Scenario Planning IT Problems and Outages

While planning for problems is a valuable exercise on projects, application management and support groups need to perform periodic risk assessments of critical business systems as user adoption evolves over time after the original implementation is complete. Are your business continuity plans fresh enuf to serve your enterprise during the next glitch? ...

... "Risk management exercises — reviewing likely scenarios of failure and preparing for them — should be a part of every IT project. Huge catastrophic glitches aside, the day-to-day glitches also add up ... " ...

Via ZDNet: Software glitches

Open Innovation through Contests

Have a problem? Post a bounty. Use an open innovation model to cost-effectively source solutions. ...

... "Organizations have found contests to be a cost-effective method that allows them to tap into the vast intellectual resources outside their walls. " ...

Via San Francisco Chronicle: Drive innovation

New Approach to Important Projects

Here's an inventive approach to worthwhile projects ...

... "The Victory Project represents a dramatic new approach to problem solving and charitable giving. Your donation becomes part of this huge incentive for huge problems. " ...

Victory Project

Idea Management

Here is an interesting tool for managing the ideation part of the innovation process and campaigning for ideas. It is offered as a monthly subscription service. ...

... "The ideas campaign is a simple process based on well established creative problem solving (CPS) methodology. " ...

Via jpb: Idea campaigns

Problem Solving Methodology

An oldie, but goodie method for solving problems ...



Via BoingBoing

Project Early Warning System

If we can detect project problems early, we can resolve them. What's your best indicator? Scope quality, SPI / CPI, QA results? ...

... "In general, the earlier you spot trouble, the easier it is to do something positive about it - anything from making minor adjustments to scope or schedule to killing the thing outright. " ...

Via CIO: Project Rescue

Innovation Obstacles: Resistance, Time

Pulse-point survey on innovation shows cultural resistance and lack of time as barriers to innovation. Langdon Morris is author of Permanent Innovation, which is the process of innovating continuously, by developing an organizational culture that embraces innovation as a core value. ...

... "Both topics are chronic problems in organizations today, and both are significant red flags that indicate unhealthy situations. If your organization is characterized by resistance to change or you don't feel you have enough time for innovation then it may be time for a serious assessment of your organization's culture, and perhaps some remedial work to shift more of your focus toward something other than short term concerns." ...

Via Innovation Labs: Results of the Permanent Innovation Survey (PDF) ...

Problem Solving: See the Obvious with Questions

Creative thinker, Roger von Oech, challenges us with how we question ourselves as we approach a problem, so we do not miss the obvious. ... (1) Train yourself to document observations without jumping to conclusions. (2) Ask why's to drive to the root of the problem - problems aren't always well expressed - often solutions and / or desires are expressed. (3) Circle the problem and describe its impacts from multiple perspectives. What other approaches come to mind? ...

... "When you're in a situation (especially problem-solving, concept-developing), what questions do you ask that help you grasp the obvious aspects of that situation? " ...

Via Creative Think: How Do You See the Obvious?