My Newsletter circulates at the beginning of each month. In it you will find a short article on a theme related to leadership, creativity and innovation. You will also find news about my own activities, events and publications.
Keep yourself and your organization in sync with contemporary leadership, creativity and innovation insights.
Subscribe to my Newsletter HERE and connect with me on social media
Keep yourself and your organization in sync with contemporary leadership, creativity and innovation insights.
Subscribe to my Newsletter HERE and connect with me on social media
Newsletters
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FEBRUARY 2019 - Be Creative, Yes You Can!
Develop Creative Skills for Yourself and for Your Business Open Workshop 12th February 2019, Limassol Why make creativity a top priority in the personal and professional skills you would want to develop? There are in fact plenty of good reasons arising from very sensible questions. Why is creativity important for your business? Innovation is impossible without creativity and the accelerating pace of change demands new thinking and doing – lots of it and faster than ever before. It is no coincidence that in international studies recently carried out by IBM and PwC, the CEOs of leading companies consider creativity as today’s most important leadership competency. The systematic use of creative method substantially improves an organisation’s capacity to confront challenges and enhances employee engagement in the generation and implementation of new solutions. What is creativity? Simply put it is “imagining something new and useful and making it happen”. It is novelty – thinking and action – that bring value. A beautiful if more esoteric definition is “the ability to identify and overcome self-imposed constraints”, which emphasises the gap between personal potential and perceived limitations. Are all people creative? Yes! We may have grown up with stereotypes of the lone genius in his lab. Since the 1950s ... |
JANUARY 2019 - food for thought innovation menu for 2019
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JANUARY 2019 - Food for Thought Innovation - Innovation Menu for 2019
Food for Thought is my new pop-up restaurant where people who can think (our innovation experts) serve their ideas to people who can’t (everyone else). STARTERS The Next Big Thing It’s different every day! Dip a genetically modified Quorn™ chip into “a new generation” grand statement from an opinionated innovation expert. Choice of three classic dressings: “Awesome”! “Amazing!” “Wow!” Cryptocurrency Consommé Who said money doesn’t grow on trees? Our soup of the day is sourced from fresh trust trees, seeded from seedy software. Prices vary (a lot). Quantum Quesadillas The world’s first computer-generated recipe. Made in 0.001 nanoseconds, it takes a little longer to digest. A little cheesy people tell us. |
DECEMBER 2018 - INNOVATION - WHAT KIND AN D HOW FAST?
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DECEMBER 2018 - Innovation - What kind and how fast? Direction and speed are crucial .
What kind of innovation? Imagine a horizontal line which I shall call the innovation continuum. On the far right side are the radical innovations which create entirely new businesses: the early search engines, tablets, smartphones, electronic books, social media … In the middle is business model innovation where many important elements in the value chain are significantly differentiated in an existing business. Think IKEA for furniture, Grameen banking for the poor, Starbucks for branded internationalized cafés. On the far left is kaizen or continuous improvement: like a new braking system for cars, a better tablet, a process that reduces customer waiting time from 10 to 5 minutes, basic online consumer banking. Between the left and the middle are operational upgrades, expansions into adjacent ... |
NOVEMBER 2018 - EMBRACE DISRUPTION. THE PARADOX OF CHANGE AND CONTINUITY
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NOVEMBER 2018 - Embrace Disruption
The paradox of Change and Continuity The experience of change can be enriching, rewarding and beautiful as well as uncomfortable, costly and painful. I have been an evangelist of change in organizations for my whole working life and I have witnessed the pride and enthusiasm of new ideas going live and the bitterness and frustration of people who would prefer not to change. I’d like to move beyond the trite bytes of wit (“dinosaurs disappeared because they didn’t change”, “remember Kodak and Nokia?”), and offer two pieces of advice to leaders in organizations. The first is: Embrace Disruption, in your organization. Whether we like it or not change is disruptive. We are moving out of old routines into new patterns of work involving learning new things, undertaking new responsibilities possibly with new people, in new physical and virtual spaces. |
OCTOBER 2018 - INNOVATION AS A PATH TO PEACE
CAN COLLABORATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP FACILITATE RAPPROCHEMENT?
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CAN COLLABORATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP FACILITATE RAPPROCHEMENT?
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OCTOBER 2018 - Innovation as a Path to Peace
Can collaborative entrepreneurship facilitate rapprochement? How can innovation offer a path to peace? This question was asked by two young entrepreneurs in Cyprus. For readers unaware of the Cyprus problem, the island of Cyprus is physically divided into the Republic of Cyprus (a UN and EU member) inhabited principally by Cypriots of Greek origin and smaller ethnic minorities, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognized only by Turkey) inhabited principally by Cypriots of Turkish origin and Turks from Turkey. The division came after civil strife and war. UN troops and heavily armed barricades and borders still separate the two sides. Political efforts to reunite peacefully for the last fifty-five years have not succeeded while business and human relations are difficult to develop in practice. It is in this context that Burak Doluay and Steven Stavrou, created CyprusInno a web-based platform for Cypriot innovators and entrepreneurs to connect. |
SEPTEMBER 2018 - CREATIVITY CLASSICS - TEN BOOKS FOR INNOVATIVE LEADERS
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AUGUST 2018 - How Innovation Impacts Work . Technology as game-changer and life-changer . “The job your child will do doesn’t exist yet”, said the young principal from one of Singapore’s most prestigious private schools in a conference I attended ten years ago. Ten years from now a good number of today’s jobs will not exist, a good number of entirely new jobs will be created and ALL jobs will change, many of them in significant ways. Consultants dealing with innovation and transformation like myself, enjoy the sensational appeal of such statements. Many of us are also aware of the practical, personal and social challenges that arise as we seek to get value from new technologies. |
AUGUST 2018 - HOW INNOVATION IMPACTS WORK.
TECHNOLOGY AS GAME-CHANGER AND LIFE-CHANGER
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TECHNOLOGY AS GAME-CHANGER AND LIFE-CHANGER
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AUGUST 2018 - How Innovation Impacts Work . Technology as game-changer and life-changer . “The job your child will do doesn’t exist yet”, said the young principal from one of Singapore’s most prestigious private schools in a conference I attended ten years ago. Ten years from now a good number of today’s jobs will not exist, a good number of entirely new jobs will be created and ALL jobs will change, many of them in significant ways. Consultants dealing with innovation and transformation like myself, enjoy the sensational appeal of such statements. Many of us are also aware of the practical, personal and social challenges that arise as we seek to get value from new technologies. |
JULY 2018 - can elephants innovate ? POSSIBLE, NOT EASY ...
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JULY 2018 - Can elephants innovate? Possible, not easy ...
Each company innovates in its own way and there are more differences in the innovation of the more recent start-ups and that of the older established firms. Getting the “elephants” to dance is not so easy. Who are the most innovative companies? Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Facebook, Alibaba, Tesla spring to mind. They created a new era of technology for mass markets. Uber, AirBnB and Netflix, tout their new business models, also technology based. And there’s IBM, Samsung, Toyota, Philips, Adidas and Nestle, big old elephants. All these firms made the 2018 list of Boston Consulting Group’s most innovative companies. |
JUNE 2018 - HOW TO BE CREATIVE! TEN PRACTICAL TIPS
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How to be Creative! Ten practical tips
We are creative when we imagine something new and make it happen. Thinking and action are both involved. The “new” need not be a huge breakthrough or a “first in the world”, it can be a simple improvement that adds a little value to our life. All people are creative, some more, others less. We choose to use and develop our creativity, or we lay it to rest. |
MAY 2018 - INNOVATION IS CHANGE. sMOOTH SAILING OR TURBULENT SEAS?
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Innovation is Change
Smooth sailing or turbulent seas? Any new technology or know-how is only as good as the people who are using it and living with it. If innovation is the purposeful application of something new then by definition something, big or small, has to change. And every manager, entrepreneur or inventor knows very well that the biggest barriers to innovation are more often human than technical or physical. Consider three levels of change – changing context, changing organizations and personal change. The accelerating pace of change in context, in practically every sphere of work and life, is an oft-repeated truism. In some areas the speed of change happens at a breakneck pace, in others it may be slower but it is still much faster than a few decades ago. Big global changes are spreading rapidly, digital transformation, new generations of road, sea, air and space transportation, from primary agricultural production to worlds of virtual reality, and an endless list of everything. No single person or entity has control of the changing context even if some of the institutional actors are more impactful than others. |
APRIL 2018 - THIS EMAIL CONTAINS A LIE. ENJOY IT ANYWAY. GUESS WHICH ONE ?
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This newsletter contains a lie.
Enjoy it anyway. This article is meant to be read on April 1st. Which is why it contains a lie. Below is a list of ten thoughtful quotes on leadership, creativity and innovation. One of them is fake or misattributed. Which one?
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FEBRUARY 2018 - THE ART OF SUSPENDING JUDGMENT - A WORKING NORM AND A PERSONAL SKILL
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The Art of Suspending Judgment
A working norm and a personal skill Alex Osborn, the father of brainstorming, proposed a problem-solving methodology in which Divergent (creative) thinking is followed by Convergent (critical) thinking. He laid out four rules for divergent thinking: Suspend judgment, Generate lots of ideas, Go beyond reason, Build on existing ideas. What follows is about suspending judgment. What - you’re asking me not to criticize? Why can’t I question what others are saying? Why I can’t I even comment when people say silly things? Has my education been wasted? Is my experience irrelevant? Yes, you are asked to postpone the deployment of your critical faculties. No, nobody doubts your education, your experience or your ability to doubt. But do you mind doing it a little later? |
JANUARY 2018 - THE FUTURE, THEN AND NOW. MOST THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT AGAIN...
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We all see the future differently.
A brief survey of futurism follows, closing with my own predictions for 2018. In the Hebrew Bible greater and lesser prophets told of the coming of the Messiah - son of a virgin, son of god, son of man (depending on the source). Centuries later, some Jews, believing Jesus was the Messiah, abandoned Judaism to form a new religion. The ancient Greeks took their seers seriously too. “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts”, Cassandra wailed as the Trojans brought the horse inside their city walls. Unfortunately Cassandra was condemned to foretell the truth but never to be believed and Troy was sacked. And everyone knows the infamous oracle from Delphi saying Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother, which he unwittingly did, creating a bonanza for Sigmund Freud some centuries after. re asked to postpone the deployment of your critical faculties. No, nobody doubts your education, your experience or your ability to doubt. But do you mind doing it a little later? |
Articles
food for thought : innovation menu for 2019 - CYPRUS MAIL, january 5TH 2019
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Food for Thought: Innovation Menu for 2019
Food for Thought is my new pop-up restaurant where people who can think (our innovation experts) serve their ideas to people who can’t (everyone else). STARTERS The Next Big Thing It’s different every day! Dip a genetically modified Quorn™ chip into “a new generation” grand statement from an opinionated innovation expert. Choice of three classic dressings: “Awesome”! “Amazing!” “Wow!” Cryptocurrency Consommé Who said money doesn’t grow on trees? Our soup of the day is sourced from fresh trust trees, seeded from seedy software. Prices vary (a lot). Quantum Quesadillas The world’s first computer-generated recipe. Made in 0.001 nanoseconds, it takes a little longer to digest. Caesar’s Salad |
INNOVATION: WHAT KIND AND HOW FAST ? - CYPRUS MAIL, nOvembeR 25TH 2018
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Innovation - what kind and how fast? Direction and speed are crucial What kind of innovation? Imagine a horizontal line which I shall call the innovation continuum. On the far right side are the radical innovations which create entirely new businesses: the early search engines, tablets, smartphones, electronic books, social media … In the middle is business model innovation where many important elements in the value chain are significantly differentiated in an existing business. Think IKEA for furniture, Grameen banking for the poor, Starbucks for branded internationalized cafés. On the far left is kaizen or continuous improvement: like a new braking system for cars, a better tablet, a process that reduces customer waiting time from 10 to 5 minutes, basic online consumer banking. Between the left and the middle are operational upgrades ... |
EMBRACE DISRUPTION: THE PARADOX OF CHANGE AND CONTINUITY - CYPRUS MAIL, OCTOBER 28TH 2018
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Embrace Disruption: The paradox of change and continuity The experience of change can be enriching, rewarding and beautiful as well as uncomfortable, costly and painful. I have been an evangelist of change in organizations for my whole working life and I have witnessed the pride and enthusiasm of new ideas going live and the bitterness and frustration of people who would prefer not to change. I’d like to move beyond the trite bytes of wit (“dinosaurs disappeared because they didn’t change”, “remember Kodak and Nokia?”), and offer two pieces of advice to leaders in organizations. The first is: Embrace Disruption, in your organization. Whether we like it or not change is disruptive. We are moving out of old routines into new patterns of work involving learning new things, undertaking new responsibilities possibly with new people, in new physical and virtual spaces. |
collaborative ENTREPRENEURSHIP as a path to peace - CYPRUS MAIL, SEPTEMBER 30TH 2018
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Collaborative entrepreneurship as a path to peace “ How can innovation offer a path to peace? This question was asked by two young entrepreneurs in Cyprus, Burak Doluay and Steven Stavrou, who created CyprusInno, a web-based platform offering Cypriot innovators and entrepreneurs the chance to connect. CyprusInno offers entrepreneurs access to potential partners, employees, advisors, investors, incubators, accelerators and more, as well as online training. At present, it is the largest database of startups and related services in Cyprus and the first to feature startups on either side of the island. Its startup mentorship programme pairs Turkish Cypriot mentors with Greek Cypriot startups and Greek Cypriot mentors with Turkish Cypriot startups. |
New novel looks at the future of peace on earth - Interview with dimis michaelides - CYPRUS MAIL, SEPTEMBER 19TH 2018
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New novel looks at the future of peace on earth Melissa Hekkers talks to Dimis Michaelides on his new futurist -fiction book, Y2.200K - a chronicle The last time I spoke to Dimis Michaelides was almost three years ago. At the time, the multitalented business consultant was putting on a variety show entitled God, Sex, Revolution and You that attempted to blur the lines between social and sexual revolution through various artistic expressions. On that occasion, Michaelides used music, magic and theatre to unleash his creative whim to address the bilingual (Greek-English) community of the island. This time I am meeting him to look into another facet of Michaelides’ many personas through a literary work which tells “a story of the future of peace on earth as humans are threatened by highly intelligent aliens”. |
TECHNOLOGY AS GAME-CHANGER AND LIFE-CHANGER - CYPRUS MAIL, juLY 29TH 2018
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Technology as game-changer and life-changer “The job your child will do doesn’t exist yet”, said the young principal from one of Singapore’s most prestigious private schools in a conference I attended ten years ago. Ten years from now a good number of today’s jobs will not exist, a good number of entirely new jobs will be created and ALL jobs will change, many of them in significant ways. Consultants dealing with innovation and transformation like myself, enjoy the sensational appeal of such statements. Many of us are also aware of the practical, personal and social challenges that arise as we seek to get value from new technologies. |
CAN ELEPHANTS INNOVATE? POSSIBLE, NOT EASY - CYPRUS MAIL, june 24TH 2018
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Can elephants innovate?
Possible, not easy Each company innovates in its own way and there are more differences in the innovation of the more recent start-ups and that of the older established firms. Getting the “elephants” to dance is not so easy. Who are the most innovative companies? Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Facebook, Alibaba, Tesla spring to mind. They created a new era of technology for mass markets. Uber, AirBnB and Netflix, tout their new business models, also technology based. And there’s IBM, Samsung, Toyota, Philips, Adidas and Nestle, big old elephants. All these firms made the 2018 list of Boston Consulting Group’s most innovative companies. |
how to be creative: ten practical tips - CYPRUS MAIL, MAY 27TH 2018
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How to be creative
Ten practical tips We are creative when we imagine something new and make it happen. Thinking and action are both involved. The “new” need not be a huge breakthrough or a “first in the world”, it can be a simple improvement that adds a little value to our life. All people are creative, some more, others less. We choose to use and develop our creativity, or we lay it to rest. The accelerating pace of change generates new challenges, many of which cannot be resolved simply with know-how and judgment. Which is why creativity is more than ever a desirable set of skills: fluency (generating lots of ideas), flexibility (generating ideas that fall into many different categories) and originality (generating rare ideas). Here are some practical tips on how to be creative: |
News & Events
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People who love their work are happier people and if they love their workplace too they will be happier still. Companies with happy people serve their customers better and retain their key talent both of which impact competitiveness and the bottom line. However the ground is shifting fast: innovation, digitalization and artificial intelligence are changing the nature of work at a previously unimaginable pace, while “happiness at work” itself is taking on new meanings. The future will belong to flexible organizations that enhance employee engagement through participation in the generation and implementation of new solutions.
Participants will learn different theories of motivation and in particular the contemporary evidence-based work of the positive psychology school. They will explore the impact of innovation and change on individuals and companies and imagine how they their own organization will be like ten years from now: What will the organization chart and the physical workplace look like? How will vital people-related functions like hiring, performance management and training be managed? How can leadership truly engage people at work? This workshop will be of interest to organizations of all sectors and sizes, especially ones contemplating a serious shift in their business model or operations. The workshop will take place in PwC Academy and will be subsidised by HRDA - Cyprus |
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12 FEBRUARY 2019 LIMASSOL
BE CREATIVE, YES YOU CAN! DEVELOPING CREATIVE SKILLS FOR YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
OPEN WORKSHOP (SUBSIDISED) READ MORE here
BE CREATIVE, YES YOU CAN! DEVELOPING CREATIVE SKILLS FOR YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
OPEN WORKSHOP (SUBSIDISED) READ MORE here
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Why is creativity important? Among other reasons, because innovation is impossible without it and because the accelerating pace of change makes it an indispensable skill. And because CEOs have identified creativity as the single most important leadership competence.
Contrary to common wisdom creative skills are learnable and creativity is developable at individual, team and organizational levels. In fact the systematic use of creative method has been shown to substantially improve an organization’s capacity to confront challenges and enhance employee engagement through participation in the generation and implementation of new solutions. Participants will learn creative method and techniques and how to practice them alone and in teams. They will eventually design ways of promoting creativity in their own organizations. This workshop will be of interest to organizations of all sectors and sizes, especially ones contemplating a serious shift in their business model or operations. The workshop will take place in PwC Academy and will be subsidised by HRDA - Cyprus |
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13 novEMBER 2018 limassol
BE CREATIVE, YES YOU CAN! DEVELOPING CREATIVE SKILLS FOR YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
OPEN WORKSHOP (SUBSIDISED) READ MORE here
BE CREATIVE, YES YOU CAN! DEVELOPING CREATIVE SKILLS FOR YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
OPEN WORKSHOP (SUBSIDISED) READ MORE here
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Why is creativity important? Among other reasons, because innovation is impossible without it and because the accelerating pace of change makes it an indispensable skill. And because CEOs have identified creativity as the single most important leadership competence.
Contrary to common wisdom creative skills are learnable and creativity is developable at individual, team and organizational levels. In fact the systematic use of creative method has been shown to substantially improve an organization’s capacity to confront challenges and enhance employee engagement through participation in the generation and implementation of new solutions. Participants will learn creative method and techniques and how to practice them alone and in teams. They will eventually design ways of promoting creativity in their own organizations. This workshop will be of interest to organizations of all sectors and sizes, especially ones contemplating a serious shift in their business model or operations. The workshop will take place in PwC Academy and will be subsidised by HRDA - Cyprus |
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30 & 31 octobER 2018, LIMASSOL
LEADING INNOVATION IN PRACTICE - A ROADMAP FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION
OPEN WORKSHOP (FULLY SUBSIDISED) READ MORE HERE
LEADING INNOVATION IN PRACTICE - A ROADMAP FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION
OPEN WORKSHOP (FULLY SUBSIDISED) READ MORE HERE
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A 2-day, fully-subsidised workshops, organised together with the PwC's Academy and the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry . Dimis is leading this workshop and follows each participant with an in-house strategic training, ensuring participants develop their own organization's roadmap for innovation. The workshop will take place in Limassol and is fully subsidised by HRDA - Cyprus |
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People who love their work are happier people and if they love their workplace too they will be happier still. Companies with happy people serve their customers better and retain their key talent both of which impact competitiveness and the bottom line. However the ground is shifting fast: innovation, digitalization and artificial intelligence are changing the nature of work at a previously unimaginable pace, while “happiness at work” itself is taking on new meanings. The future will belong to flexible organizations that enhance employee engagement through participation in the generation and implementation of new solutions.
Participants will learn different theories of motivation and in particular the contemporary evidence-based work of the positive psychology school. They will explore the impact of innovation and change on individuals and companies and imagine how they their own organization will be like ten years from now: What will the organization chart and the physical workplace look like? How will vital people-related functions like hiring, performance management and training be managed? How can leadership truly engage people at work? This workshop will be of interest to organizations of all sectors and sizes, especially ones contemplating a serious shift in their business model or operations. The workshop will take place in PwC Academy and will be subsidised by HRDA - Cyprus |
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CREATIVELY CONFRONTING CHALLENGES - 31 may 2018
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leading innovation in practice - a roadmap for your organization - 27 & 28 february 2018
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A unique business innovation workshop combining creativity theory with practice, and class and in-house innovation training,
The takeaway result is to develop your own Roadmap for Innovation in your Organisation. This workshop took place at Paphos Chamber of Commerce and Industry Fully funded by HRDA - Cyprus |
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REIMAGINING THE POSSIBLE - PWC CYPRUS ANNUAL MEETING - OCTOBER 2017
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Dimis was invited to present an inspiring Innovation Keynote to PwC Leadership. Watch herebelow
10th respa annual conference - innovation in public administration - budva montenegro - OCTOBER 2017
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Dimis was invited to co-design an Innovation Conference and deliver a presentation on the many innovative streaks to pursue.
"A big thank you to the team for their wonderful collaboration." Dimis
"A big thank you to the team for their wonderful collaboration." Dimis
leading innovation in practice - a roadmap for your organization - OCTOBER 2017
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Academic articles published
“The Art of Innovation: a model for organizational creativity”, Encyclopedia of Creativity, Invention, Innovation, Entrepreneurship published by Springer, 2014, revised 2017
“The Art of Innovation and the learning organization”, article in “Innovation and Transformation Through Knowledge Management” edited by Evie Serventi, published by the ARK Group, December 2012
“The Art of Innovation in the Public Sector”, International Journal of Innovation Science, Vol 3, No 3, September 2011
“The Art of Innovation and the learning organization”, article in “Innovation and Transformation Through Knowledge Management” edited by Evie Serventi, published by the ARK Group, December 2012
“The Art of Innovation in the Public Sector”, International Journal of Innovation Science, Vol 3, No 3, September 2011
