -
- [The Missed Market (Guest Post By Megan Totka)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/01/the-missed-market-guest-post-by-megan-totka-2/) - When you picture your target, what do you aim for? The bullseye? Anywhere on the map? The white rings? The red rings? It’s a lot to think about. You target your product to men or women or young adults or families. You target to a certain race or ethnicity or religion, a specific state or
- [Why Leaders Don’t Understand How to Play the Innovation Game – and How You Can Help Them Win](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/02/why-leaders-dont-understand-how-to-play-the-innovation-game-and-how-you-can-help-them-win/) - You run the innovation playbook – a prophetic strategy, a product development obstacle course of a process, a portfolio management radar detection system and a wide array of eccentric creativity methods. You and your team have integrated these plays to the best of your abilities and maybe even trained up some rookies just in time
- [Recreating Your Company](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/10/recreating-your-company/) - Innovation is different from everything you do as a leader in three distinct ways. First, innovation happens in the future for which you currently have no data. In fact, one of the most common forms of resistance to innovation is excessive data collection because it stops your company from taking purposeful action. Second, innovation is
- [Why Innovation Is So Hard](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/01/why-innovation-is-so-hard/) - Chances are, innovation doesn't work where you work -- or only works some of the time, mostly in spite of your organization's system and processes. Why? Because you don't understand what makes the innovation game so different from everything else you do at work -- and you haven't adjusted your playbook to accommodate these differences.
- [Darren Schumacher on Jeff DeGraff & Competing Values](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/01/darren-schumacher-on-jeff-degraff-competing-values/)
- [Jim Mallozzi on Jeff DeGraff & Competing Values](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/12/jim-mallozzi-on-jeff-degraff-competing-values/)
- [Lynn Wooten on Jeff DeGraff & Competing Values](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/12/lynn-wooten-on-jeff-degraff-competing-values/)
- ["The Cavalry Isn't Coming" (Jeff DeGraff @ Prudential Annual Convention)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/11/the-cavalry-isnt-coming-jeff-degraff-prudential-annual-convention/)
- ["Creativity + Execution" (Jeff DeGraff @ Evanta HR Summit)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/11/creativity-execution-jeff-degraff-evanta-hr-summit/)
- ["There is No Data on the Future" (Jeff DeGraff @ La-Z-Boy Conference)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/11/there-is-no-data-on-the-future-jeff-degraff-la-z-boy-conference/)
- ["Clever Mike" (Jeff DeGraff @ Innovation You)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/11/clever-mike-jeff-degraff-innovation-you/)
- ["Creative Destruction" (Jeff DeGraff @ Schaeffler Group Conference)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/11/creative-destruction-jeff-degraff-schaeffler-group-conference/)
- [4 Challenges of Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2012/10/4-challenges-of-innovation/) - Jeff DeGraff explains the four most common innovation challenges organizations face
- [Save Us, Creativity!](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/08/save-us-creativity/) - Recently the World Economic Forum came out with their Annual Report of Global Competiveness. Apparently, Switzerland and Singapore are now officially the valedictorian and salutatorian of the global class, while the US is the kid with a lot of potential if only he would apply himself. It would be easy enough to dismiss such news
- [Creating Your Secret Identity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/02/creating-your-secret-identity/) - When I was eight years old I had a secret identity. By day I was mild mannered Jeffrey but when the shadows of the afternoon drew long I became Batman. No, not the brooding and menacing Dark Knight but rather the breezy and kitsch Caped Crusader – POW, BAM, WHAM. I spent every nickel I
- [Super Bowl Advertising: Target Marketing at its Finest (Guest Post By Megan Totka)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/02/super-bowl-advertising-target-marketing-at-its-finest-guest-post-by-megan-totka/) - With each TV commercial I watch, I wonder if I’m the target market. Am I the type of person the business intended to see the ad? When I see things like men’s deodorant or baby diapers I think maybe they got it wrong but then I picture all the other types of people watching the
- [On the Hypocrisy of Innovators](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/03/on-the-hypocrisy-of-innovators/) - Recently I spoke to a conference of leading business school deans about the prospects of the MBA degree. My speech was entitled The Future has Come and Gone and You’ve Missed It. Admittedly this was a pathetic attempt to play the rebellious provocateur to what I occasionally imagine to be a well connected secret society,
- [Alien Innovator Syndrome](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/04/alien-innovator-syndrome/) - Have you ever watched one of those television programs about how aliens have been visiting earth and gumming up the works with their weird science since time time immemorial? It starts out with a legitimate and intriguing premise such as why the Sphinx is really thousands of years older than its tremendous neighbor the Great
- [A Target You Can Count On: Fish Fries (Guest Post by Megan Totka)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/04/a-target-you-can-count-on-fish-fries-guest-post-by-megan-totka/) - Marketing for religious and cultural events can sometimes be very tricky. Businesses have to be sure to stay on the right side of a very fine line which can make it hard in preparing for the holiday season. Many religious holidays specifically have been commercialized making marketing very easy for businesses. Two major examples include
- [Is Facebook Targeting the Right Customers for You? (Guest Post by Megan Totka)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/05/is-facebook-targeting-the-right-customers-for-you-guest-post-by-megan-totka/) - As I scroll through my Facebook news feed, I often come across businesses doing competitions for liking, commenting or sharing their status or business page. Mostly annoyed by the constant begging, I did a little digging to see just what this practice does for your business and if it’s really worth anyone’s time. I was
- [The Graduation Speech I Didn’t Give](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/05/the-graduation-speech-i-didnt-give/) - Well it’s that time of year again. College graduation season is upon us and a temporary feeling of joy and optimism abounds as it should. As for Mom and Dad relief may be a more apt description – there were days they had serious questions about your commitment to the project but now thankfully they
- [MacGyver Mind, McDonald’s Mind](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/07/macgyver-mind-mcdonalds-mind/) - In some practical ways our world is still illuminated by the Scottish Enlightenment that brought us such goodies as electromagnetism, capitalism and single malt whisky. The modern incarnation of Caledonian resourcefulness and skepticism may well be that inventive investigator, Angus MacGyver, and those purveyors of spontaneous hamburgery, McDonald’s. Each represents an important mindset required to
- [For All the Go-to-Guys on Father’s Day](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/06/for-all-the-go-to-guys-on-fathers-day/) - Barry Sanders, arguably the greatest running back to every play football, never spiked the ball when scored a touchdown. He simply handed it back to the official as if it was no big deal. This lack of fanfare and bravado let everyone know that he had made this trip to the end zone before and
- [Oh, The Joys of Screwing Up](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/03/oh-the-joys-of-screwing-up/) - Innovation poses two problems for most leaders, given the way they are trained to think. First, its value diminishes over time; it goes sour, like milk. This year's "must-have" gadget will end up in a landfill next Christmas or at least be overwritten by version 2.0. Second, innovation only pays off in a future for
- [Why the 'most innovative companies' aren't](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/03/why-the-most-innovative-companies-arent/) - Pull out the list of the "most innovative companies" from your favorite business magazine. With the exception of their brand recognition, which is the entry fee for these beauty pageants, they have few innovation practices in common that would distinguish them from the rest of the rabble, whether it's unique strategies, unusual financing, or novel
- [OpenCo Festivals selects Detroit for Upcoming Business Innovation Day](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/07/openco-festivals-selects-detroit-for-upcoming-business-innovation-day/) - DETROIT, JULY 24 - OpenCo, a unique "inside-out" business conference, has selected Detroit as their next global destination for a celebration of open-style business. The event offers networkers, investors, marketers, job seekers and curious neighbors direct access to Detroit's most innovative companies to hear firsthand how they are changing Detroit and the world. Participating companies
- [Making Stone Soup: How to Really Make Collaborative Innovation Work Where You Work](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/08/making-stone-soup-how-to-really-make-collaborative-innovation-work-where-you-work/) - “Creativity is just connecting things.” —Steve Jobs One of the first stories I ever learned to read was called Stone Soup. It was a tale about three wily soldiers with no food or money who come to a wary village and set a large iron cauldron by the well in the town square. As
- [The Innovation Do-Over List](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/09/the-innovation-do-over-list/) - Each year around this time the calls and emails start – magazines, associations, think tanks. “What are the most innovative companies in the world?” Of course the first challenge is to discern what exactly they mean by innovation so I can pander to their readership or membership – elegant product design, profound social impact, money
- [A TED Talk on Changing Health Care from the Outside In](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/09/a-ted-talk-on-changing-health-care-from-the-outside-in/) - So you want to make health care work where you work. OK, you’ve heard the insider’s ideas and seen their big plans – physicians, providers and politicians. But what if the innovative solutions aren’t coming from inside where the status quo prevails? What if the disruptive new ideas for health care are coming from outside
- [Learning to See the Future First](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/09/learning-to-see-the-future-first/) - At last year's Decorative Arts of the World's Fair exhibition at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City I saw a photograph by Charles Thurston Thompson depicting the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris. In a strange way I felt like a voyeur peeping in on the past, hoping for a mere glimpse of something revealing -- a vision of
- [A TED Talk on Changing Health Care from the Outside In](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/09/a-ted-talk-on-changing-health-care-from-the-outside-in-2/) - So you want to make health care work where you work. OK, you’ve heard the insider’s ideas and seen their big plans – physicians, providers and politicians. But what if the innovative solutions aren’t coming from inside where the status quo prevails? What if the disruptive new ideas for health care are coming from outside
- [The Art of Innovation - Art Museums](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/08/the-art-of-innovation-art-museums/)
- [Laurita Thomas on Jeff DeGraff & Competing Values](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/07/laurita-thomas-on-jeff-degraff-competing-values/)
- [Jeff DeGraff - The Dean of Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/03/jeff-degraff-the-dean-of-innovation/) - Jeff DeGraff’s life reads like an innovation playbook. The pages are speckled with failures followed by great successes all because of the mantra adopted at an early age from icon Walt Disney: “Keep moving forward.” Jeff knows how to innovate because he has been through the wringer and rolled with the punches, each time adding
- [Explaining the Competing Values Framework](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/02/explaining-the-competing-values-framework/) - From "Field Notes: Observations & Insights from National Arts Strategies"
- [The Art of Growing Old](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/09/the-art-of-growing-old-2/) - One of the side effects of my portfolio life is that I travel more than any rational person should. I have inadvertently become an inconspicuous observer of world cultures as I briefly move through all manner of terra incognita. I mostly come away with small fragments that wouldn’t make the final edit of a Rough
- [Joyriding With Ayn Rand](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/09/joyriding-with-ayn-rand/) - While ambling down Interstate 94 with the cruise control just a shade above the speed limit, a blood-red pickup truck the size of Philadelphia flew by like a fireball in one of those Armageddon flicks -- cue the impending disaster effects and tell the extras to start running. I didn't get a good look at
- [On Congressional Conflict and Constructive Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/09/on-congressional-conflict-and-constructive-innovation/) - “Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world. “ Arthur Schopenhauer Dale Carnegie advised never to talk about religion or politics in public because you never know who you might offend. While I will leave religion to the wise, I would like to tackle the politics of
- [Stop Starting and Start Stopping if You Want to Make Innovation Happen](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/stop-starting-and-start-stopping-if-you-want-to-make-innovation-happen/) - What if the key to innovation isn’t starting something new? What if the real secret is stopping something old? Think about your life for a moment – that novel you want to write, that company you want to start, that cottage you want to build. You are a productivity juggernaut; a focused professional who can
- [Four Steps to Build Brand Awareness Through Storytelling](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/four-steps-to-build-brand-awareness-through-storytelling/) - By Guest Author, Jonah Sachs, CEO of Free Range Studios Gone are the days when brands could just broadcast their message and reach their audience. They now need a good story to break through. As the media landscape continues to evolve, audiences are gaining more and more control over the information they view and share.
- [Harvesting Winning Ideas](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/harvesting-winning-ideas/) - In most cultures it's common to compare the growth of new ideas to the planting and harvesting of crops. The implicit order organizes the essential actions: Prepping, planting, fertilizing, tending, harvesting and prepping again. The seasons are cyclical and absolute. All attempts to recast the sequence of events lead to failure and hunger. We are
- [Shutdown: Run Washington Like A Business](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/shutdown-run-washington-like-a-business/)
- [The Pangloss Paradox or On Excessive Optimism](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/the-pangloss-paradox-or-on-excessive-optimism/) - The Pangloss Paradox: Optimism is useful in as much as it extends the range of our reason and purposeful creative action but when used as a substitute for either it becomes a means of self deception. Is it possible to be too optimistic? We’ve all seen the signs. Irrational exuberance in the stock market becomes unemployment
- [The Innovation Genome](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/the-innovation-genome/) - Several readers have asked me to describe the fundamental tenets of the Innovation Genome™ which underlies my work in developing innovation strategies, practices, competencies and culture in large multinational corporations. What follows is a most basic description of how it works. An Integral and Systemic Map of Innovation The Innovation Genome™ is typically used to synchronize the vast horizontal functions of
- [In Praise of Control Freak Innovators](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/11/in-praise-of-control-freak-innovators/) - The term innovator usually conjures up some image of a wild eyed megalomaniac dodging authority to outmaneuver convention and stick it to the Man – Einstein, Tesla and Jobs. Sure they had to the whole hair thing going while they rode beams of light or chatted up angels or hung out with the Dalai Lama
- [Control: Large Scale Efficiency and Replicable Quality by Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/11/control-large-scale-efficiency-and-replicable-quality-by-jeff-degraff/)
- [My First Job: I Was Henry Fored in Reverse](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/11/my-first-job-i-was-henry-fored-in-reverse/) - Stories about first jobs usually sound like mythologized twaddle to me. They start out like Horatio Alger’s tales of the poor bootblack Ragged Dick or Carl Sandburg's account of young Abraham Lincoln on the prairie – overcoming all obstacles to prevail, extolling virtue, industry and thrift. Sure, I’m as inspired as the next guy. But
- ["The Discoverers": I Learned to See the Bigger Picture](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/11/the-discoverers-i-learned-to-see-the-bigger-picture/) - I have a thing for plus-size books. You know the ones that refuse to be just another fling – a one-night stand – just a stop on the way to some imagined somewhere. They are the destination. Large books are not for the trifling or immature. They won’t be rushed. A big book requires real
- [On Congressional Conflict and Constructive Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/09/on-congressional-conflict-and-constructive-innovation-2/) - Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world." -- Arthur Schopenhauer Dale Carnegie advised never to talk about religion or politics in public because you never know who you might offend. While I will leave religion to the wise, I would like to tackle the politics
- [Stop Starting and Start Stopping if You Want to Make Innovation Happen](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/stop-starting-and-start-stopping-if-you-want-to-make-innovation-happen-2/) - What if the key to innovation isn’t starting something new? What if the real secret is stopping something old? Think about your life for a moment – that novel you want to write, that company you want to start, that cottage you want to build. You are a productivity juggernaut; a focused professional who can
- [The Innovation Genome](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/the-innovation-genome-2/) - Several readers have asked me to describe the fundamental tenets of the Innovation Genome™ which underlies my work in developing innovation strategies, practices, competencies and culture in large multinational corporations. What follows is a most basic description of how it works. An Integral and Systemic Map of Innovation The Innovation Genome™ is typically used to synchronize the vast horizontal functions of
- [My First Job: I Was Henry Ford In Reverse](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/11/my-first-job-i-was-henry-ford-in-reverse/) - Stories about first jobs usually sound like mythologized twaddle to me. They start out like Horatio Alger’s tales of the poor bootblack Ragged Dick or Carl Sandburg's account of young Abraham Lincoln on the prairie – overcoming all obstacles to prevail, extolling virtue, industry and thrift. Sure, I’m as inspired as the next guy. But what if
- ["The Discoverers": I Learned to See the Bigger Picture](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/11/the-discoverers-i-learned-to-see-the-bigger-picture-2/) - This post is part of a series in which Influencers describe the books that changed them. Follow the channel to see the full list. I have a thing for plus-size books. You know the ones that refuse to be just another fling – a one-night stand – just a stop on the way to some
- [Jumpstarting Innovation - short](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/11/jumpstarting-innovation-short/) - Shortened Jumpstart video with Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO). Jeff DeGraff ran a jumpstart and brainstorming session with the DSO to generate possible strategies for the future.
- [PBS Video 8 Henry Ford Segment Vision of the Perfect Car](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/pbs-video-8-henry-ford-segment-vision-of-the-perfect-car/)
- [PBS Video 3 Innovation You Workshop Set High Quality Targets](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/pbs-video-3-innovation-you-workshop-set-high-quality-targets/)
- [PBS Video1 Innovation You Workshop Competing Values Framework](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/pbs-video1-innovation-you-workshop-competing-values-framework/)
- [PBS Video 9 The Henry Ford segment Thomas Edison Menlo Park team](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/pbs-video-9-the-henry-ford-segment-thomas-edison-menlo-park-team/)
- [PBS Video 10 The Henry Ford segment The Wright Brothers workshop experiments](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/pbs-video-10-the-henry-ford-segment-the-wright-brothers-workshop-experiments/)
- [PBS Video 5 Innovation You Workshop Take Multiple Shots on Goal](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/pbs-video-5-innovation-you-workshop-take-multiple-shots-on-goal/)
- [PBS Video 6 Innovation You Workshop Learn from Experience & Experiments](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/pbs-video-6-innovation-you-workshop-learn-from-experience-experiments/)
- [PBS Video 11 The Henry Ford segment George Washington Carver soybean laboratory](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/pbs-video-11-the-henry-ford-segment-george-washington-carver-soybean-laboratory/)
- [PBS: Video 7 Innovation You Workshop Connecting the Dots](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/10/pbs-video-7-innovation-you-workshop-connecting-the-dots/)
- [Testimonial: Tom Glocer CEO Reuters](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/09/testimonial-tom-glocer-ceo-reuters/)
- [Wholonics: The Structure and Dynamics of Wholeness](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/11/wholonics-the-structure-and-dynamics-of-wholeness/) - Excerpt from THE ENLIVENED SELF eBook series. “Everything is both part of a greater system and a whole thing unto itself.” Immanuel Kant Just as our thoughts and actions are affected by our parents and children, they too are moved by us. We are Self-authorizing beings that have the ability to control and even change some
- [Master the Art of SODOTO: See One, Do One, Teach One](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/12/master-the-art-of-sodoto-see-one-do-one-teach-one/) - Ornithologists report that New Caledonian crows fashion twigs into tools for collecting and extracting insects from the hollows of trees. What is more remarkable is that these birds pass their inventions along to others in the flock. With each succeeding migration and generation, improvements are made and progress becomes discernible. Even in the animal kingdom,
- [What Makes Innovation Different and Hard to Manage?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/12/what-makes-innovation-different-and-hard-to-manage/) - With rendition switcher
- [Innovation as Deviation: Embrace the Unknown](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/12/innovation-as-deviation-embrace-the-unknown/) - Often even the best of leaders struggle with innovation. Why is innovation so difficult and hard to manage? There are fundamental things about innovation that make it different from all the other skills and tasks that leaders perform in their everyday lives. There is a beguiling paradox at the center of all innovation: innovation is
- [From Theory to Practice: Taking Purposeful Action](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/12/from-theory-to-practice-taking-purposeful-action/) - St. Augustine, the brilliant Bishop of Hippo and Professor of Rhetoric at Milan, crafted the Christian Neo- Platonist world view of an unseen and untouched world residing above the earthly one scourged by the infidels and idolaters of the day. His catchphrase credo ut intelligam, “I believe in order that I may understand,” encapsulated this worldview
- [Innovation as Deviation: Embrace the Unknown](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/12/innovation-as-deviation-embrace-the-unknown-2/) - Often even the best of leaders struggle with innovation. Why is innovation so difficult and hard to manage? There are fundamental things about innovation that make it different from all the other skills and tasks that leaders perform in their everyday lives. There is a beguiling paradox at the center of all innovation: innovation is
- [The Enlivened Self: Complete Edition Now Available](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/12/the-enlivened-self-complete-edition-now-available/) - The Enlivened Self: The Art of Growing offers a new kind of learning experience. The Enlivened Self is a set of three ebooks that link together to form a coherent whole, these short volumes offer rich philosophical insight in easy-to-digest small bites. Each part invites you to carve out some space in your daily life to consider
- [Embracing Failure and Working at the Edges](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/12/embracing-failure-and-working-at-the-edges/) - Before you innovate, you need to re-think the way you think about innovation. Innovation surprises us. It’s often not what we would expect it to be—and it often requires us to do things we wouldn’t do in our day-to-day lives. In innovation, failure is unavoidable. Any time you try to learn something new—which is precisely
- [Innovation Is Messy: Navigating the Twists and Turns](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/01/innovation-is-messy-navigating-the-twists-and-turns/) - Innovation is messy. It’s about constructive conflict—not agreement. There are twists and turns—not straight lines. And it happens in gray areas—not black and white spaces. Innovation is not produced by alignment. Go to a meeting at any of the most innovative companies and you’ll see that it’s not a polite tea-and-crumpets conversation. Everyone isn’t following
- [Is This the Accidental End of Marriage, Capitalism and Religion?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/01/is-this-the-accidental-end-of-marriage-capitalism-and-religion/) - What if the next big thing really isn’t a thing at all? What if it’s a way? And what if this way doesn’t bring neatly folded answers but rather a basket of disheveled questions? Often what moves our world goes unnoticed because we are looking somewhere else for something else. I am ever amazed at
- [Is Collaborative Innovation the Miracle Drug to Cure the Pharmaceutical Industry’s Innovation Affliction?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/01/is-collaborative-innovation-the-miracle-drug-to-cure-the-pharmaceutical-industrys-innovation-affliction/) - For many of us the alchemy that creates a life saving miracle drug is the summit of innovation. We may imagine the lone innovator extraordinaire with penetrating foresight and preternatural ingenuity working through the dark and stormy night in an undisturbed laboratory when they are suddenly visited by the muse who whispers “eureka” but that
- [Embracing Failure and Working at the Edges](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/12/embracing-failure-and-working-at-the-edges-2/) - Before you innovate, you need to re-think the way you think about innovation. Innovation surprises us. It’s often not what we would expect it to be—and it often requires us to do things we wouldn’t do in our day-to-day lives. In innovation, failure is unavoidable. Any time you try to learn something new—which is precisely
- [Innovation Is Messy: Navigating the Twists and Turns](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/01/innovation-is-messy-navigating-the-twists-and-turns-2/) - Innovation is messy. It’s about constructive conflict—not agreement. There are twists and turns—not straight lines. And it happens in gray areas—not black and white spaces. Innovation is not produced by alignment. Go to a meeting at any of the most innovative companies and you’ll see that it’s not a polite tea-and-crumpets conversation. Everyone isn’t following
- [Is This the Accidental End of Marriage, Capitalism and Religion?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/01/is-this-the-accidental-end-of-marriage-capitalism-and-religion-2/) - What if the next big thing really isn’t a thing at all? What if it’s a way? And what if this way doesn’t bring neatly folded answers but rather a basket of disheveled questions? Often what moves our world goes unnoticed because we are looking somewhere else for something else. I am ever amazed at
- [Collaborative Innovation: The Cure for Pharma's Innovation Affliction?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/01/collaborative-innovation-the-cure-for-pharmas-innovation-affliction/) - For many of us the alchemy that creates a life-saving miracle drug is the summit of innovation. We may imagine the lone innovator extraordinaire with penetrating foresight and preternatural ingenuity working through the dark and stormy night in an undisturbed laboratory when they are suddenly visited by the muse who whispers “eureka” but that is
- [The Enlivened Self by Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2013/12/the-enlivened-self-by-jeff-degraff/) - The Enlivened Self offers a new kind of learning experience. A set of three ebooks that link together to form a coherent whole, these short volumes offer rich philosophical insight in easy-to-digest small bites. Each part invites you to carve out some space in your daily life to consider the art of growing into the
- [Doing the Creative Work the Company Can’t: Part 1 - The Way of the Café](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/01/doing-the-creative-work-the-company-cant-part-1-the-way-of-the-cafe/) - “Every revolutionary ends up either by becoming an oppressor or a heretic.” Albert Camus Take a close look at your favorite multinational corporation or research university or government institute. You will find lots of diversity, intelligence and generative energy – in the coffee shop right across the street. While focusing on Byzantine stage-gate development processes,
- [Doing the Creative Work the Company Can’t: Part 2 - The Rise of the Creativizer](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/01/doing-the-creative-work-the-company-cant-part-2-the-rise-of-the-creativizer/) - In most dynastic organizations there is a special role for the highly practiced innovation master who apprentices the novitiate through a “see one, do one, teach one” process of development. Consider Nobel laureates or famous chefs or a rock star physician and the explicit mentoring of unique talent becomes apparent. While most companies focus on
- [Doing the Creative Work the Company Can’t: Part 3 - How You Innovate is What You Innovate](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/02/doing-the-creative-work-the-company-cant-part-3-how-you-innovate-is-what-you-innovate/) - “One cannot alter a condition with the same mindset that created it in the first place.” Albert Einstein Innovation poses two enormous problems for most leaders given the way they are trained to think. First, it’s a time based form of value. It goes sour like milk. This year’s “must-have” gadget will end up in
- [Mastering the Five Levels of Creativity (Part 1)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/02/mastering-the-five-levels-of-creativity-part-1/) - Is everyone creative? Sure they are but in very different ways and to varying degrees. There is a big difference between the folksong you wrote for your college sweetheart and a symphony composed by Beethoven. Go to top shelf art fair and the difference in creative abilities between an accomplished artist and amateurs or dabblers
- [Mastering the Five Levels of Creativity (Part 2)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/02/mastering-the-five-levels-of-creativity-part-2/) - Bisociative Creativity: Bisociative is a term coined by the controversial novelist Arthur Koestler in his celebrated bookThe Act of Creation to describe how our conscious mind, when relaxed, can connect rational with intuitive thoughts to produce eureka moments. In the Zen tradition this act of communion is called satori, meaning sudden enlightenment. Bisociative creativity occurs when a familiar idea
- [Mastering the Five Levels of Creativity (Part 3)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/02/mastering-the-five-levels-of-creativity-part-3/) - Analogical Creativity: Great innovators from Archimedes in his bathtub to Einstein riding his elevator of relativity have used analogies to creatively solve complex problems. We use analogies to transfer information that we believe we understand in one domain, the source, to help resolve a challenge in an unfamiliar area, the target. For example, the design
- [Mastering the Five Levels of Creativity (Part 4)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/03/mastering-the-five-levels-of-creativity-part-4/) - Narratological Creativity: Have you ever heard a child try to get its story straight? Or maybe you have dear friend who always blows the punch line of a good joke. Both are examples of how hard to tell a coherent, meaningful and compelling tale. Stories are a complex mash up of characters, actions, plots, description,
- [Mastering the Five Levels of Creativity (Part 5)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/03/mastering-the-five-levels-of-creativity-part-5/) - Intuitive Creativity: This final and most challenging level of creativity has often been promoted to the realm of spiritual and wisdom traditions. This is where creativity becomes bigger and possibly beyond us - it transcends our individuality. When we speak of intuition, dreams or signs it suggests that we may be receiving ideas as much
- [Trying to Create Tomorrow’s Company with Yesterday’s Rules and Tools: Part 1 - The Need for Speed and Magnitude](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/03/trying-to-create-tomorrows-company-with-yesterdays-rules-and-tools-part-1-the-need-for-speed-and-magnitude/) - If you have ever been to a TED talk or OpenCo conference or any other semi-chaotic gathering of clever Millennials you’ve experienced the new rules of innovation first hand. Everything moves quickly, changes frequently, no one seems to be in charge but everyone except you seems to be in on the joke. All you need
- [Trying to Create Tomorrow’s Company with Yesterday’s Rules and Tools: Part 2 - The New Rules and Tools](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/03/trying-to-create-tomorrows-company-with-yesterdays-rules-and-tools-part-2-the-new-rules-and-tools/) - Last time we explored why Millennials won’t use the old Boomer innovation methods. This time we will discuss some of these new approaches to innovation, their uses and relative value. Of course, the aforementioned are general observations about generational differences and not to be taken as true in all circumstances, locations or cases. The point
- [Trying to Create Tomorrow’s Company with Yesterday’s Rules and Tools: Part 3 - Moving from the Old to the New](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/03/trying-to-create-tomorrows-company-with-yesterdays-rules-and-tools-part-3-moving-from-the-old-to-the-new/) - Last time we explored some of the new innovation methods that are unseating the established conventional approaches that many companies still use. This time we will discuss the dynamics of this transition and the tradeoffs it produces. So how might these new tools of innovation be used and what older constructs and approaches might they
- [It’s Time We Invented a Holodeck](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/04/its-time-we-invented-a-holodeck/) - I have always loved living up north but this year winter sucked. The Great Lakes froze over completely for the first time in a century. We had a gazillion days when the thermometer dipped below zero. No not wimpy Celsius zero but badass Fahrenheit zero. We had such a Homeric amount of snow that even
- [The Mongolian Barbeque Effect on Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/04/the-mongolian-barbeque-effect-on-innovation/) - There is a new Starbucks in the main hall of the business school where I teach. I stand amazed as baristas call out the customized concoctions like an auctioneer at the Sotheby’s rapidly selling off some priceless artifact of value to only a rarefied few collectors. Surely that Grande half-soy double white mocha macchiato with
- [Complexity First; Simplicity Last](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/04/complexity-first-simplicity-last/) - Simplicity is the new thing. Quality is so over and innovation is fading into everythingness. We’ve all but given up on trust so I guess that just leaves us with getting more by doing less. Wasn’t that your New Year’s resolution? Find your center and eliminate everything and everyone that is not essential. All you
- [Omphaloskepsis aka Contemplating Your Own Navel](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/04/omphaloskepsis-aka-contemplating-your-own-navel/) - Help! The personal development section of my favorite bookstore is expanding faster than the universe. It is a paradox of nature that at the very instant booksellers are vanishing into the dark abyss of unknowingness that self-help titles and tomes are exploding into a big bang of buzz and blather. I am not without guilt
- [Five Qs: Jeff DeGraff on Innovation as it Relates to Michigan](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/03/five-qs-jeff-degraff-on-innovation-as-it-relates-to-michigan/) - Originally published on DBusiness.com. By Izzi Bendall Jeff DeGraff, a professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, has advised many leading corporations about how to grow, change, and ultimately move forward. On Tuesday, he presented the morning keynote address at the second annual Governor’s Economic Summit about how to make
- [Innovations In Michigan Business](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/03/innovations-in-michigan-business/) - Professor at Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and an Innovation Expert, Jeff Degraff, talks to The Craig Fahle Show about the some innovations and changes in Michigan Business. He runs Innovatrium, an innovation institute at the University of Michigan and serves as an advisor to think tanks and governments.
- [Innovation 101: Create, Control, Compete, Collaborate](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/04/innovation-101-create-control-compete-collaborate/) - Originally published in Corp! Magazine. By Michael Carmichael When you ask a university professor a question you should be prepared for an answer that will run 40 minutes and expect to take extensive notes, even if you’re not planning on taking the quiz. That was what happened when Corp! asked Jeff DeGraff, clinical professor of
- [Innovation 101: Create, Control, Compete, Collaborate](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/04/innovation-101-create-control-compete-collaborate-2/) - Original article published in Corp Magazine: Innovation 101: Create, Control, Compete, Collaborate When you ask a university professor a question you should be prepared for an answer that will run 40 minutes and expect to take extensive notes, even if you’re not planning on taking the quiz. That was what happened when Corp! asked Jeff DeGraff, clinical
- [Five Qs: Jeff DeGraff on Innovation as it Relates to Michigan](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/03/five-qs-jeff-degraff-on-innovation-as-it-relates-to-michigan-2/) - Original article published on DBusiness: Five Qs: Jeff DeGraff on Innovation as it Relates to Michigan Jeff DeGraff, a professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, has advised many leading corporations about how to grow, change, and ultimately move forward. On Tuesday, he presented the morning keynote address at the
- [Invisible Innovators](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/05/invisible-innovators/) - When I was eighteen years old I wasn’t exactly college material. Sure I was a champion wrestler and had some athletic scholarships, but I desperately wanted out of that sweaty beat-down life. Instead, I was going to be a gritty playwright crafting tales of derring-do based on my extensive experience on the “bottom.” Why not?
- [Is Innovation Cheating?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/05/is-innovation-cheating/) - In the movie Star Trek soon-to-be Captain Kirk is reprimanded for reprogramming theKobayashi Maru, a no-win battle simulation with those wily rascals the Klingons. In the ensuing drama we are to believe that the authorities have mistakenly labeled the young James T. Kirk as a cheater when in fact he is really a highly original thinker and
- [Do You Have the Capacity to Innovate?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/05/do-you-have-the-capacity-to-innovate/) - The same thing happens to me once every three months. I’m productive and prolific and then, all of a sudden, I feel overwhelmed. I realize that I’ve taken on too much. When it comes to saying yes to interesting new innovative projects I’m easy. I wear the scarlet I. The truth is this: I want
- [The Art of Making Art](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/05/the-art-of-making-art/) - My family belongs to a ponderous array of arts organizations – symphonies, museums, theater companies and a mélange of performance ensembles that defy category. While we are not the House of Medici we do our best to support the cause of institutional creativity. Though I am an avowed proponent for supporting the arts, I am
- [Innovation Isn’t Change](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/06/innovation-isnt-change/) - Innovation isn’t change. It may seem like a minor difference but this is actually a huge distinction. Change is moving away from something; innovation is moving towards something. Moving away from something is always traumatic while moving towards something is almost always a euphoric experience. Consider the following two examples of friends of mine who
- [The Innovator Dating Service](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/06/the-innovator-dating-service/) - Looking for a winning idea? All you have to do is click your heels and ask the Great and Powerful Omni Web for your wish to come true, or so I’m told. Open innovation has become a jumble of buzzwords that somehow connect the dots between ideation and commercialization - Collaborative open innovation networks (COINs),
- [Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/06/digital-natives-vs-digital-immigrants/) - Don’t let the word “digital” fool you in all this talk about how difficult it is for digital natives and digital immigrants to communicate. The truth is that this generational gap between the so-called digital natives (the generation of people born during or after the rise of digital technologies) and the digital immigrants (people born
- [What Innovation Doesn’t Solve](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/06/what-innovation-doesnt-solve/) - Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the big dreams and grand visions of my distant relative, Robert Fair DeGraff—a publishing innovator who co-founded Pocket Books in 1939. His idea was a simple but game-changing one: reprint bestsellers and classics in small paperback editions and sell them for just 25 cents apiece. The success was
- [Innovation Now or Later?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/07/innovation-now-or-later/) - Have you ever had two seemingly unrelated things happen around the same time and each in some way produced an insight into the other? Well it happened to me recently. A bright and ebullient student came to visit me at my innovation lab seeking some career advice for a creative person soon to be in
- [Beautiful Innovation Orphans](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/06/beautiful-innovation-orphans/) - In the captivating fairy tales of the Hans Christian Andersen or the Brothers Grimm there is often a perfect and pure magical child who is unmercifully mistaken for an ordinary mortal. What ensues is the cathartic story of their trials and torment until they overcome the ordeal and are reveled as the princess or magus
- [The False Ambition of Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/07/the-false-ambition-of-innovation/) - Booze only brings false courage but coffee incites false ambition, an equally dangerous proposition. You know that to-do list you make at the opening bell that you are certain to conquer by lunch only to find it lingers on well into the wee hours before you finally abandoned it in despair like the impossible dreams
- [Originality is Not All That Original](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/07/originality-is-not-all-that-original/) - What do William Shakespeare and Led Zeppelin have in common? They both pinched much of their material from artists that came before them. The Bard, who added a few thousand original words to the English language and gave us our most unique phrases, was unabashed in his thievery of complete tracts from well-known poets and
- [Innovation Starts in Dark Places](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/07/2509/) - There is a dark, untold back story of innovation that may disturb you: many of the earliest forms of the world’s biggest technological advancements were pioneered by bad people in morally corrupt contexts. The most radical innovation in video streaming started in the pornography industry. The most sophisticated uses of messaging technologies started with drug
- [Innovation: Making the Unknown Known](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/08/innovation-making-the-unknown-known/) - In his magnum opus Critique of Pure Reason, the philosopher Immanuel Kant builds a bridge between what is known, what is unknown and what is unknowable. Innovation is a demonstration of his philosophy in as much as it is the only value proposition that becomes manifest in the future for which we have no data today.
- [How to Make a Creative Genius](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/08/how-to-make-a-creative-genius/) - Meet Jack. He knows he will never be a creative genius. He learned that in fifth grade during his weekly trumpet lessons when he sat next to Wynton Marsalis. He learned it again in ninth grade when we played on his junior high basketball with Magic Johnson. He learned it yet again in college when
- [Innovation: There Is No Final Destination](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/08/innovation-there-is-no-final-destination/) - Innovations don’t stay innovations. There’s that drawer in all of our houses with the electronics, gadgets, and devices that were the it-thing in their own time and now have outgrown their usefulness and creativity. The challenge is not to become innovative but to stayinnovative. How do you stay competitive and drive growth on a long-term horizon?
- [Can the “Commies” Innovate?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/08/can-the-commies-innovate/) - The headlines about the economic fortunes of the 1% and the associated political maneuvering to influence and manipulate our world view are disturbingly reminiscent of those in the early-twentieth century when mega-corporations called “trusts” ruled the day. This is exactly what French economist Thomas Piketty’s recent wildly best-selling book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, tells
- [Jeff DeGraff on "The Second Stage"](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/08/jeff-degraff-on-the-second-stage/) - Jeff DeGraff was recently a featured guest on the radio show "The Second Stage." Listen to the full interview here.
- [Innovation: Old Crops, New Soil](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/09/innovation-old-crops-new-soil/) - Did you know that some of the largest chapters of agricultural groups like the Future Farmers of America are in urban centers? This may surprise you: some of the biggest breakthroughs in farming aren’t happening on farms—they’re happening in big cities. The popularity of urban farming—or “vertical farming”—brings new challenges to an old industry. What
- [Innovation: Master the Art of SODOTO](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/09/innovation-master-the-art-of-sodoto/) - Ornithologists report that New Caledonian crows fashion twigs into tools for collecting and extracting insects from the hollows of trees. What is more remarkable is that these birds pass their inventions along tox others in the flock. With each succeeding migration and generation, improvements are made and progress becomes discernible. Even in the animal kingdom,
- [Jeff DeGraff on "Small Business: Smart Solutions"](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/09/jeff-degraff-on-small-business-smart-solutions/) - Jeff DeGraff was recently a featured guest on the radio show "Small Business: Smart Solutions." Listen to the full interview here.
- [Innovation: Hide Inside Trojan Horses](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/09/innovation-hide-inside-trojan-horses/) - Whether Greeks bearing gifts for stalwart King Priam of Troy or a malware computer virus masquerading as a can’t miss offer, the Trojan horse has come to represent a manipulative strategy of trickery and deception. Virgil’s tale of conquest and woe reminds us that things are seldom what they seem and that most people, save
- [Jeff DeGraff Interview on the Bitrix24 Blog](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/10/jeff-degraff-interview-on-the-bitrix24-blog/) - Jeff DeGraff was recently interviewed by Bitrix24 in an article titled "Want Innovation? Embrace Constructive Conflict, Says Innovation And Creativity Guru Jeff DeGraff." Below is a preview of the interview. Read the full interview here. There are a lot of different techniques for personal creativity. But how do you create a creative organization? The keys
- [What is Innovation?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/10/what-is-innovation/) - When asked to define the legal definition for obscenity, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously quipped “I know it when I see it.” For most of us the same applies to a working definition for innovation. We have a general sense of what it is but we know that under cross examination of the evidence
- [Empowering Innovation with Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/10/empowering-innovation-with-jeff-degraff/) - Did you know that innovation is the only value proposition with a shelf life? And with the commoditization of most linear processes and technologies, innovation is essential to stay competitive in our volatile, global economy. However, unlike many business processes that can be strategized and managed, innovation must be encouraged, allowed to emerge, and nurtured
- [How to Create Better Ideas Faster](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/10/how-to-create-better-ideas-faster/) - The four F’s of effective brainstorming. Have you ever tried to get your team to brainstorm a breakthrough idea for a product or service only to find the process mostly yields extensions of existing ideas? Research on creative thinking gives us these four simple suggestions that will greatly aid in generating great ideas in a
- [Jeff DeGraff Interview on The JetSetter Show](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/10/jeff-degraff-interview-on-the-jetsetter-show/) - Jason Hartman sits down and talks with Jeff DeGraff, professor for the University of Michigan’s Ross Business school and an expert in innovation. He has a new book coming out called, Making Stone Soup: How to Jumpstart Innovation Teams and has helped grow world leading corporations such as American Airlines, General Electric, and Coca Cola
- [How to Turn Conflict Into Creativity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/10/how-to-turn-conflict-into-creativity/) - Two talented people who have nothing in common are more likely to create something exciting than two talented people who think the same way. Harmony is overrated. Innovation is about bringing together individuals with diverse strengths who can push against each other and build something collaboratively that they never would've come up with on their
- [4 Innovation Strategies to Forecast the Future](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/10/4-innovation-strategies-to-forecast-the-future/) - What's going to happen to the Euro in the coming year? What's the next game-changing political development in the Middle East? What's the fate of healthcare reform? The answer to all of these big, complicated questions is simple: we don't know. We have no data on the future where innovation happens. This is what distinguishes
- [The Key to Creating Partnerships That Work](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/11/the-key-to-creating-partnerships-that-work/) - The coming together of two distinct organizations isn't merely difficult--it's nearly impossible. The statistics are overwhelming: a recent global survey conducted by KMPG found that 83% of mergers fail. But yours doesn't have to. How do you overcome these odds and create a winning partnership? First, you need to decide if a partnership will be
- [What Does “Making Stone Soup” Have to Do With Business Innovation?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/11/what-does-making-stone-soup-have-to-do-with-business-innovation/) - Originally published on SmallBizTrends.com By Charles Franklin If you were hungry and only had access to a large iron cauldron, stones, and water, would you be able to survive? In a rather interesting tale, three soldiers managed to use those three items to “make soup” everywhere they went. How did they do it? These soldiers
- [The Low-Risk Way to Design Breakthrough Products](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/11/the-low-risk-way-to-design-breakthrough-products/) - The fastest way to build something is to deconstruct it. Think about all those companies that produce complicated things on an insanely large scale: Toyota, McDonalds, Boeing. If you want to build enough cars to move the entire world or sell a trillion burgers or create an aircraft with millions of moving components, you need
- [How to Find Your Next Super Star Employee](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/11/how-to-find-your-next-super-star-employee/) - The biggest myth about innovation is that it is done only by geniuses who work alone. The truth is that innovation happens when ordinary people learn to work together. The key is to find individuals who don't think like you, who can fill in your blind spots and make up for your weaknesses. In order
- [Looking for "The Next Idea" to Move Michigan Forward](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/11/looking-for-the-next-idea-to-move-michigan-forward/) - Originally published on MichiganRadio.org The creative, the visionary, and the just plain out there. That’s the goal of Michigan Radio’s new project, The Next Idea. The on-air and online project will focus on creativity and innovation and ideas to move Michigan forward. We’ll be featuring this project here on Stateside and we will look to you and ask
- [How to Jump-Start Radical Change in Your Company](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/11/how-to-jump-start-radical-change-in-your-company/) - When Steve Jobs developed the iPod in 1997, he assembled a diverse group of thinkers with different points of view and areas of expertise. They didn't invent something new. Rather, they brought together disparate technologies that no one had ever thought to use alongside each other before. This is how breakthrough innovations happen: when a
- [How to Weed Out Projects That Aren't Worth Your Time](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/12/how-to-weed-out-projects-that-arent-worth-your-time/) - Forget what you've heard about comparing apples to oranges. It's often helpful to put your organization's diverse projects alongside each other and compare them. This is the point of maintaining a portfolio: to treat initiatives like investments and to weigh them against each other, balancing and maximizing the relative worth of these projects through disciplined
- [Time To Turn Michigan's "Three Economies" Into One](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/12/time-to-turn-michigans-three-economies-into-one/) - When it comes to economic growth in Michigan, one size does not fit all. Take a look at the varying scope and scale of companies here and you’ll find a general pattern of three different types of businesses associated with different regions: large multinational corporations in Southeast Michigan, small high-tech start-ups in Ann Arbor, and family-owned,
- [How to Do More With Less](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/12/how-to-do-more-with-less/) - Innovation is not an event. It's a long process that depends on incremental changes along the way. These small adjustments may not seem momentous on their own. Yet in their context, they can be game-changing. Figuring out how to cook a pizza thirty seconds faster doesn't sound like a big deal, but when you make
- [Promoting teamwork in Michigan's economy](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/12/promoting-teamwork-in-michigans-economy/) - Original article on Michigan Public: Promoting teamwork in Michigan's economy A more seamlessly connected experience. That's what Jeff DeGraff thinks Michigan needs to move its economy forward. DeGraff is our partner for The Next Idea. He's a clinical professor of management and organizations at the U of M Ross School of Business. DeGraff says he
- [Looking for "The Next Idea" to move Michigan forward](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/11/looking-for-the-next-idea-to-move-michigan-forward-2/) - Original article published on Michigan Public: Looking for "The Next Idea" to move Michigan forward The creative, the visionary, and the just plain out there. That’s the goal of Michigan Radio’s new project, The Next Idea. The on-air and online project will focus on creativity and innovation and ideas to move Michigan forward. We’ll be featuring
- [Need to Get Creative? How to Create an Idea Space](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/12/need-to-get-creative-how-to-create-an-idea-space/) - Where you work is how you think. Your immediate surroundings determine your mindset, the way you generate ideas and solve problems. You can't break institutional barriers within the walls of your everyday workspace. If radical change is what you seek, create your own idea space--a discrete location away from workplace distractions where you can cultivate
- [The Upside of Discovering Your Incompetencies](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/12/the-upside-of-discovering-your-incompetencies/) - How well do you know yourself? Do you know your weaknesses as well as you know your strengths? Having deep self-awareness about your own shortcomings isn't just important when working collaboratively in any organization--it's essential. Consider this tale of a whiz kid fresh out of graduate school, hired as an operating officer for a rapidly
- [How to Lead Innovation like Superheroes: Knowing When Your Strength Becomes a Weakness](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2014/12/how-to-lead-innovation-like-superheroes-knowing-when-your-strength-becomes-a-weakness/) - Your biggest strength--the quality that makes you stand out from other people--can also be your greatest downfall. We all have an underlying worldview that determines the way we approach all of the challenges we face. Some people are big-picture thinkers. Others fixate on particulars. Some people are pragmatic and by-the-book when it comes to solving
- [The Top Innovations We Should've Seen in 2014](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/01/the-top-innovations-we-shouldve-seen-in-2014/) - With everyone else in the year-end spirit of looking back, I'm ready to look forward. Forget smart watches, 3-D printers, and hoverboards--the year's most outstanding innovations were the ones we didn't see. My best-of list is a wish-list. Here's the top innovations we should've seen in 2014. In a perfect world, we'll see them in 2015. Reckless Driver Identification App:
- [What Are You Willing to Give Up to Get Innovation?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/01/what-are-you-willing-to-give-up-to-get-innovation/) - Most descriptions of innovation end up in overreaching hyperbole: groundbreaking, disruptive, radical. This shouldn't surprise anyone because innovation is basically a type of positive deviance, a form of useful novelty. What separates a new soft drink that has a hint of cherry flavor from a vaccine that prevents the onset of Alzheimer's Disease is the
- [How to Develop the Next Generation of Innovators: Stop Treating Everyone the Same Way](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/01/how-to-develop-the-next-generation-of-innovators-stop-treating-everyone-the-same-way/) - You may have never heard of Joseph Schumpeter, an eccentric Austrian economist who taught at Harvard in the 1930s and 40s. But to those of us who study the strategic and financial dynamics of innovation, he is far more influential than his peers John Maynard Keynes or Milton Friedman. Schumpeter is the guy who made
- [How to See the Future First](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/01/how-to-see-the-future-first/) - One of the biggest challenges innovators face is to truly understand the market opportunity space before they start creating a strategy and well in advance of product development. Since we can't see the future, we need to gain some real insight from deep domain experts and make sense of possible scenarios. Even if the innovations
- [Why Courage Is More Important Than Creativity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/02/why-courage-is-more-important-than-creativity/) - A crisis is the perfect start to your revolution. When an organization is at its most vulnerable point, it is also most poised to rebuild itself. At these seemingly disastrous moments, the risks and rewards normally associated with innovation are reversed: you have a little to lose but a lot to gain. It is only
- [Leading Innovation: How to Jumpstart Your Organization's Growth Engine](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/02/leading-innovation-how-to-jumpstart-your-organizations-growth-engine/) - Productivity is no longer enough. Today, growth means pushing strategic innovation initiatives across the enterprise – to everyone, everywhere, every day. Join me, Jeff DeGraff, professor of management and organizations at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business as I present a simple approach for leaders to recognize, develop and launch creative ideas that become winning solutions.
- [Innovation in Higher Education: Here We Go Again](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/02/innovation-in-higher-education-here-we-go-again/) - According the Chronicle of Higher Education and National Public Radio, competency based education is the new thing. Actually, it’s the old thing. Vocational education, once the main road to middle class prosperity in America, has returned with a new name and an updated version of the same approach: see one, do one, teach one. Electricians, plumbers and even
- [Critics Make the Best Innovation Evangelists](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/02/critics-make-the-best-innovation-evangelists/) - Smart people can make bad innovators. The brilliant thinkers at the top of their field are often the individuals least willing to take the risks required to implement deep change. Innovation is a highly iterative process based on trial and error. When we're moving toward the uncertainty of the future, the only way to find
- [Innovation Starts in the Belly of the Beast](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/02/innovation-starts-in-the-belly-of-the-beast/) - In the Biblical parable, God commands Jonah to make a journey to a foreign land and preach against the wicked. Instead Jonah sets sail in the opposite direction believing that the unrighteous were unworthy of salvation. The almighty raises a storm and the crew sacrifices Jonah by casting him into the turbulent sea where he
- [The Inverse Innovation Cycle: How Failure Becomes Success and Success Becomes Failure](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/03/the-inverse-innovation-cycle-how-failure-becomes-success-and-success-becomes-failure/) - There's something that leaders don't tell you about success. It occurs in a seemingly inverse order: after failure and then before it. It's the strange cycle that characterizes all innovation: the failure that comes with experimentation actually teaches us the lessons necessary for success and the success that comes with growth encourages complacency and failure.
- [The New Rules of Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/03/the-new-rules-of-innovation/) - Go back to the basics. That is the imperative of radical innovation: take a look at the underlying rules and principles that guide your organization and see what happens when you change them. This often means disrupting and unsettling rules that your company or industry has taken for granted as given for years. No rule
- [Distinguished Achievement Awards Nomination](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/03/distinguished-achievement-awards-nomination/) - Every two years the Thinkers50 (T50) ranks the top 50 thought leaders in management and innovation. Because it relies on community voting, the Thinkers50 is a trusted record of real innovators. The T50 voting takes place on two lists: the Top Management Thinkers and the Distinguished Achievement Award. Your support means everything to me, and
- [Want Radical Innovation? Here's Where to Look](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/03/want-radical-innovation-heres-where-to-look/) - Innovation happens behind-the-scenes. It's often not the faces of a company--the directors and managers--who come up with breakthrough ideas but the individuals working out of public view, in the background. These are the people who can see where the dots connect, who can tell where there are opportunities for change. Think of the structure of
- [The Future Has Come and Gone: You Just Missed It](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/03/the-future-has-come-and-gone-you-just-missed-it/) - The fundamental difference between leading and leading innovation is simply this: there is no data on the future where breakthrough innovation happens. Try guessing what will be the hot consumer electronics item in three years or what miracle medical treatment will emerge in four or what the newest fashion will be in five and you
- [The Best Way to Look for the Next Big Thing](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/04/the-best-way-to-look-for-the-next-big-thing/) - The opportunity to innovate may be right in front of your eyes, but turn around or blink and you'll miss it. Seizing on a moment of potential growth or creativity is about having the right field of vision. Think of watching a spectacular sunrise. People often miss out on sunrises because they're not looking in
- [Using the Right Innovation Tool for the Right Innovation Job](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/04/using-the-right-innovation-tool-for-the-right-innovation-job/) - An all-purpose solution is never the answer to your innovation challenge. Creativity initiatives come in all different sizes--and so should the tools we apply to achieve them. Be wary of innovation techniques or frameworks that claim to solve everything. The team that comes up with next miracle drug needs a radically different set of tools
- [The Secret to Teaching Creativity at Business School](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/04/the-secret-to-teaching-creativity-at-business-school/) - How do you teach creativity? I've had to work through this issue for over 25 years. In 1990, I returned to being a professor after taking five years off to be a senior executive in what was an entrepreneurial company when I started and multibillion dollar multinational corporation when I left a short time later.
- [How Rules and Bureaucracy Breed Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/05/how-rules-and-bureaucracy-breed-innovation/) - Most of the matter in the known universe is stuff that we have no way of seeing. Dark matter--the incredibly dense, invisible material that exists between stars, planets, and all the other objects that we can see--accounts for over 80 percent of the total matter in the cosmos. What can astrophysics teach us about innovation?
- [The Good, the Bad, and the Future of Creative Collaboration](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/05/the-good-the-bad-and-the-future-of-creative-collaboration/) - Innovators know that sharing isn't just caring--it's the only way to get by. Collaboration has recently emerged as the defining characteristic of creativity and growth in nearly all sectors and industries. The singular genius who works alone is a myth of yesterday. Today, the biggest breakthroughs happen when networks of self-motivated people with a collective
- [The Innovator's Storybook: Creativity and the Well-Told Tale](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/05/the-innovators-storybook-creativity-and-the-well-told-tale/) - There are six irresistible words at the start of all major innovations: let me tell you a story. Behind every great change is a well-told tale--a compelling narrative that pulls you into its world but also teaches you something new about our own world. The best stories are both seductive and instructive. As they entertain and enlighten
- [Open Source Innovation: What's In and What's Out](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/05/open-source-innovation-whats-in-and-whats-out/) - The twenty-first century software industry owes a lot to a certain eighteenth-century inventor. Open source innovation is a phrase we tend to associate with post-millennial creativity, but it's actually a three-hundred-year-old idea. Benjamin Franklin famously did not patent his lighting rod, his bifocals, his stove, and many other of his inventions because he thought that
- [How to Free Up Your Ability to Think Creatively](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/06/how-to-free-up-your-ability-to-think-creatively/) - The biggest obstacle you face on the path to creativity is yourself. It's the internal barrier that limits the way all of us think and see the world: our dominant logic. Everyone has a set of tenets or beliefs that determines what we value and what we don't value. Often that dominant logic gets in
- [From Brand to Brand New: How to Re-Create Your Brand](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/06/from-brand-to-brand-new-how-to-re-create-your-brand/) - Back in the day Dodge meant sporty and Chrysler meant sophisticated. Within a decade they both meant little as gas prices rose and tastes changed. Failures, bail outs and "mergers" followed. Just when it looked like the innovative vision Walter Chrysler had reached the end of the road a most improbable driver took the wheel
- [3 Unexpected Ways to Get More Innovative](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/06/3-unexpected-ways-to-get-more-innovative/) - What if the groundwork of your innovation has already been laid for you? What if there were enormous databases of information and ideas out there for anyone to use? This is exactly what the basic infrastructures that power our everyday lives offer us. Think of all the governmental organizations, open websites, and public libraries that
- [Picture This: Using Visual Aids to Inspire Creativity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/06/picture-this-using-visual-aids-to-inspire-creativity/) - Picture it: this is a phrase that so many creative thinkers use when they're introducing their new project. The best ideas begin with a compelling image. In a single image lies a larger story, a whole series of suggestions, memories from the past, and gestures toward the future. Visual aids are indispensible tools for any
- [How to Win the Innovation Race](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/07/how-to-win-the-innovation-race/) - Innovation is less like a sprint or a marathon than a relay race: a team event where the hand-offs between each phase are the most crucial moments of the competition. Bringing together the fastest people won't necessarily ensure a first-place finish in the innovation relay. The quickest runner is only useful if he or she
- [The 4 Most Creative Kinds of Leaders](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/06/the-4-most-creative-kinds-of-leaders/) - In today's snappy corporate speak, forms of creative leadership are like statement blazers or ultra low-rise jeans: they're either in or they're out. Every year, the most popular business magazines claim that a certain type of person is the most innovative of the moment. This month, it might be the triumph of the technological guru.
- [What Will You Give Up to Make Room For Innovation?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/07/what-will-you-give-up-to-make-room-for-innovation/) - At the heart of every great innovation is a great compromise: in order to start something new, we have to stop something old. Think of it as a deal you make with yourself--the things you'll give up in order to make room for future growth. Our days are filled with countless small tasks--activities that prevent
- [The Wisdom of the Rule of Three](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/07/the-wisdom-of-the-rule-of-three/) - For years I trained consultants in the ambiguous and complex art of innovation at a prestigious consulting firm. I was amused at their indoctrination which included an unbending adherence to the rule of three. No, not that bad things happen in threes but rather that a client should always be given three paths to action:
- [The Unlikely Source of Your Next Big Breakthrough](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/07/the-unlikely-source-of-your-next-big-breakthrough/) - The middleman just might be the vanguard of your next innovation strategy. It's time to reimagine the role of supply chains in our creative thinking. The truth is that the suppliers we all depend on are greater than the parts they provide. Supply chains are more than places where orders are fulfilled or materials are
- [Before There Were TED Talks, There Were Chautauquas](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/08/before-there-were-ted-talks-there-were-chautauquas/) - Before there were TED talks, there were Chautauquas. In the late-nineteenth century, Americans looking for cultural stimulation and intellectual inspiration gathered for weeklong retreats of lectures, performances, and conversations. These outdoor fairs started at Lake Chautauqua in upstate New York and quickly became a national movement. Under the big tents of a Chautauqua, attendees might
- [The Three Realities of Innovators](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/08/the-three-realities-of-innovators/) - How do you build a bridge to a place that doesn't yet exist? This is the paradoxical challenge that every innovator faces: to envision and reach for the future before it happens. This requires the gift of foresight-a skill that involves seeing emerging opportunities and taking action on those opportunities. There are two ways that
- [When Nobody Wants Your Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/08/when-nobody-wants-your-innovation/) - What happens when the comfort of the old is preferable to the risk of the new? This is the situation all innovators face when presenting their ideas or inventions to a hesitant public: we're dissatisfied with the way things are now, but we're not yet willing to embrace the future. Everywhere you look, you'll see
- [A Map for Engineering Your Next Innovation [Infographic]](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/08/a-map-for-engineering-your-next-innovation-infographic/) - Innovation is about bringing together individuals with diverse strengths who can push against each other and build something collaboratively that they never would've come up with on their own. Innovation happens when there is constructive conflict, or positive tension, within an organization-not total agreement. In my own work strategizing innovation practices for some of the
- [Assembling Your Innovation Advisory Board](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/08/assembling-your-innovation-advisory-board/) - A genius is only as great as his brain trust: the circle of mentors and consultants who nurture and enhance his ideas. That all great innovators have great collaborators is no new insight. In 1937, when Napoleon Hill interviewed the richest, most successful men in the world for his wildly popular book, Think and Grow Rich,
- [Skeptics Create True Believers in Your Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/09/skeptics-create-true-believers-in-your-innovation/) - Your most loyal followers of the future just might be the skeptics who doubt you today. The story of disbelief turned into belief is one that happens all the time, in every discipline. Consider the path of great Nobel Laureate Max Planck who started off as a fervent skeptic, who didn't even believe that atoms
- [Culture Creates the Economics of Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/09/culture-creates-the-economics-of-innovation/) - Independent thinkers have a way of upsetting people. Economics Nobel Laureate Edmund Phelps is a good example. Progressives take issue with his scrupulous analysis of government stimulus spending while conservatives are offended by the way he characterizes their political ethos as having created the corporatist value system. Independent thinkers are often innovative thinkers who are
- [The Question Is The Answer](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/09/the-question-is-the-answer/) - An innovation answer is a seductive illusion. We all want to come up with quick, easy solutions to our complicated problems, but answers don't actually provide resolution. That's because, in the world of innovation, there will always be another question--a new urgency or need waiting to be met. Instead of being distracted by the convenience
- [The Greatest Innovations Are the Ones You Don't See](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/09/the-greatest-innovations-are-the-ones-you-dont-see/) - Cool, shiny, sleek: these are the qualities we associate with top-shelf innovations. That's because we're constantly confronted with magazine and Internet lists of the most innovative companies that are essentially just beauty contests. At the top of all these shimmering lists are blustery bands and glitzy gadgets and chic designers. But take a closer look
- [My Interview With The Second Stage](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/09/my-interview-with-the-second-stage/) - An important element of a great business many overlook is assembling a diverse advisory board, committed to developing your organization and exchanging knowledge. The right people bring innovative ideas, create opportunities and help a company move forward faster toward its stated objectives (or ones they didn’t even think possible). In fact, having the right people
- [How To Create A Creative Leader](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/09/how-to-create-a-creative-leader/)
- [Recreating Your Company [Infographic]](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/10/recreating-your-company-infographic/) - It's an old story--a new company with a new product and a new way of looking at things dislodges established business that can't keep up. A few years later, this same company that so nimbly entered the market stops growing and starts falling prey to new competitors. Why is sustained growth so elusive? And why
- [What is the Certified Professional Innovator Program?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/09/what-is-the-certified-professional-innovator-program/) - The CPI program is an integrated curriculum designed for innovation leaders. Certified by the University of Michigan, the CPI program is comprised of video modules, assessment, materials, a 2 day jumpstart workshop, and coaching for 90 days. Go to www.jeffdegraff.com/cpi for more information.
- [Innovating Innovation Strategy: Part 2](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/11/3289/) - [In last week's part-one installment of this three-part article, I highlighted all the things that make innovation so radically different from all other forms of value creation. The strategies we normally bring to organizational growth aren't enough when it comes to innovation. We need a new strategy to help us go into uncharted territory.] How do you
- [Why Innovation Is So Hard [Infographic]](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/11/infographic-why-innovation-is-so-hard/) - Everyone wants to make innovation an everyday, everywhere capability of their company. But, just about everyone, and leaders especially, don't know how innovation really works or how to actually support innovation. I've worked with some of the biggest, and most dynamic companies in the world to build the innovation process into their businesses. Below, I'm
- [Innovating Innovation Strategy: Part 3](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/11/innovating-innovation-strategy-part-3/) - [In the part-two installment of this three-part article, I showed how the two major growth strategies--push and pull strategies--both fall short when it comes to meeting the demands of innovation. Here are three approaches to effectively confront the unique obstacles that innovation throws our way.] Play some wildcards. Wildcards are unexpected events that actually happen with regularity. These
- [How to Play the Innovation Game [Infographic]](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/12/infographic-how-to-play-the-innovation-game/) - Whether you know it or not, you're playing the Innovation Game. You and your organization will either win or lose in this high-stakes competition for the future, so you'd better learn how the game is played. You're about to have one advantage over most players in the game: most leaders and most workers just don't
- [The Graduation Speech I Didn't Give [Infographic]](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/12/the-graduation-speech-i-didnt-give-infographic/) - In the depths of winter, my thoughts often turn to warm visions of summer: barbeques, the beach, and graduations. As we run up to the New Year, I share a little commencement advice to those who hope to graduate or at least advance a grade in the curriculum of life: Happy New Year to you
- [Why Crowdsourcing Has Ruined the Art of Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/12/why-crowdsourcing-has-ruined-the-art-of-innovation/) - Are all innovators created equally? The open-source innovation movement wants us to believe that they are, that the more voices we hear and the more ideas we share, the greater our creative potential will be. That's why populism has emerged as the defining force of post-millennial innovation: organizations value collaboration over specialization as they look
- [What the Most Creative Countries in the World Do--and How America Can Learn From Them](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2016/01/what-the-most-creative-countries-in-the-world-do-and-how-america-can-learn-from-them/) - At the heart of every major innovation is not just a person or a company but an entire national character. That's because creative growth--no matter where it happens or who implements it--is a political event. Countries get involved in making innovation happen because they have a stake in its outcome. Innovations in technology can give
- [How Breakthrough Ideas Become Mainstream](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2016/01/how-breakthrough-ideas-become-mainstream/) - Breakthrough innovation typically starts at the edges of the bell curve in the challenge of a crisis or the prospect of an outstanding opportunity. This is because the risk of deviating from the standard way of doing things and the reward of taking a chance on something new is reversed in these extremely negative and
- [Innovating Innovation Strategy: Part 1](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/10/innovating-innovation-strategy-part-1/) - Innovation calls us to do the impossible: to build for a future we can't yet see. The very notion of innovation is riddled with paradoxes. It asks us to embrace wildly different--even contradictory--ideas at once: creativity and pragmatism, foresight and hindsight, breakthrough visions and incremental change. In this way, innovation is unlike all the normal
- [How to Make Time to Work on Your Biggest Ideas [Infographic]](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2016/02/how-to-make-time-to-work-on-your-biggest-ideas-infographic/) - If you feel like you're overworked, overtired and that no matter how much work you do, nothing really changes, you're in the same boat as most of the world's workforce. The activities that will move you or your company forward--and out of just constant execution-- are time and labor intensive. You can prioritize these activities
- [Walking The Tightrope On The Innovation Bell Curve](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2016/02/walking-the-tightrope-on-the-innovation-bell-curve/) - Breakthrough innovation typically starts at the edges of the bell curve in the challenge of a crisis or the prospect of an outstanding opportunity. This is because the risk of deviating from the standard way of doing things and the reward of taking a chance on something new is reversed in these extremely negative and
- [The Conscious Company and Other Myths](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2016/03/the-conscious-company-and-other-myths/) - The Conscious Company: it's that buzzy piece of corporate speak we've all been hearing and using without really thinking about it. The irony is that we're not conscious of what so-called company consciousness actually means. What most organizations really mean when they call themselves "conscious" is conscientious: wishing to do what is right. There are
- [It's the Talent, Stupid](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2016/03/its-the-talent-stupid/) - Six presidential campaigns later, I've still got Bill Clinton's iconic 1992 slogan running through my head: It's the economy, stupid. But it's not the economy that I'm thinking about--it's corporate relocation that's on my mind. What was so effective about Clinton's irresistible one-liner is the way it redirected American attention. He not-so-politely told us that,
- [How to Stop Self-Sabotaging Your Creativity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2016/04/how-to-stop-self-sabotaging-your-creativity/) - It's easier to start from scratch than it is to get out of a creative rut. That's because we know a lot more about what sparks creativity than we do about what blocks it. The Greeks believed that inspiration came to us through muses who literally visited us. Freud insisted that creativity was a kind
- [Innovating Your Way to a Good Job](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2016/04/innovating-your-way-to-a-good-job-2/) - If you feel like some people have no problem finding a job-even in the most difficult job markets-you're not mistaken. These seemingly lucky individuals know something: You don't get a job by competing in the same game as every other job searcher and applicant-you get it by innovating. Want to learn how to innovate your
- [Organizations lack the competency to make innovation happen](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2016/03/organizations-lack-the-competency-to-make-innovation-happen/)
- [CPI Program Description](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2016/02/cpi-program-description/) - Jeff DeGraff explains the components of the Certified Professional Innovator program
- [How to Improve Brainstorming The Dean of Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2015/11/how-to-improve-brainstorming-the-dean-of-innovation/)
- [Innovation, talent and our next candidate for governor?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2016/04/innovation-talent-and-our-next-candidate-for-governor/) - Original article published on Crain's Detroit Business
- [Making Innovation Happen in the Most Challenging Situations](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2016/08/making-innovation-happen-in-the-most-challenging-situations/) - Innovation is about making our world better and new. While there are some regions that are dealing with the speed and complexity of hyper-innovation, there are others that are struggling to integrate innovation in the most fundamental forms: clean water, reliable food sources, basic health care and safety from violence. Given that most leaders will
- [Rethinking the Liberal Arts for Business Education: Rise of the ‘Pracademic’](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2016/12/rethinking-the-liberal-arts-for-business-education-rise-of-the-pracademic/) - In a world of open access, higher education remains astonishingly, frustratingly closed. Our universities are insurmountable barriers rather than the points of universal entry that they should be. This was the powerful point of a compelling Economist cover story last year, “America’s New Aristocracy.” The essay argues that college in the U.S. has become a
- [What's coming next in 2017? Hint: it's not autonomous vehicles](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/04/whats-coming-next-in-2017-hint-its-not-autonomous-vehicles/) - Can we stop with all the hype about self-driving cars? Yes, they’re on the way, but not in the new year. Autonomous vehicles will indeed be part of the transportation landscape in the near future, but it will take decades to develop the infrastructure necessary to get these technologies in place. The more immediate applications
- [Some games are over after one win or loss. Democracy is not that kind of game.](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/04/some-games-are-over-after-one-win-or-loss-democracy-is-not-that-kind-of-game/) - It’s said necessity is indeed the mother of invention. Innovation is often born out of crisis or conflict – a war, a pandemic or a financial crash. Sometimes the conflict can be constructive, like the invention of a new miracle drug. And sometimes the conflict can be destructive, like, for instance, a contentious election. Recently,
- [Americans now see the truth as relative. What comes next?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/04/americans-now-see-the-truth-as-relative-what-comes-next/) - Thirty years ago, University of Chicago Professor Allan Bloom published The Closing of the American Mind. The book deconstructed higher education’s failure to prepare students with the knowledge necessary to lead enlightened lives. Bloom’s emphasis on reading the Great Books was met with adulation by conservatives, who viewed it as a declaration of traditional values,
- [When it comes to health care reform, innovation will matter more than politics](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/04/when-it-comes-to-health-care-reform-innovation-will-matter-more-than-politics/) - With all the talk of reforming health care, what if we are missing the bigger picture? What if all this emotional debate about whether to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, was a waste of time? In 2013, I was asked to give a TED Talk in Washington, D.C. to coincide with
- [Employment for all Americans is ideal. Protectionist trade policies are not the way to do it.](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/04/employment-for-all-americans-is-ideal-protectionist-trade-policies-are-not-the-way-to-do-it/) - You may have missed it, but last summer Walmart got into some hot water with the Federal Trade Commission for its"Made in the U.S.A.” campaign. According the FTC, for a company to make that claim, all of a product’s components must be manufactured and assembled in the United States. In a globally integrated supply chain,
- [Maybe we should build a wall to keep our talented people in](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/04/maybe-we-should-build-a-wall-to-keep-our-talented-people-in/) - A recent headline in the Financial Times read, “Vancouver seizes chance to lure Silicon Valley tech talent.” The mayor of Vancouver confirms that inquiries from U.S. tech companies have risen sharply in recent months. It’s no secret that Cisco Systems, Samsung and SAP have recently established a presence north of the border, but now it
- [Currency innovations like bitcoin could render bank deregulation moot](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/04/currency-innovations-like-bitcoin-could-render-bank-deregulation-moot/) - A few years before the Great Recession, I was an advisor to the Federal Reserve Bank. I provided some limited advice on how to stimulate growth through innovation. It was too little, too late. Many financial experts far more capable than myself tried to help prevent the imminent collapse. But the politicians were sure they
- [jumbleThink Podcast](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/04/jumblethink-podcast/) - In this episode I talk to Jeff DeGraff. He is a professor at Ross School of Business at University of Michigan, a respected author, active blogger, sought after speaker, and consultant to leading corporations. In this episode we talk about a wide range of topics surrounding innovation. His insight will inspire you to take the
- [How To Be Awesome At Your Job Podcast](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/04/how-to-be-awesome-at-your-job-podcast/) - 145: Encouraging Innovation Through Conflict with Jeff DeGraff Professor Jeff DeGraff shows how to stir up some constructive conflict to encourage innovative thinking in the workplace. You’ll Learn: The extraordinary value of arguing Who are the four types of people at the workplace and what creative tensions emerge among them Effective ways to create constructive
- [Last Lecture](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/04/last-lecture/) - Jeff gave a lecture discussing the most creative endeavor you're going to have in life. Watch the lecture Here
- [Forget net neutrality, regulatory neutrality is what we really need](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/04/forget-net-neutrality-regulatory-neutrality-is-what-we-really-need/) - In the early 1990s, I visited billionaire George Soros’ office in New York City to provide some direction on an investment his firm had made in a technology startup run by senior Israeli Air Force officers. Their technology was something akin to an iPod, and this was almost a decade before you could store your
- [Mark Zuckerberg’s visit offers a glimpse into Michigan’s future](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/05/mark-zuckerbergs-visit-offers-a-glimpse-into-michigans-future/) - Facebook’s 32-year-old billionaire founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has been touring the country. He made stops in Michigan recently. He toured Ford’s Rouge plant and even tried his hand at putting parts on an F-150 pickup truck. Turns out time on the assembly line is hard work. He also privately met with Muslim students at the University
- [Last Lectures 2017 - Jeff Degraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/04/last-lectures-2017-jeff-degraff/)
- [Mark Zuckerberg’s visit offers a glimpse into Michigan’s future](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/05/mark-zuckerbergs-visit-offers-a-glimpse-into-michigans-future-2/) - Original article published on Michigan Public: Mark Zuckerberg’s visit offers a glimpse into Michigan’s future Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg toured Ford’s Rouge plant and even tried his hand at putting parts on an F-150 pickup."; The Next Idea Facebook’s 32-year-old billionaire founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has been touring the country. He made stops in Michigan recently.
- [Episode 145: Encouraging Innovation through Conflict with Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/04/episode-145-encouraging-innovation-through-conflict-with-jeff-degraff/) - Podcast website How To Be Awesome At Your Job episode webpage: Encouraging Innovation through Conflict with Jeff DeGraff
- [The internet is a lot less democratic than you think](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/05/the-internet-is-a-lot-less-democratic-than-you-think/) - During the recent Academy Awards broadcast, Samsung aired a commercial for its new phone. Casey Neistat, a YouTube and HBO reality personality, narrates over a montage of young people engaged in feats of derring-do and uninhibited expressions of creativity. He declares that we are the true makers and maestros, and finishes with this zinger: “When
- [Is the finite diploma obsolete in our fast-changing world?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/06/is-the-finite-diploma-obsolete-in-our-fast-changing-world/) - Recently, I read a story in the LA Times entitled, “'A sea of despair': White Americans without college degrees are dying younger.” It was about a Princeton study on mortality rates. Apparently, all ethnic groups are living longer with the exception of white Americans. The researchers suggest that decades of underemployment have had a damaging effect on
- [Jeff-ism Video: How to Create an Idea Space](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/06/jeff-ism-video-how-to-create-an-idea-space/) - Watch Jeff explain how to create an idea space here.
- [Jeff-ism Video: How To Do More With Less](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/06/jeff-ism-video-do-more-with-less/) - Watch Jeff explain how to do more with less here.
- [Don’t tax robots to save jobs… they might just create new forms of employment](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/06/dont-tax-robots-to-save-jobs-they-might-just-create-new-forms-of-employment/) - In a recent interview, Microsoft founder Bill Gates created quite a stir when he suggested that robots be taxed because society will not be able to manage the speed and magnitude of the impending automation of everything. While his intent was to suggest ways to stave off the massive social unrest that will surely come
- [Jeff-ism Video: Embracing Failure](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/jeff-ism-video-embracing-failure/) - Watch Jeff explain how to embrace failure here.
- [The invisible employment crisis that threatens the auto industry and our economic future](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/the-invisible-employment-crisis-that-threatens-the-auto-industry-and-our-economic-future/) - A very strange article in The New York Times caught my eye the other day. It noted that while unemployment has fallen to 4.7%, the lowest in a quarter-century, that’s actually an ominous sign of trouble ahead. The article used employment data to suggest that while almost everyone who wants to be employed is currently employed, millions of
- [Jeff-ism Video: The Future of Creative Collaboration](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/jeff-ism-video-the-future-of-creative-collaboration/) - Watch Jeff explain the future of creative collaboration here.
- [Jeff-ism Video: Harvesting Winning Ideas](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/jeff-ism-video-harvesting-winning-ideas/) - Watch Jeff explain how to harvest winning ideas here.
- [Building a Culture of Innovation Speech by Dr. Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/06/building-a-culture-of-innovation-speech-by-dr-jeff-degraff/)
- [Jeff-ism: Embracing Failure](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/06/jeff-ism-embracing-failure/) - Discover the three things essential to embracing your failures!
- [Jeff-ism: Innovate Your Way to a New Job](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/06/jeff-ism-innovate-your-way-to-a-new-job/) - There are three things you must remember.
- [Jeff-ism: How to Create an Idea Space](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/06/jeff-ism-how-to-create-an-idea-space/) - How and where do you create an idea space? Find out!
- [Jeff DeGraff Interview at Bosch](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/06/jeff-degraff-interview-at-bosch/)
- [Jeff DeGraff Innovation Roundtable Presentation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/06/jeff-degraff-innovation-roundtable-presentation/)
- [Jeff-ism: Harvest Winning Ideas](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/jeff-ism-harvest-winning-ideas/) - How do you harvest winning ideas? Find out!
- [Jeff-ism: Future of Creative Collaboration](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/jeff-ism-future-of-creative-collaboration/) - What is the future of creative collaboration? Opposite minds.
- [Jeff-ism: Do More With Less](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/06/jeff-ism-do-more-with-less/) - How do you do more with less? Find out!
- [Big Brother is using technology to watch us, but we’re also watching each other](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/big-brother-is-using-technology-to-watch-us-but-were-also-watching-each-other-2/) - Original article was published on Michigan Public: Big Brother is using technology to watch us, but we’re also watching each other Jeff DeGraff: It’s now reasonable to assume that everything you do or say in any quasi-public space is being recorded, either inadvertently or intentionally."; The Next Idea Approximately 70% of all Americans have a
- [Big Brother is using technology to watch us, but we’re also watching each other](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/big-brother-is-using-technology-to-watch-us-but-were-also-watching-each-other/) - Approximately 70% of all Americans have a smartphone: 24/7 internet access, touch screen apps, and a video camera. A quick glance at any news feed or social media site reveals how these small, cheap and mobile devices are putting everything in our lives on the record. Teenage altercations in the cafeteria, body shaming photos taken
- [Jeff-ism Video: How to Look for the Next Big Thing](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/jeff-ism-video-how-to-look-for-the-next-big-thing/) - Watch Jeff explain how to look for the next big thing here.
- [Your Worldview Is Your Greatest Strength (But Also Your Greatest Weakness)](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/your-worldview-is-your-greatest-strength-but-also-your-greatest-weakness/) - A worldview is more than a type or a style. It’s a collection of deeply held beliefs about how we interpret and experience the world. A dominant worldview is a comprehensive conception of the world from a specific standpoint. We derive these views from our personal experiences as well as the cultures in which we
- [Jeff-ism Video: How to Make Time for Your Biggest Ideas](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/jeff-ism-video-how-to-make-time-for-your-biggest-ideas/) - Watch Jeff explain how to make time for your biggest ideas here.
- [Jeff-ism Video: Innovate Your Way to a Good Job](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/jeff-ism-video-innovate-your-way-to-a-good-job/) - Watch Jeff explain how to innovate your way to a good job here.
- [Arguments Aren't Bad for You, If You Know How to Disagree](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/08/arguments-arent-bad-for-you-if-you-know-how-to-disagree/) - Conflict is everywhere. On social media and late night television we see never-ending arguments about politics, religion, or generational gaps. What if these disagreements were productive? Conflict is necessary for creativity and development; however, it has to be constructive. America was founded on combining old ways of thinking and producing something new. The idea isn’t
- [Jeff-ism Video: See the Future First](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/08/jeff-ism-video-see-the-future-first/) - Watch Jeff explain how to see the future first here.
- [Dwelling in the Conflict](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/08/dwelling-in-the-conflict/) - Behind some of the twentieth century’s most iconic love songs is a series of prolonged, tense, irreconcilable conflicts. In the writing room and the recording studio, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were everything their music wasn’t: disharmonious, discordant, hostile. As professional partners, their worldviews couldn’t have been more different. Lennon, the Artist, was the nonconformist,
- [Conflict Creates Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/08/conflict-creates-innovation/) - Conflict doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, conflict is the very force that will bring about the best outcome in almost any given innovation initiative. The only way to create unlikely yet groundbreaking, provocative, and winning solutions is to build a team that doesn’t agree—a team that challenges each other by combining
- [Driving Innovation Through Shared Values](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/08/driving-innovation-through-shared-values/) - Conflict can be the spark that ignites innovation. There are four different type of innovators, and each brings his or her expertise (but also his or her weaknesses) to the table. Constructive conflict between this four points of view is the key to creating strong and lasting innovations. Today, we’ll discover the story of Mae,
- [Jeffism Video: When Nobody Wants Your Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/08/jeffism-video-when-nobody-wants-your-innovation/) - Watch Jeff explain what to do when nobody wants your innovation here.
- [Could rule changes and safer equipment save football from itself?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/could-rule-changes-and-safer-equipment-save-football-from-itself/) - I confess that I love football. I played it in high school. Some of my teammates went on to the college gridiron, and one of them even had a long career in the NFL. That’s the dream, isn’t it? Big plays and big money on Sunday. Well apparently things are changing these days, and with
- [Inside Launchstreet Podcast](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/inside-launchstreet-podcast/) - Listen to Jeff talk about what makes you innovative on the Inside Launchstreet podcast here.
- [How NASA is responding to increased probability of Armageddon asteroids](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/how-nasa-is-responding-to-increased-probability-of-armageddon-asteroids/) - One afternoon while waiting for my flight to board, a headline caught my eye: “Civilization-Destroying Comets Are More Common Than We Thought.” I assumed it was one of those flashy clickbait attention-grabbers like the ones about how researchers have discovered how you can lose ten pounds just by drinking dandelion tea. Much to my surprise,
- [Skip Prichard Interview](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/skip-prichard-interview/) - Read Jeff's interview about his new book with Skip Prichard here.
- [Jeff-ism Video: Culture Creates the Economics of Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/jeff-ism-video-culture-creates-the-economics-of-innovation/) - Watch Jeff explain how culture creates the economics of innovation here.
- [Idea to Value Podcast](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/idea-to-value-podcast/) - Listen to Jeff talk with Nick Skillicorn about why you need conflict to succeed at innovation here.
- [Roundhouse Radio Interview](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/roundhouse-radio-interview/) - Listen to Jeff speak about his new book The Innovation Code on Roundhouse Radio here.
- [Jeff-ism: Video Culture Creates the Economics of Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/jeff-ism-video-culture-creates-the-economics-of-innovation-2/) - We need people to think in new and imaginative ways.
- [Jeff-ism: When Nobody Wants Your Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/08/jeff-ism-when-nobody-wants-your-innovation/) - What to do when no one wants your innovation.
- [The Innovation Code Out Now](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/08/the-innovation-code-out-now/) - Purchase The Innovation Code: The Creative Power of Constructive Conflict here: http://bit.ly/TheInnovationCode Harmony is sublime in music but deadly to innovation. The only way to create new, hybrid solutions is to clash. Innovation happens when we bring people with contrasting perspectives and complementary areas of expertise together in one room. We innovate best with people
- [Jeff-ism: See the Future First](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/08/jeff-ism-see-the-future-first/) - How do you see the future first?
- [Jeff-ism: How to Make Time for your Biggest Idea](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/jeff-ism-how-to-make-time-for-your-biggest-idea/) - Are you an "idea-acholic" who doesn't know how to approach your biggest idea?
- [Jeff-ism: How to Look for the Next Big Thing](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/07/jeff-ism-how-to-look-for-the-next-big-thing/) - What's the best way to look for the next big thing? Adapt your mind, like a surfer! Learn more.
- [Tap Into The Creative Power of Constructive Conflict](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/tap-into-the-creative-power-of-constructive-conflict/) - Original article appeared on Skip Richard blog: Tap Into the Creative Power of Constructive Conflict Disrupt to Innovate Teamwork. Harmony. Getting along. If these words come to your mind when you think about brainstorming and innovation, you’ll want to pay close attention. Because it’s about not getting along, about disruption, about disagreement, and about contrasting
- [How can people become more creative in their everyday lives?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/how-can-people-become-more-creative-in-their-everyday-lives/) - The gifted amateur as a heroic innovator is one of the great American myths. Stories about Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, and even Steve Jobs conveniently overlook their unique brilliance and years of experience. If anyone could do it, they would. We learn by doing and all learning is developmental. The same holds true for creative
- [Jeff ism Video: How America can be the World's most Creative Country](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/jeff-ism-video-how-america-can-be-the-worlds-most-creative-country-2/) - Are we still the global leaders of innovation?
- [Jeff ism Video Teaching Your Leaders How to Learn](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/jeff-ism-video-teaching-your-leaders-how-to-learn/)
- [Jeff ism Video The Myth of Creativity On Demand](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/jeff-ism-video-the-myth-of-creativity-on-demand/)
- [Jeff-ism Video: How America can be the World's most Creative Country](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/jeff-ism-video-how-america-can-be-the-worlds-most-creative-country/) - Watch Jeff talk about how America can be the world's most creative country here.
- [What misconceptions do people have about innovation and creativity?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/09/what-misconceptions-do-people-have-about-innovation-and-creativity/) - The greatest misconception about innovation and creativity is that they can be generated on demand. Creativity will never be an item on a pull-down menu you can click to activate when you need it. But that doesn't mean you should just sit around waiting for a creative impulse. In a world where a single touch
- [Is creativity something that can be taught?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/is-creativity-something-that-can-be-taught/) - There’s a lot of controversy surrounding this question that largely stems from the question of degree. I’d say yes, people’s creative abilities can be improved. However, it’s unlikely you’re going to become a creative genius like Einstein or Mozart without some natural talent. Is everyone creative? Sure they are, but in very different ways and
- [Besides creativity, what other attributes are key to a successful leadership?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/besides-creativity-what-other-attributes-are-key-to-a-successful-leadership/) - Leaders need to know their leadership type. My years of research have found that there are four main types: Create: The Artist is clever and creative. They envision change, so their influence is based on anticipating a better future and generating hope in others. Being original is highly prized. They express themselves in spontaneous, creative responses to their
- [Jeff-ism Video: How to Play the Innovation Game](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/jeff-ism-video-how-to-play-the-innovation-game/) - Watch Jeff explain how to play the innovation game here.
- [How can leaders best encourage innovation?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/how-can-leaders-best-encourage-innovation/) - To encourage innovation, leaders need to stop relying on old ways and become forward-thinkers in an ever-changing world. Below are some actions leaders can take to inspire others to innovate: 1. Follow the 20/80 rule. Leaders need to understand where to innovate. Though most people are familiar with the 80/20 rule, innovation follows the 20/80 rule.
- [Adapting to New Cultures: Jeff DeGraff with Thought Leader, Andy Molinsky](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/office-hours-with-jeff-degraff-andy-molinsky/) - Office Hours with Jeff DeGraff is a video series where the Dean of Innovation interviews thought leaders on the broad subject of innovation. These thought leaders come from various background but all share insight from their personal and professional experience that can be adapted to foster innovation either in a business setting or in your
- [Entrepreneur Podcast Network Interview](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/entrepreneur-podcast-network-interview/) - Listen to Jeff's interview, The creative power of constructive conflict, on Entrepreneur Podcast Network here.
- [The Best Examples I've Seen of Innovation in Action](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/the-best-examples-ive-seen-of-innovation-in-action/) - The best examples I’ve seen of innovation in actions involve constructive conflict. When people think of innovation, they usually picture gadgets or maybe a miracle drug. Oftentimes, the greatest innovations are subtler: how we invest money, enjoy music, or play sports. Innovation requires harnessing the positive tension of constructive conflict. The following examples show one
- [Why do people fall into patterns of doing things the same way, and how can these be broken?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/why-do-people-fall-into-patterns-of-doing-things-the-same-way-and-how-can-these-be-broken/) - Innovation is simply useful novelty. The more unique the novelty, the more valuable the innovation is. Standardization is the opposite of innovation because it eliminates the variation required to produce this novelty. People fall into patterns of doing things the same way because it’s comfortable. To break this pattern, people and companies should seek out
- [What Innovation Is](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/what-innovation-is/)
- [Adapting to New Cultures: Jeff DeGraff with Thought Leader, Andy Molinsky](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/adapting-to-new-cultures-jeff-degraff-with-thought-leader-andy-molinsky/) - Office Hours with Jeff DeGraff is a video series where the Dean of Innovation interviews though leaders on the broad subject of innovation. These thought leaders come from various background but all share insight from their personal and professional experience that can be adapted to foster innovation either in a business setting or in your
- [Soundview Webinar](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/soundview-webinar/) - Jeff did a webinar with Soundview. Watch it here!
- [What are some steps companies can take to create a culture of innovation?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/what-are-some-steps-companies-can-take-to-create-a-culture-of-innovation/) - Here are some ways to promote creative culture within your organization: Create a safe collaborative space: Collaborative innovation comes in many forms and kinds. From brainstorming sessions like innovation jams to crowd funding, these forms of growth all mobilize a diverse group of people with a variety of skills. The benefits to joint innovation efforts
- [Inspiring Art Through Innovation: Jeff DeGraff with Former New York Philharmonic President, Matthew VanBesien](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/office-hours-with-jeff-degraff-matthew-vanbesien/) - Office Hours with Jeff DeGraff is a video series where the Dean of Innovation interviews thought leaders on the broad subject of innovation. These thought leaders come from various background but all share insight from their personal and professional experience that can be adapted to foster innovation either in a business setting or in your
- [What are the basic steps to make innovation happen?](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/what-are-the-basic-steps-to-make-innovation-happen/) - One of the first stories I ever learned to read was called Stone Soup. It was a tale about three wily soldiers with no food or money who come to a wary village and set a large iron cauldron by the well in the town square. As the inhabitants look on, the soldiers fill the vessel
- [How Improv Sparks Creativity: Jeff DeGraff with Comedian and Writer,  Bob Kulhan](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/11/office-hours-with-jeff-degraff-bob-kulhan/) - Office Hours with Jeff DeGraff is a video series where the Dean of Innovation interviews thought leaders on the broad subject of innovation. These thought leaders come from various background but all share insight from their personal and professional experience that can be adapted to foster innovation either in a business setting or in your
- [There Is No Data on the Future](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/11/there-is-no-data-on-the-future/) - A journalist asked me, “Is the Euro going to go up or down?” “Up, of course,” I said. That got his attention. “Why? “ “Because it’s down now. That’s what currencies do. They go up and down.” “When?” he wanted to know. “When is it going to go up?” All I could do was
- [You Are Not the Weather](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/11/you-are-not-the-weather/) - Don’t most people notice the weather? Yes, but they don’t respond to it. In my home state of Michigan, there were signs as far back as the 1970s that the auto manufacturing jobs on which so many relied were leaving the country. By 1994, Michael Moore had made his movie “Roger and Me,” about the
- [Innovation's Impact on the Future of Business: Jeff DeGraff with Futurist, Jacob Morgan](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/11/office-hours-with-jeff-degraff-jacob-morgan/) - Office Hours with Jeff DeGraff is a video series where the Dean of Innovation interviews thought leaders on the broad subject of innovation. These thought leaders come from various background but all share insight from their personal and professional experience that can be adapted to foster innovation either in a business setting or in your personal
- [We Grow When Our Life Sucks… Or When We’re On a Roll](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/12/we-grow-when-our-life-sucks-or-when-were-on-a-roll/) - Newcomers to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting are often surprised that what you’ll find there is the opposite of reassurance. Normally, if someone has a crisis, a friend will say relax, it’s going to be okay, don’t be too hard on yourself. Stay positive. Breathe. But at an AA meeting you have to stand up in
- [Light Your Fire with the Sparks of Diversity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/12/light-your-fire-with-the-sparks-of-diversity/) - My graduate students are all very smart, but they are often very tentative about their goals. They talk to me about their dreams but not how they’ll reach them. Some have strong entrepreneurial ideas but struggle to connect with the people who could help make those ideas reality. Others tell me they want a soulmate,
- [How to Foster Innovation: Jeff DeGraff with Social Change Strategist, Jonah Sachs](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/12/office-hours-with-jeff-degraff-jonah-sachs/) - Office Hours with Jeff DeGraff is a video series where the Dean of Innovation interviews thought leaders on the broad subject of innovation. These thought leaders come from various background but all share insight from their personal and professional experience that can be adapted to foster innovation either in a business setting or in your personal
- [The Cavalry Isn’t Coming - Why You Should Take Your Destiny Into Your Own Hands](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/12/the-cavalry-isnt-coming-why-you-should-take-your-destiny-into-your-own-hands/) - I fly a hundred thousand miles or more each year, and usually when I get off my plane I’m met by the driver of a black car. I’ve probably talked with hundreds of drivers doing the same job, chauffeuring people like me around and hustling for tips. In St. Louis, my client regularly hired the
- [The Secret to Innovation? Ride What Moves](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/01/the-secret-to-innovation-ride-what-moves/) - Successful innovation requires us to notice what is moving and growing around us, and to find ways to harness its energy to get us where we want to go. Newton’s First Law states that an object in motion tends to stay in motion, while an object at rest tends to stay at rest. If you
- [Cultivating Innovation to Stand Out: Jeff DeGraff with Innovation Instigator, Stephen Shapiro](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/01/cultivating-innovation-to-stand-out-jeff-degraff-with-business-consultant-stephan-shapiro/) - It is important to find value in being different. In this episode, I interview Stephen Shapiro, innovation instigator, business consultant, Hall of Fame speaker and author of Best Practices Are Stupid. Together, we discuss how innovation can help people stand out. According to Shapiro, it is key to find out what makes you unique. Office Hours with Jeff DeGraff is
- [Efficiency Can Kill You](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/02/efficiency-can-kill-you/) - Often, I’ve noticed, when I talk to someone about the need to innovate, that person will respond by telling me how much he or she is doing already. These days we make productivity something like a religion. We believe that if we are productive enough, organized enough, task-focused enough, that this will save us
- [Michigan has the parts to build a powerful economic engine. They just need to be connected.](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/02/michigan-has-the-parts-to-build-a-powerful-economic-engine-they-just-need-to-be-connected/) - Well, it’s been three years since we started The Next Idea. The aim of the project was to showcase the wide array of amazing people and communities here in Michigan, and how they make innovation happen every day, everywhere, and in every way. Looking back, we have heard the diverse voices and perspectives of artists,
- [Cultivating Innovation to Stand Out: Jeff DeGraff with Innovation Instigator, Stephen Shapiro](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/01/cultivating-innovation-to-stand-out-jeff-degraff-with-innovation-instigator-stephen-shapiro/) - Office Hours with Jeff DeGraff is a video series where the Dean of Innovation interviews thought leaders on the broad subject of innovation. These thought leaders come from various backgrounds but all share insight from their personal and professional experience that can be adapted to foster innovation either in a business setting or in your
- [How to Foster Innovation: Jeff DeGraff with Social Change Strategist, Jonah Sachs](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/01/how-to-foster-innovation-jeff-degraff-with-social-change-strategist-jonah-sachs/) - Office Hours with Jeff DeGraff is a video series where the Dean of Innovation interviews thought leaders on the broad subject of innovation. These thought leaders come from various backgrounds but all share insight from their personal and professional experience that can be adapted to foster innovation either in a business setting or in your
- [Innovations Impact on the Future of Business: Jeff DeGraff with Futurist, Jacob Morgan](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/12/innovations-impact-on-the-future-of-business-jeff-degraff-with-futurist-jacob-morgan/) - Office Hours with Jeff DeGraff is a video series where the Dean of Innovation interviews thought leaders on the broad subject of innovation. These thought leaders come from various backgrounds but all share insight from their personal and professional experience that can be adapted to foster innovation either in a business setting or in your
- [How Improv Sparks Creativity: Jeff DeGraff with comedian and Writer, Bob Kulhan](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/11/how-improv-sparks-creativity-jeff-degraff-with-comedian-and-writer-bob-kulhan/) - Office Hours with Jeff DeGraff is a video series where the Dean of Innovation interviews thought leaders on the broad subject of innovation. These thought leaders come from various backgrounds but all share insight from their personal and professional experience that can be adapted to foster innovation either in a business setting or in your
- [Inspiring Art Through Innovation: Jeff DeGraff with Former NY Philharmonic Pres., Matthew VanBesien](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/10/inspiring-art-through-innovation-jeff-degraff-with-former-ny-philharmonic-pres-matthew-vanbesien/) - Office Hours with Jeff DeGraff is a video series where the Dean of Innovation interviews thought leaders on the broad subject of innovation. These thought leaders come from various background but all share insight from their personal and professional experience that can be adapted to foster innovation either in a business setting or in your
- ['The best teams are like bands of superheroes' – Jeff DeGraff, author, ‘The Innovation Code’](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/12/the-best-teams-are-like-bands-of-superheroes-jeff-degraff-author-the-innovation-code/) - Original interview published on YourStory.com In an exclusive interview with YourStory, author Jeff DeGraff explains the importance of innovation for individuals and organisations. His recent book describes four key archetypes who drive innovation: the Artist (who loves radical innovation), the Engineer (who constantly improves everything), the Athlete (who competes to develop the best innovation), and
- [The Top 10 Books of 2017 for entrepreneurs!](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/12/the-top-10-books-of-2017-for-entrepreneurs/) - The Innovation Code: The Creative Power of Constructive Conflict, by Jeff DeGraff and Staney DeGraff Drawing on their work with nearly 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, Jeff and Staney DeGraff have developed a framework of innovator archetypes and engagement methods. The four key archetypes are the Artist (who loves radical innovation), the Engineer (who constantly
- [The Innovation Code: how to harness the Artist, Engineer, Athlete and Sage in your organisation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2017/11/the-innovation-code-how-to-harness-the-artist-engineer-athlete-and-sage-in-your-organisation/) - Original article appeared in YourStory.com: The Innovation Code - how to harness the Artist, Engineer, Athlete, and Sage in your organization Drawing on their work with nearly 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, innovation experts Jeff and Staney DeGraff have developed a framework of four different styles of innovators and how to constructively engage their
- [4 Easy Steps to Jump-Start Your Team's Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/11/4-easy-steps-to-jump-start-your-teams-innovation/) - One of the first stories I ever learned to read was called Stone Soup. It was a tale about three wily soldiers with no food or money who come to a wary village and set a large iron cauldron by the well in the town square. As the inhabitants look on, the soldiers fill the vessel
- [The Creative Power of Constructive Conflict](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/12/the-creative-power-of-constructive-conflict/) - Is ambidextrous leadership simply an updated version of the old catchphrase ‘a jack of all trades and a master of none’? In this age of specialization, is having an expanded range and repertoire more desirable than deep-domain expertise? Ambidexterity poses a fundamental challenge in the field of innovation where one size seldom fits all. It
- [6 Steps to Creating a Culture of Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/12/6-steps-to-create-a-culture-of-innovation/) - Harmony is sublime in music but deadly to innovation. The only way to create new, hybrid solutions is to clash. Innovation happens when we bring people with contrasting perspectives and complementary areas of expertise together in one room. We typically innovate best with people who challenge us, not people who agree with us. As a
- [How Your Company Can Best Leverage Different Perspectives](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2019/01/how-your-company-can-best-leverage-different-perspectives/) - Innovation is simply a useful novelty. The more unique the novelty, the more valuable the innovation is. Standardization is the opposite of innovation because it eliminates the variation required to produce this novelty. People fall into patterns of doing things the same way because it’s comfortable. To break this pattern, people and companies should seek out
- [How Unlikely Partners Challenged Each Other to Innovate](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2019/01/how-unlikely-partners-challenged-each-other-to-innovate/) - When people think of innovation, they usually picture gadgets or maybe a miracle drug. Oftentimes, the greatest innovations are subtler: how we invest money, enjoy music, or play sports. Innovation requires harnessing the positive tension of constructive conflict. The following examples show one or more unlikely pairs of partners that challenge each other to create
- [4 Ways Leaders Can Best Encourage Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2019/01/4-ways-leaders-can-best-encourage-innovation/) - To encourage innovation, leaders need to stop relying on old ways and become forward-thinkers in an ever-changing world. Below are some actions leaders can take to inspire others to innovate: 1. Follow the 20/80 rule. Leaders need to understand where to innovate. Though most people are familiar with the 80/20 rule, innovation follows the 20/80 rule.
- [Four Leadership Types and Their Attributes](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2019/02/four-leadership-types-and-their-attributes/) - Leaders need to know their leadership type. My years of research have found that there are four main types: Create: The Artist is clever and creative. They envision change, so their influence is based on anticipating a better future and generating hope in others. Being original is highly prized. They express themselves in spontaneous, creative responses
- [The 5 Levels of Mastering Creativity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2019/02/the-5-levels-of-mastering-creativity/) - When it comes to thinking creatively, people’s abilities always have room for improvement. However, it’s unlikely you’re going to become a creative genius like Einstein or Mozart without some natural talent. Is everyone creative? Sure they are, but in very different ways and to varying degrees. Our democratic longing to make everyone and everything equal
- [How to Take Advantage of Your Creativity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2019/02/how-to-take-advantage-of-your-creativity/) - The greatest misconception about innovation and creativity is that they can be generated on demand. Creativity will never be an item on a pull-down menu you can click to activate when you need it. But that doesn't mean you should just sit around waiting for a creative impulse. In a world where a single touch
- [The Secret to Becoming More Creative in Your Everyday Life](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2019/03/the-secret-to-becoming-more-creative-in-your-everyday-life/) - The gifted amateur as a heroic innovator is one of the great American myths. Stories about Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, and even Steve Jobs conveniently overlook their unique brilliance and years of experience. If anyone could do it, they would. We learn by doing and all learning is developmental. The same holds true for creative
- [USAF Annual Conference 2018](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/11/usaf-annual-conference-2018/) - Jeff DeGraff is an advisor to Fortune 500 companies, a top innovation speaker, a business professor at the Ross School of Business, and a bestselling author. He founded the Innovatrium, an innovation consulting firm focusing on creating innovation culture, capability, and community. He earned his nickname, the “Dean of Innovation,” while working as an executive
- [American Society of Cataract & Refractory Surgery](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/11/american-society-of-cataract-refractory-surgery-2/) - Jeff DeGraff is an advisor to Fortune 500 companies, a top innovation speaker, a business professor at the Ross School of Business, and a bestselling author. He founded the Innovatrium, an innovation consulting firm focusing on creating innovation culture, capability, and community. He earned his nickname, the “Dean of Innovation,” while working as an executive
- [Perkin Elmer Speech](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/11/perkin-elmer-speech/) - Jeff DeGraff is an advisor to Fortune 500 companies, a top innovation speaker, a business professor at the Ross School of Business, and a bestselling author. He founded the Innovatrium, an innovation consulting firm focusing on creating innovation culture, capability, and community. He earned his nickname, the “Dean of Innovation,” while working as an executive
- [2018 Student Innovator Summit](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/11/2018-student-innovator-summit/) - Jeff DeGraff is an advisor to Fortune 500 companies, a top innovation speaker, a business professor at the Ross School of Business, and a bestselling author. He founded the Innovatrium, an innovation consulting firm focusing on creating innovation culture, capability, and community. He earned his nickname, the “Dean of Innovation,” while working as an executive
- [American Society of Cataract & Refractory Surgery](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/11/american-society-of-cataract-refractory-surgery-3/) - Jeff DeGraff is an advisor to Fortune 500 companies, a top innovation speaker, a business professor at the Ross School of Business, and a bestselling author. He founded the Innovatrium, an innovation consulting firm focusing on creating innovation culture, capability, and community. He earned his nickname, the “Dean of Innovation,” while working as an executive
- [The Innovation Code | Dr. Jeff DeGraff, Staney DeGraff | Talks at Google](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/05/the-innovation-code-dr-jeff-degraff-staney-degraff-talks-at-google/) - In The Innovation Code, Jeff DeGraff (the “Dean of Innovation”), and Staney DeGraff introduce a simple framework to explain the ways different kinds of thinkers and leaders can create constructive conflict. They show you the four steps to normalize conflict, channel it, and develop something completely new, using tools, methods, examples, exercises, and assessments. Get
- [Jeff DeGraff Unleashing AirWarfare2018](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/06/jeff-degraff-unleashing-airwarfare2018/)
- [Creativizing : Creative Mindset Miniseries Part 1 With Jeff and Staney DeGraff Interview by Jess Larsen](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2020/09/creativizing-creative-mindset-miniseries-part-1-with-jeff-and-staney-degraff-interview-by-jess-larsen/)
- [292: Jeff DeGraff – Becoming More Creative in Your Ability to Innovate](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2020/08/292-jeff-degraff-becoming-more-creative-in-your-ability-to-innovate/) - Original podcast website Fast Leader episode page: Jeff DeGraff - Becoming More Creative in Your Ability To Innovate
- [Podcast #21 Jeff DeGraff – Why you need conflict to succeed at innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/08/podcast-21-jeff-degraff-why-you-need-conflict-to-succeed-at-innovation/) - Original podcast website Idea to Value episode page: Why You Need Conflict to Succeed At Innovation with Jeff DeGraff
- [What Makes You Innovative with Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/07/what-makes-you-innovative-with-jeff-degraff/) - Original podcast Everyday Innovators episode page: What Makes You Innovative with Jeff DeGraff How Identifying Your Innovation Code Can Help You Innovate in the Right Way and at the Right Time Jeff DeGraff knows what makes you innovative — it’s in the code. He is the author of The Innovation Code: The Creative Power of Constructive
- [Innovation is Not Possible Without Diversity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/02/innovation-is-not-possible-without-diversity/) - Original article published on Air & Space Forces Magazine by Amy Hudson Jeff DeGraff, clinical professor of business administration, University of Michigan, was the keynote speaker at the Air Force Association's Air Warfare Symposium on Feb. 23, 2018, in Orlando, Fla. Air Force Magazine photo by Mike Tsukamoto. Innovation doesn’t have to be about starting something
- [Issues & Ale: Competition and collaboration in Michigan's regional economy](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/02/issues-ale-competition-and-collaboration-in-michigans-regional-economy-2/) - Original episode of Michigan Public Radio episode webpage: Issues & Ale: Competition and collaboration in Michigan's regional economy For more than three years, The Next Idea has been talking to people who took their creative ideas and turned them into something tangible — a business, an invention, social change. Those out of the box ideas are essential
- [The Next Idea’s parting words: Believe in your idea. It might just help move Michigan forward.](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2018/02/the-next-ideas-parting-words-believe-in-your-idea-it-might-just-help-move-michigan-forward-2/) - Original episode Michigan Public Radio webpage: The Next Idea's parting words: Believe in your idea. It might just help move Michigan forward.
- [Best Documentaries on Creativity Since 2010](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2022/12/best-documentaries-on-creativity-since-2010/) - I'm a bit of a documentary fanatic.
- [My Five Favorite Books on Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2022/12/my-five-favorite-books-on-innovation-jeff-degraff/) - My favorite books on innovation are about how to think - not what to think.
- [From Chaos to Creativity: An Insider's Look with the Dean of Innovation and University of Michigan Professor Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2021/04/from-chaos-to-creativity-an-insiders-look-with-the-dean-of-innovation-and-university-of-michigan-professor-jeff-degraff/) - See the original show website for the following podcast episode: From Chaos to Creativity: An Insider's Look with the Dean of Innovation and University of Michigan Professor Jeff DeGraff
- [The Key to Success In 2021: Building a Creative and Innovative Culture](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2021/02/the-key-to-success-in-2021-building-a-creative-and-innovative-culture/) - Originally published in Innovation Management by Jeff DeGraff The Democratization of Creativity and Innovation 2020 was the year we got to see how innovative our most lauded institutions could be under pressure. While the failures were everywhere and obvious, there was one very visible effort that is providing some much-needed direction for your organization heading
- [Ep 143 Dean of Innovation, Professor of Management, Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2021/02/ep-143-dean-of-innovation-professor-of-management-jeff-degraff/) - Original podcast episode website from Innovator Diaries: Ep 143 Dean of Innovation, Professor of Management, Jeff DeGraff
- [Mastering the 6 skills of the creative mindset](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2021/01/mastering-the-6-skills-of-the-creative-mindset/) - Original podcast episode website at Idea to Value: Podcast S4E96: Jeff DeGraff – Mastering the 6 skills of the creative mindset
- [Focusing on creating innovation culture, capability, and community](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2021/01/focusing-on-creating-innovation-culture-capability-and-community/) - Original podcast website Iron Sharpens Iron episode website link here
- [How Even You Can Be Creative with Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2020/12/how-even-you-can-be-creative-with-jeff-degraff/)
- [Leveraging Thought Leadership | Jeff DeGraff | 275](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2020/11/leveraging-thought-leadership-jeff-degraff-275/) - Original podcast website Leveraging Thought Leadership episode page: Episode 275 with Jeff DeGraff
- [The Democratization of Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2020/10/the-democratization-of-innovation/) - Listen to the Democratization of Innovation episode in a new window. Original podcast The Leadership Podcast episode page: The Democratization of Innovation
- [Episode 4: Jeff DeGraff – Dean of Innovation, Author and Thought Leader](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2020/10/episode-4-jeff-degraff-dean-of-innovation-author-and-thought-leader/) - Original podcast website Innovation of Work episode page: Jeff DeGraff Dean of Innovation, Author, and Thought Leader
- [Creative leadership: Getting into the creative mindset](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2020/10/creative-leadership-getting-into-the-creative-mindset/) - Original article published on SmartBrief by Jeff DeGraff Lead Change is a leadership media destination with a unique editorial focus on driving change within organizations, teams, and individuals. Lead Change, a division of Weaving Influence, publishes twice monthly with SmartBrief. Today’s post is by Jeff DeGraff According to the 2020 LinkedIn Learning Report and the 2010 IBM CEO Study, creativity
- [Hurt, Didn’t It? Six Skills to Master the Creative Process](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2020/09/hurt-didnt-it-six-skills-to-master-the-creative-process/) - Original article published on Leadership Freak by Jeff DeGraff My mom and dad had different parenting styles. My mother admonished me anytime I tried something uncertain and perceived as potentially dangerous. On the other hand, my father watched as my risky behavior brought skinned knees, bruises, and stitches. As he helped me back to my
- [It's Time to Rethink Creativity and Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2020/09/its-time-to-rethink-creativity-and-innovation/) - Press Release originally released on Weaving Influence by Jeff and Staney DeGraff Ann Arbor, MI, Sept. 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly all of today's major innovation workshops and programs call on organizations to drive innovation. They miss that innovation comes from an individuals' creativity, and it is not a gift for the chosen few—it
- [Innovation and The Creative Mindset](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2020/09/innovation-and-the-creative-mindset/) - Original podcast website Killer Innovations episode page: Innovation and The Creative Mindset with Jeff DeGraff
- [Six Skills To Empower Innovation : Creative Mindset Miniseries Part 3 With Jeff and Staney DeGraff Interview by Jess Larsen](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2020/09/six-skills-to-empower-innovation-creative-mindset-miniseries-part-3-with-jeff-and-staney-degraff-interview-by-jess-larsen/)
- [Developing Your Creativity Mindset : Creative Mindset Miniseries Part 2 With Jeff and Staney DeGraff Interview by Jess Larsen](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2020/09/developing-your-creativity-mindset-creative-mindset-miniseries-part-2-with-jeff-and-staney-degraff-interview-by-jess-larsen/)
- [The Creative Mindset – Interview with Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2020/09/the-creative-mindset-interview-with-jeff-degraff/) - Original podcast website David Dye's Leadership Without Losing Your Soul episode page: The Creative Mindset - Interview with Jeff DeGraff
- [From Pizza to Pentagon: How a Domino's Executive is Driving Innovation in the Department of Defense](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2024/07/from-pizza-to-pentagon-how-a-dominos-executive-is-driving-innovation-in-the-department-of-defense/) - Charting a path to a swift, agile, and creative future with the "Dean of Innovation," Jeff DeGraff "Innovation is essential: without it, America cannot lead the world." How did an executive from Domino's start a company laying the foundation for an innovative mindset with the Department of Defense? Keep reading to learn more.
- [Creativity and Innovation - Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2025/04/creativity-and-innovation-jeff-degraff/) - Original show website for the Mister Productivity Podcast episode: Creativity and Innovation - Jeff DeGraff
- [How to master a creative mindset](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2025/11/how-to-master-a-creative-mindset/) - Original podcast website Inside Ideas with Marc Buckley episode webpage: How to master a creative mindset
- [See One, Do One, Teach One : Creative Mindset Miniseries Part 4 With Jeff and Staney Degraff Interview by Jess Larsen](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/2025/09/see-one-do-one-teach-one-creative-mindset-miniseries-part-4-with-jeff-and-staney-degraff-interview-by-jess-larsen/)

## Pages

- [Home](https://jeffdegraff.com/) - Discover Jeff DeGraff, the Dean of Innovation, and his frameworks including the Competing Values Framework, Innovation Code, and paradox-based change.
- [Inc. Magazine Articles](https://jeffdegraff.com/articles-2/jeff-degraff-inc-magazine-articles/) - A list of articles written by Jeff DeGraff over the past 2 years that have been published on Inc. Magazine on innovation, leadership, and creativity.
- [Psychology Today Articles](https://jeffdegraff.com/articles-2/psychology-today-articles/) - A list of Psychology Today articles written by Jeffrey DeGraff over the past two years on the keys to creativity, leadership, and innovation.
- [Big Think Magazine Articles](https://jeffdegraff.com/articles-2/jeffrey-degraff-big-think-magazine-articles/) - Explore Jeffrey DeGraff’s Big Think articles on AI, leadership, meaning, and creativity, offering insights on innovation, ambiguity, and the future of leadership.
- [Articles by Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/articles/) - Explore Jeff DeGraff’s latest articles on innovation, leadership, creativity, and organizational change featured in Inc., Fortune, Psychology Today, and Big Think.
- [Articles](https://jeffdegraff.com/articles-2/) - Explore Jeff's latest thinking on innovation and organizational transformation through articles published in Inc., Fortune, Psychology Today, and Big Think.
- [About Jeff](https://jeffdegraff.com/about/) - Discover Jeff DeGraff’s Competing Values Framework and innovation methodologies that help organizations balance creativity, control, competition, and collaboration.
- [Other Articles](https://jeffdegraff.com/articles-2/other-articles/) - Explore additional articles featuring Jeffrey DeGraff on leadership, innovation, paradox thinking, adaptive learning, and navigating change.
- [Videos](https://jeffdegraff.com/videos/) - Videos Selected videos curated by theme — a visual on-ramp into innovation thinking and practice This page offers one powerful video from each major area of Jeff’s work, organized by how viewers engage with innovation — from foundational concepts to applied leadership and real practice. Innovation Foundations Innovation emerges out of constructive conflict, not optimizing,
- [Contact](https://jeffdegraff.com/contact/) - Contact Jeff DeGraff to book keynote speaking engagements, submit media inquiries, or ask questions. Connect with the Dean of Innovation for events, leadership insights, and innovation expertise.
- [Community](https://jeffdegraff.com/community/) - Join Jeff DeGraff’s global innovation community to connect with leaders, practitioners, and learners through certification programs, executive workshops, networks, and thought leadership content that advances innovation practice.
- [Jeff DeGraff's Organizational Transformation Speaking and Workshop Program](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/) - Book Jeff DeGraff, the Dean of Innovation, for keynote speeches, innovation workshops, executive coaching, and certification programs that help organizations build leadership capability, drive sustainable growth, and turn ideas into impact.
- [Ideas](https://jeffdegraff.com/ideas/) - Explore Jeff DeGraff’s innovation frameworks including the Innovation Genome, Innovation Code, and Paradox Cycle for leading creativity and change.
- [IEA/AACSB Landing Page](https://jeffdegraff.com/iea-aacsb-landing-page/) - Explore ideas from Jeff DeGraff’s AACSB keynote on innovation, adaptive thinking, AI, and learning in the Age of Intelligence.
- [Influence](https://jeffdegraff.com/influence/) - Explore Jeff DeGraff’s influence on innovation through research, leadership frameworks, corporate impact, defense collaboration, and global thought leadership.
- [Innovation You](https://jeffdegraff.com/books/innovation-you/) - Innovation You by Jeff DeGraff reveals a four step framework to reinvent yourself, build creativity, and unlock personal and professional growth.
- [Leading Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/books/leading-innovation/) - Leading Innovation by Jeff DeGraff shows how organizations can build innovation systems, drive growth, and develop leadership for sustained innovation.
- [Making Stone Soup](https://jeffdegraff.com/books/making-stone-soup/) - Making Stone Soup by Jeff DeGraff shows how leaders can jumpstart innovation teams through collaboration, creativity, and practical innovation steps.
- [The Art of Change](https://jeffdegraff.com/books/the-art-of-change/) - The Art of Change by Jeff and Staney DeGraff shows how leaders can transform paradox and uncertainty into breakthrough innovation and change.
- [The Creative Mindset](https://jeffdegraff.com/books/the-creative-mindset/) - The Creative Mindset by Jeff and Staney DeGraff explains the six essential skills that empower innovation and help individuals develop creative thinking.
- [The Enlivened Self](https://jeffdegraff.com/books/the-enlivened-self/) - The Enlivened Self by Jeff DeGraff offers philosophical insight and practical guidance for personal growth, creativity, and becoming a more effective leader.
- [The Innovation Code](https://jeffdegraff.com/books/the-innovation-code/) - The Innovation Code by Jeff and Staney DeGraff shows how constructive conflict and diverse thinking styles drive breakthrough innovation.
- [CPI Workbook](https://jeffdegraff.com/books/cpi-workbook/) - The Certified Professional Innovator Workbook by Jeff DeGraff provides practical tools, frameworks, and exercises for developing world class innovation leadership.
- [Competing Values Leadership](https://jeffdegraff.com/books/competing-values-leadership/) - Competing Values Leadership explains how leaders create value using the Competing Values Framework to improve organizational effectiveness and leadership.
- [Creativity at Work](https://jeffdegraff.com/books/creativity-at-work/) - Creativity at Work by Jeff DeGraff explores practical methods for building innovation, blending creativity practices, and developing creative capabilities in teams.
- [Affiliations](https://jeffdegraff.com/affiliations/) - Explore Jeff DeGraff’s affiliations across the University of Michigan, Innovatrium, IEA, Haworth, and BigSpeak bridging research, innovation practice, and global leadership.
- [Content](https://jeffdegraff.com/content/) - From books and articles to videos, discover the many ways Jeff DeGraff shares insights on innovation, leadership, and organizational transformation.
- [Books By Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/books/) - Explore Jeff DeGraff’s books on innovation, leadership, creativity, and organizational change, built on the Competing Values Framework and practical strategy.
- [Resources](https://jeffdegraff.com/resources/) - Resources Tools for Learning, Doing, and Facilitating Innovation These resources are designed to support learning, experimentation, and leadership practice. Whether you are exploring innovation for the first time, leading change inside an organization, or facilitating the work with others, these tools provide practical entry points into the Innovation Genome and Innovation Code. Innovation is not
- [Recommendations](https://jeffdegraff.com/recommendations/) - Jeff DeGraff Recommendations Take a look at what The Dean of Innovation is reading and watching Current Recommendations Jeff DeGraff's Recommendations From 20205 Read more about the books, articles, and essays Jeff DeGraff recommends from his year-in-review reading list. Read Jeff's Recommendations Check Out Past Recommendations
- [Living Laboratory](https://jeffdegraff.com/living-laboratory/) - Living Laboratory Real-World Innovation in Action Theory meets practice in the living laboratory—where innovation frameworks are tested, refined, and validated through real-world application. The Laboratory Approach Innovation can't be understood purely through abstract concepts—it must be experienced, experimented with, and evolved through practice. The living laboratory approach treats every engagement as an opportunity to test
- [Organizations](https://jeffdegraff.com/organizations/) - Organizations Institutions and Initiatives Shaping Innovation Jeff's work extends across multiple organizations—from the University of Michigan to the Pentagon, from Fortune 500 companies to allied military forces. Primary Affiliations Ross School of Business, University of Michigan Clinical Professor of Management and Organizations (since 1990) Jeff has been a faculty member at the Ross School of
- [Jeff DeGraff's Career Timeline](https://jeffdegraff.com/jeff-degraff-career-timeline/) - Career Timeline Step into the history of Jeff DeGraff's prolific career The purpose of this page is to provide clear and consistent career timeline and evolution of Jeff DeGraff's contributions and involvement Jeff DeGraff – Complete Career Timeline Jeff DeGraff Career Timeline Jeff DeGraff – 1980s Career Timeline: Foundations of Innovation 1980 Bachelor of Science,
- [Jeff DeGraff's Lexicon](https://jeffdegraff.com/lexicon/) - Lexicon Explore Jeff DeGraff's core ideas and coined phrases The purpose of this page is to provide clear and consistent definitions of Jeff DeGraff's contribution to the body of innovation knowledge Core Ideas and Proprietary Terms Encyclopedia Terms Connected to Jeff DeGraff’s Work Frameworks and Theories
- [Philosophical Foundations of The School of Thought](https://jeffdegraff.com/philosophical-foundations/) - Jeff DeGraff's School of Thought is connected to frameworks and influential thinkers such as management theorists, philosophers, and schools of thought.
- [The School of Thought](https://jeffdegraff.com/school-of-thought/) - Jeff DeGraff's School of Thought A comprehensive framework for understanding and implementing innovation through the Competing Values Framework, Innovation Genome™, and Innovation Code™ methodologies. The Innovation Framework Over four decades of research and practice, Jeff DeGraff has established a comprehensive school of thought around systematic innovation development. This framework recognizes that different types of innovation
- [Media](https://jeffdegraff.com/media/) - Media Interviews, Talks, and Media Appearances Explore Jeff's insights through various media appearances—from PBS and NPR to TED talks and publications in leading business journals. Television & Radio PBS's "Innovation You" Jeff hosts this television series exploring innovation topics and featuring conversations with innovation leaders. NPR's "The Next Idea" Radio program on Michigan Public Radio
- [Speech: The Art of Change - Turning Paradoxes into Breakthroughs](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/speech-the-art-of-change/) - In this compelling keynote based on his new book The Art of Change, Jeff DeGraff reveals how today’s most adaptive leaders harness paradox—not eliminate it—to create meaningful transformation. Drawing from 30 years of work with Fortune 500 companies, military institutions, and cultural organizations, Jeff shows how breakthrough innovation arises when leaders embrace tension: stability and
- [Speech: Beyond AI - Leadership for the Age of Intelligence](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/speech-beyond-ai/) - The Age of Answers is over. In a world where AI now supplies solutions at scale, the true differentiator is the question—and the human behind it. In this provocative keynote, Jeff DeGraff—The Dean of Innovation—makes the case for a new kind of leader: the Renaissance mind. These are adaptive leaders who integrate analytical insight, creative
- [Speech: Mission-Driven Innovation - Lessons from the Military, Museums, and Main Street](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/speech-mission-driven-innovation/) - What do NATO, the Smithsonian, and your company have in common? They all face the challenge of innovating under pressure—and with purpose. In this powerful cross-sector keynote, Jeff DeGraff shares how transformative innovation emerges when business, government, and cultural sectors converge. Drawing on his work with 14 U.S. and allied military programs and national mission-driven
- [Speech: Innovation That Sticks - Building Dynastic Innovation Cultures](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/speech-innovation-that-sticks/) - What if innovation weren’t a one-time initiative, but a generational capability? In this keynote, Jeff DeGraff shares how he’s helped companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Pfizer build innovation systems that scale across people, time, and purpose. Grounded in the Innovation Code, this session helps leaders identify their unique innovation DNA and design cultures that continually
- [Terms of Use](https://jeffdegraff.com/terms-and-conditions/) - WEBSITE TERMS OF SERVICE Welcome! These Terms of Service (“TOS”) apply to the following web sites: https://www.innovatrium.org, https://innovationyou.com/, and https://jeffdegraff.com/ (the “Site”). The TOS is a legal agreement between Competing Values, LLC, a Michigan limited liability company with offices at 304 ½ S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 USA (“CV” or “we”) and the person who accesses the
- [Creative Mindset](https://jeffdegraff.com/creativemindset/) - Resources for The Creative Mindset Take the Creative Mindset Quiz Quiz2-minute quiz to discover your creative mindset Free Resources for Cultivating The Creative Mindset WorkbookPrintable workbook that follows along with the book VideosVideos featuring Jeff DeGraff that follow along the book and workbook Sample ChapterSneak peek at the introduction and chapter one SyllabusA 15 week
- [Speech: Leading Innovation - How to Jumpstart Your Organization's Growth Engine](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/how-to-jumpstart-your-organizations-growth-engine/) - Learn an Innovation framework that develops leaders who systematically integrate innovation into daily business practices. Make it happen everywhere, everyday.
- [Speech: Business Design in the New Tech Centric World](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/business-design-in-the-new-tech-centric-world/) - Transform your innovation leadership. Are you part of an organization struggling with disruption? Learn how to integrate vertical and horizontal approaches.
- [Speech: The Power of Diversity and Teams](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/the-power-of-diversity-and-teams/) - Throw out your diversity checklist. Discover how to leverage diverse mindsets and constructive conflict to create innovation and breakthrough team performance.
- [Speech: Connecting the Dots of Innovation - Making Collaborative Innovation Work Where You Work](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/making-collaborative-innovation-work-where-you-work/) - Innovation doesn't fail in functions—it fails between them. Learn to create shared language that connects marketing to manufacturing without more processes.
- [Speech: Doing the Creative Work the Company Can’t](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/doing-the-creative-work-the-company-cant/) - Your most creative work happens in the coffee shop across the street. Learn why your processes drive innovation out—and how to revitalize people instead.
- [Speech: Innovation You - Four Steps to Becoming New and Improved](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/innovation-you-four-steps-to-becoming-new-and-improved/) - The spark is gone. Learn to innovate yourself like a product: inventory your energy, assess strengths, rebalance your life portfolio, and run experiments.
- [Workshop: Innovation You Workshop](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/innovation-you-workshop/) - A specialized personal development workshop that delivers practical tools, not just inspiration. Learn to reinvent yourself using proven innovation methods.
- [Workshop: Jumpstarting Innovation Workshop](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/jumpstarting-innovation-workshop/) - Turn innovation mindset into action. This customized 1-2 day workshop delivers executable action plans you can implement tomorrow—not just concepts to consider.
- [Workshop: Innovation Coaching and Executive Retreats](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/innovation-coaching-and-executive-retreats/) - Partner with a Fortune 500 innovation coach. Jeff DeGraff offers executive, project, & personal development coaching for sustainable growth and transformation.
- [Workshop: Certified Professional Innovator](https://jeffdegraff.com/speaking/certified-professional-innovator/) - Rapidly develop innovation competency through University of Michigan certification. Implement a real innovation initiative while mastering proven frameworks.
- [Privacy Policy](https://jeffdegraff.com/privacy-policy/) - Privacy Policy Last updated: November 06, 2025 Jeff DeGraff - The Dean of Innovation ("us", "we", or "our") operates the Jeff DeGraff - The Dean of Innovation website (the "Service"). This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use and disclosure of Personal Information when you use our Service. We will not use

## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/uncategorized/)
- [Creativity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/creativity/)
- [Flexibility](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/flexibility/)
- [Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/innovation-2/)
- [Culture](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/culture/)
- [Generational Differences](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/generational-differences/)
- [Media](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/media/)
- [Marketing](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/marketing/)
- [Growth](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/growth/)
- [Personal Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/personal-innovation/)
- [Community](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/community/)
- [Financial Success](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/financial-success/)
- [Innovation Misconceptions](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/innovation-misconceptions/)
- [Goal Setting](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/goal-setting/)
- [Presence of Mind](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/presence-of-mind/)
- [Leadership](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/leadership/)
- [Failure](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/failure/)
- [Education](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/education/)
- [Video](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/video/)
- [Recommendation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/recommendation/)
- [Podcast](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/category/podcast/)

## Tags

- [creativity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/creativity-2/)
- [innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/innovation/)
- [challenging assumptions](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/challenging-assumptions/)
- [marketing](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/marketing-2/)
- [innovation practice](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/innovation-practice/)
- [business strategy](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/business-strategy/)
- [change](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/change/)
- [development](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/development/)
- [business](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/business/)
- [business success](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/business-success/)
- [career success](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/career-success/)
- [Competing Values Framework](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/competing-values-framework/)
- [innovation guru](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/innovation-guru/)
- [Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/jeff-degraff/)
- [Jeffrey DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/jeffrey-degraff/)
- [personal growth](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/personal-growth/)
- [success](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/success/)
- [University of Michigan](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/university-of-michigan/)
- [future](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/future/)
- [higher education](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/higher-education/)
- [social media](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/social-media/)
- [business trends](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/business-trends/)
- [Dan Burrus](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/dan-burrus/)
- [Daniel Burrus](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/daniel-burrus/)
- [empowerment](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/empowerment/)
- [Flash Foresight](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/flash-foresight/)
- [futurist](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/futurist/)
- [tech trends](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/tech-trends/)
- [trends](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/trends/)
- [Occupy Wall Street](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/occupy-wall-street/)
- [ChangeThis](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/changethis/)
- [legacy](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/legacy/)
- [Career](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/career/)
- [Economist](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/economist/)
- [Economy](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/economy/)
- [Executives](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/executives/)
- [Finance](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/finance/)
- [Finance Book](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/finance-book/)
- [James Adams](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/james-adams/)
- [Lost Job](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/lost-job/)
- [New Career](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/new-career/)
- [Politics](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/politics/)
- [Waffle Street](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/waffle-street/)
- [Wall Street](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/wall-street/)
- [Corazon Aquino](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/corazon-aquino/)
- [personal development](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/personal-development/)
- [Anthroposophy](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/anthroposophy/)
- [Rudolf Steiner](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/rudolf-steiner/)
- [The Education of the Child](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/the-education-of-the-child/)
- [Big Think](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/big-think/)
- [LinkedIn](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/linkedin/)
- [Guest Post](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/guest-post/)
- [leadership](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/leadership-2/)
- [target marketing](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/target-marketing/)
- [innovator's hypocrisy](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/innovators-hypocrisy/)
- [brainstorming](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/brainstorming/)
- [ideas](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/ideas/)
- [Making Stone Soup](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/making-stone-soup/)
- [The JetSetter Show](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/the-jetsetter-show/)
- [Collaborate](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/collaborate/)
- [Conflict](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/conflict/)
- [Create](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/create/)
- [Strategy](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/strategy/)
- [Partnerships](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/partnerships/)
- [Making Stone Sou](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/making-stone-sou/)
- [Small Business Trends](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/small-business-trends/)
- [Design](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/design/)
- [Product](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/product/)
- [Hiring](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/hiring/)
- [Workplace](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/workplace/)
- [Joe Linstroth](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/joe-linstroth/)
- [Michigan](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/michigan/)
- [Michigan Radio](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/michigan-radio/)
- [The Next Idea](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/the-next-idea/)
- [Business News](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/business-news/)
- [Projects](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/projects/)
- [Economic Growth](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/economic-growth/)
- [Media](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/media/)
- [Micro Economies](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/micro-economies/)
- [Big Data](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/big-data/)
- [Data](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/data/)
- [Creative](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/creative/)
- [Idea Space](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/idea-space/)
- [Incompetencies](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/incompetencies/)
- [Business Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/business-innovation/)
- [2014](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/2014/)
- [The Future](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/the-future/)
- [courage](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/courage/)
- [Education](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/education/)
- [Distinguished Achievement Awards Nomination](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/distinguished-achievement-awards-nomination/)
- [Collaboration](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/collaboration/)
- [Branding](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/branding/)
- [Future Technology](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/future-technology/)
- [The Rule Of Three](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/the-rule-of-three/)
- [Technology](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/technology/)
- [Innovation Chautauquas](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/innovation-chautauquas/)
- [Innovation Leadership](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/innovation-leadership/)
- [TED Talks](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/ted-talks/)
- [Innovators](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/innovators/)
- [Innovation [Infographic]](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/innovation-infographic/)
- [Culture](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/culture/)
- [Economic Innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/economic-innovation/)
- [The Second Stage](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/the-second-stage/)
- [Infographic](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/infographic/)
- [Graduation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/graduation/)
- [America](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/america/)
- [Corporate Culture](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/corporate-culture/)
- [innovation code](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/innovation-code/)
- [worldview](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/worldview/)
- [dean of innovation](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/dean-of-innovation/)
- [quora](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/quora/)
- [Andy Molinsky](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/andy-molinsky/)
- [dexterity](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/dexterity/)
- [office hours](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/office-hours/)
- [office hours with Jeff DeGraff](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/office-hours-with-jeff-degraff/)
- [Creative Thinking](https://jeffdegraff.com/blog/tag/creative-thinking/)