From Fast Company

It’s not about sleek graphics or the presentation software you use. It’s about whether the story you tell resonates with your audience’s needs. READ MORE

From MultiBriefs: Exclusive

Sports championships, scientific breakthroughs, technological developments — in addition to reams of negative political events, the news is constantly full of stories of amazing achievements few of us could have ever predicted. Records are broken regularly, huge advances are made in the fields of medicine, and innovative solutions have become as common as downloading a new app. READ MORE

From Forbes

Even the most creative of business minds hit a wall at one point or another. The creative juices stop flowing, and it all just comes to a head. Taking the time you need to get away and reignite that internal flame can help you get yourself back in the mindset needed to come up with those innovative ideas once again and make thing happen at your business. READ MORE

From TED.com

We often find ourselves stuck in narrow social circles with similar people. What habits confine us, and how can we break them? Organizational psychologist Tanya Menon considers how we can be more intentional about expanding our social universes -- and how it can lead to new ideas and opportunities. Watch the Ted Talk.

From Harvard Business Review

Most great innovators are nothing like the stereotype of a mercurial genius. Managers can help the teams they lead become more innovative by doing four things: First, hire for mission. If people care about the problems you’re solving, they’ll come up with better solutions. Second, promote psychological safety, so people can speak their minds. Third, foster diversity. Research has consistently shown that the most-creative teams are diverse. And finally, value teamwork. While the stereotype of a great innovator may be a lone inventor, the reality is that none of us can come up with great solutions — and implement them — alone. READ MORE

From Fast Company

These five steps can help you say goodbye to low-value clients and get more out of those that will really help you grow. READ MORE

From Entrepreneur

Innovation happens by design. Build it in to your company, and it will show through in your results and relationships with customers. READ MORE

From MultiBriefs: Exclusive

Operational excellence is essential for success in any business. Yet it does not get the attention strategy does, even though we all know it is critical. READ MORE

From Jamie Notter

I was talking the other day to a leader in an organization whose culture was fairly traditionally “hierarchical.” There was a clear hierarchy there, and people had it on their radar that you shouldn’t do things or say things unless someone above you in the chain either knew about it or had approved it. This also left the culture somewhat “guarded,” as people were often unsure what they could say, so they simply chose not to say much. READ MORE

From Inc.com

If you want the fame, big paychecks and respect, cut these mistakes from your repertoire. READ MORE

From Jamie Notter

I’m not in the digital transformation business, though I know many consultants and client organizations who are in the middle of it. And Maddie, of course, is a digital strategist, so I’ve got an inside track to someone who knows the business and has done the work. Maybe that gives me just enough information to be dangerous, but I have to say, I get the feeling that the people who are deeply immersed in digital transformation seem to be missing something hugely important READ MORE

From Jamie Notter

I see a lot written these days about this mysterious new generation that follows the Millennials, often called Generation Z. Yes, just when you thought you had figured out the “kids these days,” now you have to start all over again with a whole new generation! READ MORE

From Harvard Business Review

Collaboration all too often feels inefficient (search and coordination costs eat up time), risky (can I trust others to deliver for my client?), low value (our own area of expertise always seems most critical), and political (a sneaky way of self-promoting to other areas of one’s firm). Lurking behind these reservations may be concerns about losing relevance, becoming one of those “charismatic” leaders so often criticized as “all form, no substance.” Clarifying what collaboration is (and what it isn’t) and gaining firsthand experience with one or more collaborative projects is the only way to combat these common apprehensions. Only once you’ve seen collaboration’s value for yourself will you put in the effort required to seek out cross-disciplinary projects and hone the skills necessary to collaborate effectively. READ MORE

From Entrepreneur

These days, customer relationships have the life span of a Hollywood marriage, or, worse, a series of one-night stands. Here's how to learn from the breakup. READ MORE

From the Wall Street Journal

Even from some who should know better, Corporate America is hearing that, to validate the new tax law, companies must do particular things with particular dollars, and not do other things. READ MORE

From Forbes

Decision fatigue refers to the deteriorating quality of decisions as one is forced to engage in more and more decision-making. If you’ve ever planned an event, re-designed a home or purchased a new car, you probably remember the exhaustion and indifference that eventually resulted from being faced with so many choices. READ MORE

From Win Without Pitching

Some firms don’t take project work at all, while for others project revenue vastly outstrips the income from their few ongoing clients. What’s the proper role of project work in your firm, and what’s the proper approach to pursuing or vetting it? In this article I lay out some specific guidelines on projects as a part of your overall client mix, and the rules of pursuing and accepting project work. READ MORE

From Entrepreneur

'In order to clean, they need to get messy,' serial entrepreneur Justin Klosky tells Entrepreneur's editor-in-chief Jason Feifer. READ MORE

From Harvard Business Review

We live in a culture of “yes.” We don’t want to disappoint our bosses, colleagues, families, or friends, so we say “yes” as often as we can manage. But when we overcommit ourselves, we spend our time checking things off a list rather than actually creating value. Without the ability to say “no” to low-level tasks in order to say “yes” to groundbreaking ones, people stop innovating. Overcome this problem by instituting a value assessment system: Instead of saying “yes” or “no” to a project on a case-by-case basis, rate all new initiatives on a scale of 1 to 10. READ MORE