Your clients are struggling to innovate. How can you use technology to help them break through barriers?

Three ideas: 1. Virtual Brainstorming Sessions Tools: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Miro Organize real-time virtual brainstorming sessions with tools like Zoom and Miro. This encourages diverse perspectives and helps generate innovative solutions. 2. Online Innovation Platforms Tools: IdeaScale, Brightidea, Spigit Implement platforms where employees can submit, vote on, and develop ideas. This fosters a culture of continuous improvement and leverages collective intelligence. 3. Digital Prototyping and Simulation Tools: Adobe XD, Sketch, InVision, Autodesk Fusion 360 Use digital tools for rapid prototyping and testing. This accelerates development, reduces costs, and allows for quick experimentation, driving effective innovation.

Here are some of the most common & useful online collaboration tools to work effectively within teams: 1.For real-time interaction: Slack, Teams, Zoom 1.For structure and organisation: Google workspace 2.For visualised brainstorming, UX mapping: Miro, FigJam, Google Jamboard 3.For Project Management, planning & customised workflows: Miro, Jira, Asana, Trello, Monday 4.For polls and market researches: Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Doodle

Consider using technology to implement a variety of tools and strategies aimed at fostering creativity and streamlining processes. Idea management software allows team members to submit, discuss, and vote on new ideas. Collaborative tools can enhance communication and teamwork. Utilizing data analytics allows for data-driven decision-making. Design thinking software facilitates workshops that can help visualize problems and brainstorm solutions collaboratively. Integrating AI and ML tools can automate routine tasks, analyze large datasets for insights, and predict future trends. Promoting continuous learning through online courses and workshops helps keep teams updated on the latest technologies and methodologies.

So many different ways to approach the struggle to innovate, as this can mean so many different things. Innovation and creativity require two distinct actions to happen in concert -- a thought has to be sent to the brain AND it has to be received by the brain. Who are you surrounding yourself with? What questions are you asking? How curious are you being? What is going on in your life that might be distracting the creative part of your brain? Can you quiet your mind? Can you reconnect mentally with a time in your past when you were very creative? When was that? What did it feel like, smell, look, sound and what else was going on then? So many other areas to explore in this conversation. Maybe start simple and grow from there. Good luck!

Data analytics are the lifeblood of business and still so many get it wrong. It takes a keen and focused mind to understand the nuance of a business, it's customers, it's cycles, the internal operation, etc. The data doesn't typically lie, but sometimes it doesn't tell you the whole truth. Smart leaders understand the relationship of disparate data elements. Smart leaders turn the data sideways and test results. We all know numbers as science, but the true masters of data analytics also know the art. Being able to create new models, quickly assess outliers from new trends, and 'feel' the trend change before it becomes irreversible or irrecoverable is what differentiates a good leader from a great one. Jack Gifford was the best at this.

Information is power. It has always been this way, and it is even more so today. However, we must know how to choose the information that is relevant, organize it, and analyze it properly, especially now that there is an overabundance of information. In this context, it is crucial to be updated with the use of technology to take advantage of the efficiency that new tools offer us. Artificial intelligence is already present in the business world and its use is becoming more important every day. We must know it, understand it, and apply it if we expect to survive in this world that is becoming more competitive and demands faster and better informed decisions.

The Entrepreneur/Investor has thousands of information, often disconnected from each other, losing sight of the fundamental variables of the business model and their correlations, thus leading to a loss of systemic view of the model and its context. Today it is possible and therefore it is necessary to carry out data analysis in an environment where to obtain the predictive simulation of the economic-financial impact of a managerial decision and to see immediately its consequences on the Income Statement, on the Balance Sheet in terms of optimal structuring of sources (Equity, Debt Lines, Bond Loans), and the most important thing on the Valorization of enterprise in the years object of Analysis. This is the role of the consultant.

In order to put into place an accurate transactional and business marketing strategy, a leader needs to detain reliable data on the commercial offer, the market and the end users. What I audit in priority as an entrepreneur and for my clients are direct and indirect offers, trends, innovative breakthrough, competition flexibility, strategic groups and lobbies, consumer psychology, cultural know-how. Having a rigourous curiosity and follow up of these different dimensions is a strong asset to take easier decisions, mitigate continuously risks and achieve goals smoothly !

Qualitative market research, like focus groups towards potential and existing customers, uncovers deep customer insights and emerging trends. Quantitative researches, assessing TAM and competitors' market shares validates the economic viability of new opportunities. Combining this with internal data like KPI dashboard on sales, customer feedback (NPS score), and operations (including employees & suppliers' insights) optimises strategies and drives innovation. Together, these data sources inform decisions, enhance customer satisfaction, and ensure competitive advantage.

Introduce your clients to Agile principles, emphasizing short development cycles and sprints for rapid user feedback and real-time adjustments. Highlight the importance of tools like Jira and Trello for transparency and communication, ensuring alignment among all stakeholders. Stress the value of empowering teams to boost creativity and innovation while maintaining focus on customer value. Encourage a culture that tolerates failure and prioritizes fast learning, fostering constant experimentation. This approach allows new ideas to emerge and be implemented without fear of negative repercussions, ensuring a continuous cycle of improvement and innovation.

What are the most important tools to innovation is understanding growth and realizing transformation. One of the things to consider would be to educate a lot of times if a client is having a challenge to innovate it is a lack of awareness in the different technologies and services that are now available to iterate inside their business to bring that change I would encourage education, Small Education sessions, tutorials, webinars, and training sessions to bring innovation through either Software or adding different skill sets.

I am a strong believer in intrapreneurship. Intrapreneurs are leaders who are committed to their company. They are eager to improve and transform mature projects into new fields of success. They can achieve that through social innovation as much as through disruptive innovation. Beforehand exploring external options, companies ought to explore internal options to fidelize their talents but also because it requires most of the time less resources and investments.

Empower clients to build experimentation platforms for rapid prototyping and A/B testing, like how Airbnb used A/B testing to optimize their booking flow. Encourage a culture of learning from failures, as seen in Netflix's "Chaos Monkey" tool that intentionally breaks parts of their system to improve resilience. Leverage data analytics to uncover customer insights, as Starbucks did to personalize their mobile app and drive increased engagement. Adopt emerging technologies like AI and automation to streamline processes and free up resources for innovation. Foster cross-functional collaboration to spark new ideas, similar to how Lego tapped into the creativity of their fan community to drive product innovation.

Dedicated spaces or teams focused on brainstorming, developing, and testing new ideas. Creating a separate physical or virtual lab where employees can work on innovative projects without the constraints of day-to-day operations. Collaboration software (e.g., Miro, Trello), rapid prototyping tools and access to research and development resources. Intensive events where employees can collaborate on solving specific problems or creating new products/services. Organize regular hackathons or workshops with clear goals and provide incentives for participation and successful outcomes. Online platforms for remote collaboration (e.g., Slack, Zoom), brainstorming tools (e.g., MindMeister, IdeaFlip), and coding platforms (e.g., GitHub, Replit).

To help clients struggling to innovate, leverage technology by introducing them to cutting-edge tools and platforms that foster creativity and streamline processes. Implement collaborative software to enhance team communication and idea sharing. Use data analytics to identify trends and opportunities for innovation. Encourage the adoption of AI and machine learning to automate routine tasks, freeing up time for creative thinking. Additionally, provide virtual workshops and training on emerging technologies to inspire new approaches and solutions.

I recommend using AI such as ChatGPT for idea generation, marketing strategies, and content creation for my business coaching clients. It's a great way to help a business owner push past mental barriers and give you some ideas to chew on and get you started! I'm hosting a 3-day workshop soon that will include information on utilizing ChatGPT for business purposes to beat burnout. Please connect with me for more information!

Start by understanding their specific challenges and goals. Identify the right technologies that can address their needs, such as automation tools, data analytics, or collaboration platforms. Provide training and support to ensure they can effectively use these technologies. Encourage a culture of experimentation and continuous learning, allowing them to test new ideas without fear of failure. Regularly review progress and make adjustments as needed. By integrating technology thoughtfully and providing ongoing support, you can help clients break through barriers and drive innovation.