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The 3-Step Process that's Kept 3M Innovative for Decades

From Fast Company

One 3M scientist explains how the approach his team used to develop a nasal antiseptic for hospitals is an organizational lesson every business should learn. READ MORE

3 Ways To Be More Strategic

By Catherine Iste

There are things we know, things we know we don't know and — to paraphrase former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld — things we don't know that we don't know. Being strategic often falls into that last category. READ MORE

4 Brutal Truths about Innovation No One Wants to Talk About

From Inc.

Some of today's top innovators share what they've learned along the way. READ MORE

Being Different Is the New Normal: Why 'Disruption' Is Here to Stay.

From Entrepreneur

Small business owners are actually in a much better position than their larger peers to survive disruptive innovation and come out stronger. The reason is that small businesses can pivot much more easily than large corporations and adapt to the changes of the industry. READ MORE

Amazon's Jeff Bezos on business growth and decline

From Amazon's 2016 Annual Report

Day 1 is the term that Jeff Bezos uses for an organization’s startup and growth phases. He talks about “Day 1 vitality”, when organizations are delivering to their customers great value.

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Seven CEOs' Secrets for Running More Productive Meetings

From Fast Company

From VR tools to choosing the right snacks, here’s how these execs keep meetings quick and effective. READ MORE

What If Companies Managed People as Carefully as They Manage Money?

From Harvard Business Review

Financial capital is abundant but carefully managed; human capital is scarce but not carefully managed. Why? In part, it’s because we value and reward good management of financial capital. And we measure it. Great CEOs are held in high regard for their clever management and allocation of financial capital. But today’s great CEOs need to be equally great at managing human capital. READ MORE

When It Comes to Innovation, Go Big or Go Home

From Entrepreneur

Innovation isn't simply a marketing catch-phrase. It's a way of life for many business owners and an absolutely vital aspect of survival and success. READ MORE

Conflict Minerals is Dead! Long Live Conflict Minerals!

From Lawrence Heim, Elm Sustainability Partners

The deadline for filing the CY2016 SEC conflict minerals disclosure has now passed, although there are likely to be a few late filers. It is too early to glean anything from the filings and at least three analyses will be conducted, including the Development International study, which is the most comprehensive of them. We all anxiously await these reports. READ MORE

How to Get Around the Laptop and Tablet Ban on Planes

From Inc.

A handy toolkit for those of us who depend on uninterrupted flight time to get work done. READ MORE

Building Real Collaboration into Your Organization

From Stanford Social Innovation Review

How focusing on the three organizational pillars of culture, people, and leadership can help fuel meaningful collaboration. READ MORE

How to protect yourself from ransomware

From CNN

How much do individuals need to worry about their personal computers being targeted? READ MORE

Hard Conversations Won't Kill You

From Ann marie Houghtailing

At any given time, we’re avoiding a conversation for one reason or another. We move it from one day’s To Do list to the next because we have more anxiety than language to enter the conversation. Here are five tips to conquer a tough conversation. READ MORE

5 Ways to Market Your Business for Free (or Nearly Free)

From Entrepreneur

When you don't have a big budget to market your business, creativity can work just fine. READ MORE

New Perspectives on Planning in the 21st Century

From Inc.

Today's business plans need to go beyond dry logic, facts and figures and incorporate the passion and excitement that generate a real sense of commitment. READ MORE

Top-down Management Structures Are Crumbling — How Will You Adapt?

From CEO.com

oday, your smartest, most productive people will create the most value by both generating and executing on their ideas. As this new breed of employee permeates the workforce, it demands a different approach to management to drive competitiveness and company success. READ MORE

Why Innovation and Imitation Aren't Mutually Exclusive

From Fast Company

The history of human expression–from art and music to literature and dance–is built on the creative adaptation of what came before, and the internet follows this pattern; it’s nothing if not the result of distributed innovation and development. READ MORE

How can I sell when I’m not the lowest price?

From Dave Kahle, Sales Resource Center

The biggest issue in the minds of your customers and prospects is not price, and it’s not value – it is risk. READ MORE

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Obsess Over Your Customers, Not Your Rivals

From Harvard Business Review

The starting point of most competitive analysis is a question: Who is your competition? That’s because most companies view their competition as another brand, product, or service. But smart leaders and organizations go broader. READ MORE

FIFA: This New Law May Affect Businesses Nationwide

From Multibriefs

Approximately 34 percent of the U.S. workforce — or 53 million Americans — earn a living working as freelancers, according to the "Freelancing in America: A National Survey of the New Workforce" report. Despite this huge number, freelance workers are still not protected by law. However, all of this is set to change as the Freelance Isn't Free Act (FIFA) takes effect in New York City. Employers and freelancers need to understand the extent of the law before they are affected by it. READ MORE