56 Reasons Why Most Corporate Innovation Initiatives Fail

Innovation is in these days. The word is on the lips of just about every CEO, CFO, CIO, and anyone else with a three-letter acronym after their name. As a result, many companies are launching all kinds of "innovation initiatives" -- hoping to stir the soup. This is understandable. But it is also, far too often, very disappointing...
Innovation initiatives sound good, but usually don't live up to the expectations. The reasons are many.
What follows are 56 of the most common ones -- organizational obstacles we've observed in the past 22 years that get in the way of a company really raising the bar for innovation.
See which ones are familiar to YOU. Then, sit down with your Senior Team... CEO... innovation committee, or best friend and jump start the process of going beyond these obstacles. Let the games begin...

1. "Innovation" framed as an initiative, not the normal way of doing business
2. Absence of a clear definition of what "innovation" really means
3. Innovation not linked to company's existing vision or strategy
4. No sense of urgency
5. Workforce is suffering from "initiative fatigue"
6. CEO does not fully embrace the effort
7. No compelling vision or reason to innovate
8. Senior Team not aligned
9. Key players don't have the time to focus on innovation
10.Innovation champions are not empowered
11. Decision making processes are non-existent or fuzzy
12. Lack of trust
13. Risk averse culture
14. Overemphasis on cost cutting or incremental improvement
15. Workforce ruled by past assumptions and old mental models
16. No process in place for funding new projects
17. Not enough pilot programs in motion
18. Senior Team not walking the talk
19. No company-wide process for managing ideas
20. Too many turf wars. Too many silos.

21. Analysis paralysis
22. Reluctance to cannibalize existing products and services
23. NIH (not invented here) syndrome
24. Funky channels of communication
25. No intrinsic motivation to innovate
26. Unclear gates for evaluating progress
27. Mind numbing bureaucracy
28. Unclear idea pitching processes
29. Lack of clearly defined innovation metrics
30. No accountability for results
31. No way to celebrate quick wins
32. Poorly facilitated meetings
33. No training to unleash individual or team creativity
34. Voo doo evaluation of ideas
35. Inadequate sharing of best practices
36. Lack of teamwork and collaboration
37. Unclear strategy for sustaining the effort
38. Innovation Teams meet too infrequently
39. Middle managers not on board
40. Ineffective rollout of the effort to the workforce
41. Lack of tools and techniques to help people generate new ideas
42. Innovation initiative perceived as another "flavor of the month"
43. Individuals don't understand how to be a part of the effort
44. Diverse inputs or conflicting opinions not honored
45. Imbalance of left-brain and right brain thinking
46. Low morale
47. Over-reliance on technology
48. Failure to secure sustained funding
49. Unrealistic timeframes
50. Failure to consider issues associated with scaling up
51. Inability to attract talent to risky new ventures
52. Failure to consider commercialization issues
53. No rewards or recognition program in place
54. No processes in place to get fast feedback
55. No real sense of what your customers really want or need
56. Company hiring process screens out potential innovators
Others we may have missed?

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Remedies of a Banana

Dear Viewers,

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!
This is interesting.

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit.

It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected
area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nervous: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work?
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at wor k leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit !

Have a banana to keep doctor(s) away!!

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Happy Ganesha Chaturthi

Dear Viewers,

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!

Ganesh Chaturthi falls in the Hindu calendar month of Bhadrapada on Chauthi or Chaturthi. Its a belief that Goddess Gowri (Swarna Gowri)would come to their parents house for Gowri festival and Lord Ganesh would come to take back his mother on Ganesh Chaturthi. Ganesh loves to dance on that day, along with the dancing group(s).

This year (2009) we are celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi on August 23rd on a Sunday. And Gowri Puja is also celebrated on the same day.

But the sculpturers would start making sculptures of Gowri and Ganesh from June only. You can see different kinds of sculptures and here is just one image of Ganesh in which there are 6 ganeshas along with the main one. There will be traditional Ganeshas and also fancy Ganesh.

This puja will extend from 1 day to 1 month. In houses it would be kept for maximum of 1 to 3 days. While on streets, near shopping malls, it might go from 5 days to 1 month.

I remember, when i was at Chintamani a big Ganesh would be kept for 3 days and 4th day they would leave it back in water. It means that Ganesh is taking his mother Gowri and then returning back to his home. There used to be competitions viz., painting, essay, dancing, skits, thol-mol-ke-bhol (means one gift article or something like that would be shown and we have to guess the price of it) and all the people who used to stay on this road will become so close to each other and it looks as if they are all in one family. Prasadams would be done atleast by one house per day and distributed to the people who come to visit Lord Ganesha. There would be neatly decorated mantap with shamiyana on the road with serial lights and music. Few shops would sponsor per day for prizes. There will be excited crowd to address all these things all the 3 days. And on the fourth day they will book a tempot to carry the Ganesha all the people will go and drop the Ganesha into the lake by telling "ganesha banda kayi kadabu tinda hote mele banda chikka kerele bida dodda kerele yeda" [kannada line] which means - Lord Ganesha has come and ate the sweet (kadabu) he was carried on our stomachs he fall into small lake and got up from big lake. These moments is really eternal in my entire life.

Remember, on this day better not to see the moon. If you couldn't avoid then read the story of Lord Ganesha or see the moon on bedege, second day after the amavasya.

Once again, wish you all Happy Gowri festival and Ganesha Chaturthi.

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Mushroom Magic

Mushroom Magic Recipe:

• 300 gms. mushrooms, cut into halves,
• 1/2 cup low fat milk
• 1/2 tsp. cornflour
• 1 tsp. oil
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. dried fenugreek leaves

To be ground into a paste:

• 4 large cloves of garlic
• a piece of ginger
• 2 tsp. coriander-cumin seed powder

1. Wash the mushrooms, drain and keep aside
2. Dissolve the cornflour in the milk and keep aside.
3. Heat the oil, add the prepared chilli garlic paste, fenugreek and saute the mixture
4. Add the mushrooms, cornflour milk mixture and salt and saute till the mixture coats the mushrooms. Serve hot.

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Mango Nut Muffins

Mango Nut Muffins

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup bananas mashed
• 1 cup mango pulp
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

1. Preheat oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. Mix in oil, mango pulp and banana. Add nuts.
3. Grease muffin cups or put muffin paper cups in muffin pan.
4. Pour and bake for 18-20 mins till golden Cool and serve.

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Lemon Recipes

Lemon Lollipops:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. yellow food coloring
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tbsp. lemon extract
• 1/2 cup water

Mix sugar, corn syrup and water in a pan.
Bake to 300 degree Fahrenheit or cook until mixture spins a thread.
Turn off head, add color and flavoring.
Pour the mixture in small aluminum moulds and insert popsickle sticks in them.
Allow them to set and become hard.
Your lick able lollipops are ready!

Lemon Cooler

• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 bottle (200 ml) lemonade
• 2 tbsp. chopped cucumber
• 2 tbsp. chopped apple
• 1 tsp. chopped mint leaves
• 1 tsp. honey

Chill the juices. Mix all the ingredients, pour into 2 glasses and serve immediately.

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Coconut Roughs

Recipe for Coconut Roughs:

• 1/2 cup mashed potato
• 40 gms. butter
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 2 tbsp. cocoa
• 2 cups coconut desiccated
• 1 tsp. vanilla essence

1. Place butter and mashed potato in a large bowl and beat well.
2. Gradually beat in the icing sugar and cocoa.
3. Add coconut and vanilla essence.
4. Place small spoonfuls of mixture on over proof paper.
5. Refrigerate coconut roughts until set.
   

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Jam Tarts

Recipe for Jam Tarts:

• 100 gms. plain flour
• 50 gms. butter
• a pinch of salt
• cold water
• jam

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree Calories.
2. Grease patty cake tins.
3. Sieve flour and salt together into a large bowl.
4. Rub butter into mix.
5. Gradually add enough water to make a soft dough.
6. Flour board and rolling pin.
7. Roll mixture until 1/2 cm. thick.
8. Cut into circles using cookie cutter, egg ring, cups, etc.
9. Place cut pastry into patty tins.
10. Add jam (not too much).
11. Bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is cooked.
12. Allow to cool before eating!

Children Activity: (Make your naughty children do something interesting)
Give each child half of an English Muffin.
Spread Pizza sauce on it.
Let children break cheese slices into shapes for eys, nose and mouth.
Bake at 400 degree Fahreheit until cheese melts slightly

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Interesting Puffed Cakes (Idlis)

• 1 1/4 cups semolina
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup chopped, boiled vegetables (carrots, french beans, peas, corn, etc)
• 2 tsp. ginger paste
• 1 1/2 tsp. Eno's fruit salt
• 1 tbsp. oil
• salt to taste
• oil for greasing

For Seasoning

• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• a pinch asafoetida
• some oil

1. Mix the semolina, buttermilk, vegetables, ginger paste, oil and salt in a bowl to make a smooth batter. Keep aside for half an hour.
2. Add the fruit salt, mix well and pour the batter into a greased (idli) pancake mould. Steam for 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Prepare the seasoning by heating the oil, adding the mustard seeds, sesame seeds and asafoetida and frying until the seeds crackle.
4. Pour over the prepared pancakes.
5. Cut into pieces and serve hot.

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Ginger Punch

Ginger Punch

• 1 cup sliced ginger
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 bottle club soda

Bring the first 3 ingredients to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Let them cool. When cool, pour in a punch bowl and stir in the fruit juices. Add the club soda and ice cubes and serve in punch cups.
Green Flat Cakes (Dosas)

• 1 cup soaked/sprouted green gram
• 1 piece ginger
• coriander leaves
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. rice or plain flour
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes without seeds

1. Grind green gram, ginger, cumin seeds, salt and coriander leaves to a fine paste by adding water.
2. Add rice flour to make thin flat cakes (dosas) on a griddle.
3. Add a teaspoon of grated carrot, chopped onions and tomatoes in the centre.
4. Fold into half and make a tight roll and serve hot.

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EGG BOATS

Children Activity:

1. Hard-boil one egg for every two children
2. Have the children work in pairs to peel the shell from the egg.
3. Slice the egg in half and carefully scoop out the yolk and put it into a small paper cup
4. Have each pair mix the yolk with
   1-tsp, mayonnaise
   1/2 tsp. mustard and
   a dash of salt and pepper.
5. Stuff this mixture back into the hollows of the white.
6. Have each child make a sail for the boat with a toothpick and a paper flag with teh letter E on it.
7. Don't forgot to stick the sail into their "boats" before they eat!!!

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Love in Friendship Enemity is LIFE.

"Love In Friendship Enemity", in this line put the first letters, join them and read it is Life.

First of all, listen and analyze whatever your opposite person tells you, wait for a moment think and then answer them. You have built a relationship with them. That person would feel you are good.

Person can be anybody - your parents, in-laws, team mates, managers, children, strangers and so on.

Give up anger and wear a smile, this is the best thing to taste the sweetness of life.

When you wanted to tell something and impress others in a group, first understand their mood bring their attention towards you and reveal it. Definitely you have won the hearts of the crowd atleast 80%.

When you are angry on somebody don't show them be in an immense silence, that would make others understand.

This is how I have learnt tasting the sweetness of life.

Cheers.

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Today's dressing is incomplete without a perfume

Dressing sense is very important right from the house till office. For any/all kinds of occassion viz., birthdays, anniversaries, and so on, for festivals, for interviews.

Different kind of dresses include Saree, cashmere, evening gowns, party dresses, salwar-kameez, pyajamas, night dresses, western formals, casuals, minis, sequins, long skirts, and so on. For any kind of dresses a little perfume (strong or mild) will be the most significant thing to attract attention towards you. And at times it makes you to feel that you are very fresh enough.

Today you have many kind of perfumes but the most fragrance ones which can be used lies in the branded perfumes.

Calvin Klein is a famous women perfume which comes in two varieties Floral & Fresh and White Flower based on these names its easy to understand that they are made up of Flowers and the fragrance lasts for a longer time.

Anna Sui is one more brand which is for women and comes in various shapes viz., butterfly, hand bag, and so on. It doesn't only keep you fresh for a longer time and is a perfect combination with your formals. It contains bergamot, jasmine, rose, sandalwood, tangeriene, vanilla, anise and peach. Its known for its fantasy.

Apart from this daily things, it would be necessary to massage our oils once in a week, Maitresse is one of those which is rich to use for your scalps and keeps you cool.

Prices ranges from 1 Pound onwards.

Fragrance online is a shop which provides with wide varieties of perfumes, aftershave, miniature perfumes for gifts, skin cares at a very discounted price.

Thanks for going through this post.

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Nice Quotes put a smile on your face

Source for these pictures was a forwarded mail.

I liked the wordings in them so made a simple blog.

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Rare but Nice Pictures

"No matter what our achievements might be, we think well of ourselves only in rare moments." this saying was written by Eric Hoffer.

It is a rare and difficult attainment to grow old gracefully and happily - Christopher Guest.

Similarly, the flash file I have put contains rare pictures.

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Inspired by this couple, Must see

Hi Blog Readers,

I was very much inspired by seeing this video. How a couple can do a wonderful dance, when both of them are handicapped, too?

A big applause from my end. Let God make them successful.

Thanks for watching this worth watching video.

Hema.

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Fruit Critter Salad

10 pieces lettuce
20 raisins
10 cherries
10 canned peach or pear halves
1 tray
toothpicks

Take the tray and the lettuce. Put lettuce in rows. Take peaches or pears and put on each piece of lettuce, round side up. Take raisins and toothpicks and put the raisins on the toothpicks. Put the raisins on the peach so it looks like 2 eyes. Take the cherries and the toothpicks and put the cherries on the toothpicks. Stick on the peach or pear so that it looks like a nose. Then you have fruit critter salads.!

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Delightful Doughnuts

To be mixed into a filling
1 slice chopped pineapple
2 tbsp. grated coconut
2 tbsp. sultanas
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder
oil to deep fry

For the dough:
1 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tbsp. fresh yeast, crumbled
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. cream
1 tsp. oil
a pinch of salt

1. Mix all the ingredients except the oil in a bowl and make a soft dough using water.
2. Add the oil and knead again.
3. Cover with a damp cloth and leave for 15 to 20 minutes
4. Press teh dough with your palms
5. Roll out the dough into a 5 mm thick sheet
6. Using cookie cutter, cut out 10 circles
7. Place a spoonful of the filling mixture on each of the 5 dough circles
8. Place the other 5 dough circles on top of the filling mixture and seal the edges tightly
9. Deep fry these doughnuts in hot oil over a medium flame till golden brown on both sides.
10. Serve hot.

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Snacks from Banana

BANANA SPLITS:
Let the children cut their own bananas with a plastic knife. Put these banana slices into ice cream (preferably vanilla) to make Banana Split Ice Cream.


BEAN SALAD:
Point out that beans are a vegetable. Make bean salad by mixing green beans and kidney beans. Top them with Italian dressing mixed with a little sugar. Serve.

BANANA PANCAKES:
1 cup plain flour
¾ cup milk
2 ripe bananas, mashed
¼ cup chopped walnuts
4 tsp. castor sugar
½ tsp. vanilla essence
¾ tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. melted butter
some butter and honey or jam to serve

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl to make a smooth batter, making sure that no lumps remain.
Heat a non-stick pan, spread about 3 to 4 tbsp. (¼ cup) of the batter to make a thick pancake.
Cook the pancake over medium heat, using a little butter to cook both sides until golden brown.
Serve hot with honey or jam.

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Children Snacks Time with "Apple Chop and Apple Crumble"

APPLE CHOP:Chop apples, bananas and mangoes into bite-size pieces. Mix them in a bowl with grapes and a little bit of lemon juice. Sprinkle salt and black pepper over them. Serve cold.

APPLE CRUMBLE:
Ingredients:
400 gm tin of cooked apples
60 gm melted butter
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup desiccated coconut
pinch of cinnamon
ice cream or custard (optional)

Method:
Open the tin of apples and spread apple in a shallow microwave proof pie dish.
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Melt butter and add to dry ingredients
Spread evenly on top of apples
Microwave for approximately 5 minutes
Cool and serve it as it is or with ice cream or custard

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