Henry Ford once commented that if he’d asked his customers what they wanted they would have replied “Give me a faster horse”.
Sometimes in New Product Development we have to take a Quantum leap in imagination so that we can develop products which no one else has imagined.
“Brainstorming” is one techniques to help that process:-
1) Form a team of maximum 10 people drawn from all levels of the organization.
2) The “Chairperson” should be mid level with no obvious authority.
3) Provide some drinks and snacks to create a relaxed atmosphere.
4) Go round the table asking each one in turn what products they think the Company should be developing.
5) Don’t reject anything at this stage.
6) Don’t criticize anyone else’s contribution.
7) Get someone to list all the contributions on a whiteboard.
8 ) When all contributions are exhausted arrange them into different categories.
9) Vote on the top 5.
In the next post we will explore how to take these ideas forward.
chris@projectsguru.co.uk
The Mac TV was released in 1993 and was Apple’s first attempt to integrate the functionality of a P.C with a cable ready T.V. Unforthunately it’s slow bus speed of 16 MHz made for a slow P.C compared to it’s rivals and a very expensive T.V at over $2000. Needless to say it flopped and only 10k were produced.
Apple’s first attempt at a portable computer was the Macintosh portable. Released in 1989 it was way ahead of its time, and so it should have been at a whopping $6500. It weighed in at a hefty 7.2kg and had an active matrix LCD screen which was fantastic but the major contributor to its cost.
In 1995 Apple licensed its PIPPIN technology to Bandai to make a PC based game consol. The only problem was the competition, SEGA, SONY, Nintendo and PC based systems were already dominating the market. Only 42,000 PIPPIN units sold and it was withdrawn from the market.
If you need a 
Recent data from the IMF supports the view that China and Africa are becoming increasingly entwined as trading partners as China exploits the vast mineral and material wealth of the African continent in return for Capital Investment, machinery and technological know how.
Whilst the U.S and Europe have been mired in recession the Chinese rescue package has ensured that growth in that country continues at a rate of around 10%.
We are conditioned to fear failure. We must succeed at all costs. Throughout our schooling we are expected to pass our exams with flying colours and to fail is to be labelled as useless.
is vital to maintain a companies revenue growth. All products have a similar lifecycle which ends with declining revenue although the timescale between introduction and extinction may be anywhere between a few weeks to decades.
May the best team win………
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010* A leader who doesn’t just tell the team what to do but who provides a vision and who communicates that goal to the team by clearly outlining the task at hand and how it is to be achieved.
* The team are all pulling in the same direction putting individual disagreement behind them.
* The rewards of success are shared equally amongst the team members.
* There is no “finger pointing” if someone makes a mistake and the rest of the team rally round to support the individual.
* The Team leader provides all of the tools and instructions neccessary to complete the task.
As we enjoy the World Cup see which teams exhibit these qualities and measure their success.
The best team may not have the most outstanding individual players but the best team will win.
chris@projectsguru.co.uk
www.projectsguru.co.uk
Tags: #pmot, business, change management, leadership, project management, social commentary, teams, world cup
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