4 Tips to Prevent Great Ideas from Dying on the Vine

As published in Fast Company by Duncan Wardle  “Please place your phone in ‘cell phone jail’ before you take your seat!” This was something my teams heard me say often during my time as head of innovation and creativity at Disney. And I took it very seriously. “Cell phone jail” was no cute euphemism; I drew a real spot on the floor with a dry-erase marker. My own phone was always “captured” as the first prisoner, frown emoji and all. I was adamant about [...]

2021-06-04T18:30:41+00:0004 June, 2021|Creativity, Innovation, Think Different, Uncategorized|
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Business Growing Fast? Avoid These 10 Common Scaling Mistakes

As published in Fast Company by Duncan Wardle & Fellow Fast Company Executive Board Members Scaling up is an exciting period for business leaders. It’s easy to get swept up in the possibilities presented by rapid growth opportunities, but it’s essential to manage that growth with the right strategies. Otherwise, you may scale too quickly and struggle to keep up. The members of Fast Company Executive Board know firsthand what it takes to sustainably and properly grow a business. Below, 10 of them share some [...]

2021-05-12T22:48:13+00:0012 May, 2021|Creativity, Innovation, Think Different, Uncategorized|
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3 Ways to Get Your Zoom-Fatigued Employees to Embrace the Virtual-First Future of Work

As published in Entrepreneur by Duncan Wardle Even with workers eager to get back to the office, virtual-first collaboration will dominate in the future. The future of work is remote.By now, we’ve all heard this common refrain. And why shouldn’t it be common? Most of us have become experts in juggling Zoom, laundry and child care from our kitchen “offices.” At the same time, major corporations such as Twitter and Slack have gone as far as telling their employees to never return to the office. But for a growing [...]

2021-05-12T22:49:11+00:0012 May, 2021|Creativity, Innovation, Think Different, Uncategorized|
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Why We Shouldn’t Fear Elon Musk’s Cyber Pig

As published in ReadWrite by Duncan Wardle In August of 2020, a curious hashtag started trending that was strange, even by Twitter’s standards: #CyberPig.This was a sobriquet for Gertrude, a hog serving as the star of the latest eye-popping PR event for Elon Musk’s Neuralink. The display was more reminiscent of a magic show than a PR event. And as the former vice president of innovation and creativity at Disney, she seemed to me like the rabbit in Musk’s hat. What Makes Gertrude a #CyberPig? Thanks to a small brain-to-computer [...]

2021-05-12T22:50:02+00:0012 May, 2021|Creativity, Innovation, Think Different, Uncategorized|
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So, You Think You’re Not Creative?

As published in Harvard Business Review by Duncan Wardle Pre-pandemic, I spoke at a conference where fellow speaker Nicholas Thompson, former editor in chief of Wired, discussed how he believes that one-fifth of all current occupations will be replaced by artificial intelligence by 2030. The jobs that won’t be replaced? Those that rely on the core human traits most difficult for AI to replicate — creativity, intuition, curiosity, and imagination.Creativity is especially critical. In the past year alone, we’ve learned just how surprising and unexpected the [...]

2021-06-04T18:35:07+00:0012 May, 2021|Creativity, Innovation, Think Different, Uncategorized|
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Let There Be Light: Overcoming Innovation Barriers

When I ask people, “What are the barriers to being more innovative and creative at work?” I often hear the same three things…           1. TIME (Often phrased as “I don’t have time to think”)           2. IDEAS GET STUCK (or diluted and killed) as they move through my organization           3. LACK OF RESOURCES While common objections, none of these are actually barriers to innovation. Even the busiest individuals can adopt [...]

2021-02-18T20:04:04+00:0018 February, 2021|Creativity, Design Thinking, Innovation, Think Different, Uncategorized|
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Four Pillars to Set Your Next Brainstorm Up for Success

As published in FastCompany by Duncan Wardle No need to panic at that “brainstorm” calendar invitation. Your next group meeting can rise above an uncontrolled idea exchange and deliver real results. What’s your gut reaction when you receive a calendar invite titled “brainstorm?” For most people, seeing this word may stir up feelings of dread. We’ve been to countless brainstorms that didn’t end up fruitful, so we’re conditioned to believe a brainstorm will end without tangible results. Like building a house, a good brainstorm [...]

2021-01-08T19:21:11+00:0008 January, 2021|Creativity, Design Thinking, Innovation, Think Different, Uncategorized|
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Why Halloween is Proof Creativity Can’t Be Bought

Why Halloween is Proof Creativity Can’t Be Bought Goblins, ghouls, and giant bags of candy – Halloween is upon us once again! While this year’s celebrations are going to look a lot different than usual, millions of children and adults alike will still be dressing up as their favorite superheroes, cartoon characters, and movie villains this weekend. And of course, we all know the most important part of creating the perfect Halloween costume…it’s money, right? Wrong! Though money can buy you many things, [...]

2020-10-30T19:55:32+00:0030 October, 2020|Creativity, Think Different, Uncategorized|
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The Power of Perseverance – Why I Called Disney 27 Times in 27 Days

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right.” – Henry Ford   Have you ever been told you couldn’t do something? That you were incapable of achieving a particular goal or dream? Unfortunately, by the time most of us reach adulthood, this has happened more times than we can count. And though deep down we know we shouldn’t pay attention to this negativity, it’s human nature to take it to heart. Meaning that over time, most of us tend to reduce [...]

2020-07-29T23:16:24+00:0020 May, 2020|Creativity, Think Different|
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Companies That Are Innovating for the Greater Good

The world is a different place than it was just a few weeks ago. Coronavirus has touched nearly every country on earth, and for most, has brought life and business to a screeching halt. Not surprisingly, this has created a perpetual state of uneasiness. People are tired. People are scared. And if you spend any time at all watching the news, it seems to be getting worse by the day. Sure, much of the spotlight remains on all the negative effects of the virus around [...]

2020-12-01T14:12:16+00:0015 April, 2020|Consumer Experience, Creativity, Design Thinking, Innovation, Think Different|
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