It seems that every organization is looking for the secrets to make their teams more innovative. Is it hiring? Or is it office space design? In this weeks Killer Innovations Show, Thomas D. Kuczmarski, president and founder of Kuczmarski Innovation and co-founder (with journalist  Dan Miller) of the Chicago Innovation Awards, shares his thoughts on what to do and what NOT to do when it comes to innovations.

The topics covered during the show include:

* What are the three things that every organization should do to be truly innovative (hint: culture is one of them)

* What are the things organizations should avoid doing (hint: money)

* Can innovation specific compensation (innovation incentives) have an impact?

* How does culture play a role in the innovation efforts?

* What is the one thing to avoid when it comes to an innovation culture?

* How hard is it for established organizations to embrace an innovation culture?

* How do innovation awards like the Chicago Innovation Award have an impact on a region?

About Tom Kuczmarski:

Thomas D. Kuczmarski, president and founder of Kuczmarski Innovation, is a nationally recognized expert in the innovation of new products and services. Over the course of his career he has helped hundreds of clients, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 corporations, learn to systematically unlock the value of innovation. Mr. Kuczmarski teaches product and service innovation at Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management where he is Senior Lecturer and Visiting Scholar in the Center for Innovation and Technology.

Mr. Kuczmarski is also founder and board member, along with journalist Dan Miller, of the Chicago Innovation Awards, which annually celebrates, educates, and connects innovators in the Chicago region. The awards are endorsed by every major business association in the Chicago region and showcase the creative spirit of America’s heartland. In 2013, the Awards expanded to include a new venture, The Innovators Connection, designed to help expand the local economy by creating business connections among the region’s innovators, large and small.

Mr. Kuczmarski is the author of six books on innovation and leadership.

Links Mentioned in the show

* Tom Kuczmarski on LinkedIn

* Kuczmarski Innovation

* Chicago Innovation Awards

* Tom Kuczmarski faculty at Northwestern Kellogg School