2026 is around the corner. How is your innovation strategy looking? Dear Reader As we come to the end of 2025, it’s time to reflect on the year’s achievements, and lay the groundwork for the year ahead. It's a great time to bring your next innovation steps into focus - which is often easier said than done. If you’re like many organisations and find yourself with without a clear innovation plan or an endless backlog of ideas that never get implemented: you're not alone. Four steps to a...
12 days ago • 2 min read
Cape Town Drivinci Open Space, 22 Nov 2025 | photo: author, used with permission Guiding principles for running an Open Space event Hi Reader In my previous post, I discussed how Open Space can help organise our diverse innovation initiatives as our journey progresses. And this weekend, I attended another Open Space, exploring the shifting landscapes we live and work in, with a community of engaged practitioners and leaders. I promised to share more details about the process, so let's dive...
16 days ago • 4 min read
image credit: https://unsplash.com/@spliff_dj_joe Structuring innovation initiatives - so you can scale what works Bringing structure to innovation with Open Space Hi Reader Many innovation efforts follow a familiar pattern: they spark a movement, inspire experimentation - then suddenly multiple groups are exploring different approaches simultaneously. I recently supported a friend with their internal Open Space unconference, which brought together diverse experimenters across the...
20 days ago • 3 min read
Discovering solutions together What really happens in a Creative Problem Solving workshop Hi Reader Last week I ran a public Creative Problem Solving workshop, where twelve of us got to grips with creative problem solving, and tried it out. Here's what we did, and what happened. The Creative Problem Solving framework The framework we follow is similar to the innovation double-diamond, or Problem / Solution space - where we start by immersing ourselves in the challenge, then generate informed...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Harness creative problem-solving for everyday challenges Creative problem-solving helps us unlock fresh perspectives and uncover innovative solutions - even for stubborn workplace hurdles. Hi Reader Problem solving encompasses four key skills: critical thinking, analytical thinking, systems thinking and creative thinking. We spend a lot of time in the first three - and somehow just hope that something creative might happen. But it’s actually a learnable skill - and a great way to work...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash https://unsplash.com/@glencarrie Planning and chaos - reflections from a hackathon Hi Reader A couple of weeks ago, the phenomenal team at BabesGotBytes approached me to run some webinars for their Innovation Challenge2025 hackathon teams. They wanted to help their teams get better at planning — for an extremely short project with a significant number of unknowns — and then to get the most out of their presentations, after very little sleep. I love helping...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Photos: https://unsplash.com/@jontyson & https://unsplash.com/@jasongoodman_youxventures Three things I’ve learned about the innovation process Hi Reader Embarking on an innovation project can feel exciting, futuristic, risky and unpredictable. It certainly has its fuzzy moments. But in reality, innovation is a process, and can feel very different. 1. Innovation often doesn’t come from a single blinding insight We often think good ideas come from ‘creative people’ and ‘flashes of...
3 months ago • 2 min read
How to learn from innovation programs Hi Reader When we’re faced with a lot of unknowns, new technologies and shifting landscapes, taking an innovation approach is an excellent way to explore options that we won’t get to with traditional planning - and how we can get there from our current position. In software - as in most industries - every program we run is going to run into obstacles.And innovation programs should face the highest count of them. As we go through the innovation process,...
3 months ago • 3 min read
A lightweight approach for constructive positive feedback Hi Reader You know that moment when someone on your team does something great — you say ‘Good job!’ - and everyone moves along? Perhaps it feels awkward to labour the point, but positive feedback is not (just) about making employees feel good — it’s a mentoring opportunity, and part of how we build leadership in the team. There is plenty of advice out there for giving negative feedback — it sometimes seems all feedback advice is aimed...
4 months ago • 2 min read