The Innovation Engine Community - New Products, Services, and Business Models

The Innovation Engine Community - New Products, Services, and Business Models http://community.maddockdouglas.com?src=category_rss The Innovation Engine Community - New Products, Services, and Business Models Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:58:08 GMT admin@maddockdouglas.com The Innovation Engine Community 60 The Innovation Engine Community http://community.maddockdouglas.com/brand/witness/community.gif http://community.maddockdouglas.com?src=category_rss Did The Financial Advice World Just Get Napstered? http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/94121/Did-The-Financial-Advice-World-Just-Get-Napstered/?src=category_rss Oops! The financial services industry has some toilet paper on its shoe but is still unwilling to look down. Happy New Year. 2012 marks a major milestone in financial advisor history, but it may take a while before it appears in the history e-books. Online financial education and advice start-up firm, LearnVest*, ( www.learnvest.com ) has not only raised $25 million in venture capital, but it has also just launched the first series of prepackaged, e-enabled financial plans that are accessible to the masses and priced between $69 and $349. How ’bout them apples? For many years, financial services firms have either been trying to figure out how to reach the masses efficiently OR avoid them completely, focusing on the affluent and wealthy markets. After all, like Willie Sutton said, “that’s where the money is.” While the rest of the financial services world is waiting for the younger, less affluent people to inherit the money of their boomer parents, LearnVest found a different opportunity. A presently unmet need . The need to understand and act on a plan that will help people with little or no money to get out of debt, create wealth and manage it well. The need...<div><a href="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/94121/Did-The-Financial-Advice-World-Just-Get-Napstered/">[Read more]</div> New Products, Services, and Business Models Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:58:07 GMT Maria Umbach http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/94121/Did-The-Financial-Advice-World-Just-Get-Napstered/#discussion?src=category_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/94121/Did-The-Financial-Advice-World-Just-Get-Napstered/?src=category_rss Insights Live Features Mike Maddock http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/91538/Insights-Live-Features-Mike-Maddock/?src=category_rss <img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/imagelib/contentitem/91538/501a4d8d579923f2-22875a78-1341dfcbb97--cc9-802389046.jpg">Join Hosts Phil Davis and Kevin Gibson as they welcome Mike Maddock, founder of Maddock Douglas, self described as a "Innovation Company". Maddock and his team have successfully assisted many major brand companies to innovate more effectively and get great ideas to become great products and services that have we now get to enjoy! Listen to internet radio with AlphaGraphics on Blog Talk Radio<div><a href="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/91538/Insights-Live-Features-Mike-Maddock/">[Read more]</div> New Products, Services, and Business Models Innovation Discussion Serendipity Lounge Culture of Innovation Future Trends Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:03:25 GMT Michael Maddock http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/91538/Insights-Live-Features-Mike-Maddock/#discussion?src=category_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/91538/Insights-Live-Features-Mike-Maddock/?src=category_rss 'You Two Should Be Fired' http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/91537/-You-Two-Should-Be-Fired/?src=category_rss <img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/imagelib/contentitem/91537/501a4d8d579923f2-22875a78-1341dfcbb97--2411938786283.jpg">G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón discuss the reader backlash to their "Three Types of People to Fire Immediately" column By G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón The response to our last article was fascinating and a bit unnerving. The story, which discussed three types of people employers should fire now, was the most e-mailed on Businessweek.com for eight consecutive days, and has been in the Top 5 Most Read ever since our editor—whom some of you also thought should be fired—posted it two weeks ago. The piece received more than 1,100 comments (as of this writing) and readers have called and e-mailed us directly, tweeted constantly, and, we have been told, debated the column at industry conferences. While hundreds of you supported what we consider the truthful simplicity of the ideas, the majority, as the above headline suggests, posted angry comments, on this site and elsewhere, noting the perceived untruthful simplicity of the ideas. While no one likes criticism, of course, we are big boys and we don’t mind if people disagree with us on the merits or the timing of the article. But we’d like to explain a bit just the same. First, an Apology We...<div><a href="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/91537/-You-Two-Should-Be-Fired/">[Read more]</div> Culture of Innovation New Products, Services, and Business Models Feedback Innovation Discussion Serendipity Lounge Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:52:49 GMT Maddock and Viton http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/91537/-You-Two-Should-Be-Fired/#discussion?src=category_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/91537/-You-Two-Should-Be-Fired/?src=category_rss Three Types of People to Fire Immediately http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/90966/Three-Types-of-People-to-Fire-Immediately/?src=category_rss <img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/imagelib/contentitem/90966/501a4d8d579923f2-2d2b9c7c-133eabd3710--5e7c-534822395.jpg">Want a more innovative company? Get rid of these folks. Today By G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón We (your authors) teach our children to work hard and never, ever give up. We teach them to be grateful, to be full of wonder, to expect good things to happen, and to search for literal and figurative treasure on every beach, in every room, and in every person. But some day, when the treasure hunt is over, we’ll also teach them to fire people. Why? After working with the most inventive people in the world for two decades, we’ve discovered the value of a certain item in the leadership toolbox: the pink slip. Show of hands: How many of you out there in Innovationland have gotten the “what took you so long?” question from your staff when you finally said goodbye to a teammate who was seemingly always part of problems instead of solutions? We imagine a whole bunch of hands. (Yep, ours went up, too.) These people—and we going to talk about three specific types in a minute—passive-aggressively block innovation from happening and will suck the energy out of any organization. When confronted with any of the following three...<div><a href="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/90966/Three-Types-of-People-to-Fire-Immediately/">[Read more]</div> New Products, Services, and Business Models News, Rumors, Gossip, & Trends Innovation Discussion Innovation Community Ideas Future Trends Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:24:56 GMT Maddock and Viton http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/90966/Three-Types-of-People-to-Fire-Immediately/#discussion?src=category_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/90966/Three-Types-of-People-to-Fire-Immediately/?src=category_rss Future Health Care Flash Mob: Micro HMOs http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/88137/Future-Health-Care-Flash-Mob-Micro-HMOs/?src=category_rss <img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/imagelib/contentitem/88137/501a4d8d579923f2-3be29237-133a3ee8f8d--5e35667291442.jpg">Thinking About How Patients and Providers Can Get Health Care Done Without Any of What We Use Today We’ve all heard about flash mobs. The first one was organized by a guy named Bill Wasik in 2003. He used social media, text messaging and email to organize about a hundred people to gather around an expensive rug on the ninth floor of Macy’s in New York. They told approaching sales and management staff that they all lived together in a warehouse and were choosing a “love rug” for their collective living room. It spawned a movement. Today, you can find hundreds of YouTube videos of crowds dancing, singing, clapping or chanting together for no other apparent reason than they wanted to do it together as a group. The distinguishing features of flash mobs are what they aren’t. Flash mobs are not promotional. They aren’t sponsored. Flash mobs are 100 percent grass-roots driven. They have organizers but no command and control. Participation is optional. They are, by definition, local and assembled for no other purpose than to scratch some collective social itch. They happen and then fade instantly out of public view. Flash mobs are a blueprint for fixing a lot...<div><a href="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/88137/Future-Health-Care-Flash-Mob-Micro-HMOs/">[Read more]</div> New Products, Services, and Business Models Innovation Discussion Serendipity Lounge Healthcare Innovation Community Ideas Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:54:32 GMT Health Care http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/88137/Future-Health-Care-Flash-Mob-Micro-HMOs/#discussion?src=category_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/88137/Future-Health-Care-Flash-Mob-Micro-HMOs/?src=category_rss Shift Happens http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/87564/Shift-Happens/?src=category_rss <img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/imagelib/contentitem/87564/501a4d8d579923f2--3f60ec3e-132d8e745b6--2347-1625972255.jpg">Change creates lucrative opportunities for innovators who are willing to listen to consumers By G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón Insurance experts. Travel experts. Legal experts. Now health care experts. What do they have in common? They made the now-predictable mistake of believing they knew better than the consumer: “People will always purchase insurance from agents.” “Who would want to buy their travel tickets online?” “What do you mean, people are price sensitive when it comes to legal advice?” “The doctor knows best.” Worse, they guided the organizations that supported them down a path that led further and further from what consumers really want: a mutually dependent, beneficial relationship. At critical times in history, business sectors go through radical shifts that are driven by economic, political and consumer forces. We see these shifts as positive because they create opportunities for entrants into markets. These entrants often bring with them revolutionary ideas that change things for the better. Shift happens. Shift is good—and for many in health care, shift is about to hit the fan. Last month, we wrote about the timely and necessary death of B2B . People told us they liked the article (thank you) but were quick...<div><a href="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/87564/Shift-Happens/">[Read more]</div> New Products, Services, and Business Models Innovation Discussion Culture of Innovation Innovation Community Ideas Future Trends Thu, 06 Oct 2011 12:09:19 GMT Maddock and Viton http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/87564/Shift-Happens/#discussion?src=category_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/87564/Shift-Happens/?src=category_rss Interest Groups Awareness of the need for life insurance is flagging, but the industry can take steps... http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/87510/Interest-Groups-Awareness-of-the-need-for-life-insurance-is-flagging-but-the-industry-can-take-steps.../?src=category_rss <img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/imagelib/contentitem/87510/501a4d8d579923f2--3f60ec3e-132d5680aea-2f0e-156449053.jpg">Interest Groups Awareness of the need for life insurance is flagging, but the industry can take steps to raise its profile. Source: Best's Review (September 2011 Issue) The best-laid plans. The best of intentions. The best minds in the business. And still, a 50-year record low for life insurance ownership in 2010, according to Limra. As insurers acknowledge this September as the 8th annual Life Insurance Awareness Month, it makes sense for the industry to look for missing links inside the dilemma of the "sold, not bought" category. "Missing links" are the things insurers have not considered, the things that are supposedly untouchable, and the things they might not yet know. What's not been considered? The Consumer Need Pecking Order. This is about relevance in the grand scheme of the consumer's life. In modern terms, they are "just not that into you." "Privately, this may be a closed-door conversation or a deep-seated fear of any life insurance executive who is not close to retiring yet. But publicly, it has not really been acknowledged as far as I know," said one life insurance executive. It's always helpful to go back in time, to the late 1700s or so, and consider the...<div><a href="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/87510/Interest-Groups-Awareness-of-the-need-for-life-insurance-is-flagging-but-the-industry-can-take-steps.../">[Read more]</div> New Products, Services, and Business Models Innovation Discussion Financial Services Culture of Innovation Innovation Community Ideas Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:21:20 GMT Maria Umbach http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/87510/Interest-Groups-Awareness-of-the-need-for-life-insurance-is-flagging-but-the-industry-can-take-steps.../#discussion?src=category_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/article/87510/Interest-Groups-Awareness-of-the-need-for-life-insurance-is-flagging-but-the-industry-can-take-steps.../?src=category_rss U5-ia*: Free Speech for Financial Services Professionals http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/87209/U5-ia-Free-Speech-for-Financial-Services-Professionals/?src=category_rss <img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/imagelib/contentitem/87209/501a4d8d579923f2--3f60ec3e-132b0a330c7--640b-833499658.jpg">*For any of you who are not in the securities field who might be reading this, the U5 is the form that broker dealers use to terminate registered reps. The U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights numero uno says that: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” But of course this does not really apply to social media for anyone who wants to keep their securities license. While I will NOT say that broker dealers are in any way infringing upon any inalienable rights, FINRA and their interpretation of it sure makes it unattractive to say what you really think to a bunch of people who may be willing to listen. It’s not against the law, but it is just so darn difficult. That’s why March 15, 2010 was my independence day. That is the day I left the world of being a registered rep and principal, and joined a firm that wanted me to think about new ideas, write about them, and...<div><a href="http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/87209/U5-ia-Free-Speech-for-Financial-Services-Professionals/">[Read more]</div> New Products, Services, and Business Models Innovation Discussion Financial Services Culture of Innovation Innovation Community Ideas Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:42:48 GMT Maria Umbach http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/87209/U5-ia-Free-Speech-for-Financial-Services-Professionals/#discussion?src=category_rss http://community.maddockdouglas.com/blog/entry/87209/U5-ia-Free-Speech-for-Financial-Services-Professionals/?src=category_rss