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4 simple questions that will make any team more creative In 2023, the Barbie movie soared to box office success, despite nearly being rejected by management. There are lessons to be learned from this story about encouraging creative thinking, says innovation expert Simone van Neerven. Four simple questions can free your team from mediocrity – […]

One simple question can prevent opportunism from having a devastating domino effect When millions of vultures vanished in India, a 32 billion euro economic disaster followed and hundreds of thousands of people died. We see the same fatal error that caused this disaster daily in Dutch boardrooms, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven. Disastrous health

8 impossible types at work and their priceless value (you’ll only see it when you get it – johan cruijff) We all know them: that one colleague who says ‘yes, but’ to everything, or that know-it-all who always wants to be right. Annoying? Definitely. But these ‘difficult’ types can be indispensable to your team, writes

Beware of the autopilot: What every manager can learn from crashed flight AF447 Philips was once the world champion in consumer electronics until the company started to drift off. This ‘complacency effect’ caused Air France flight 447 to crash and bank ING to receive a mega fine. ‘Unfortunately, managers all too often have the idea

Why do we stick to one rule while happily breaking another? Rules provide structure, safety and clarity. Yet, sometimes people choose to break them out of conviction or necessity, or simply because the rules seem nonsensical. Innovation expert Simone van Neerven wonders what drives us to follow one rule but ignore another. Crime scene investigation

The coolest entrepreneur in the Netherlands? Surprisingly, almost nobody knows her She saved Jewish people in hiding, refused to work for the Nazis and was way ahead of her time with personnel policy. Yet Lili Bleeker ended up in an unmarked grave, writes columnist Simone van Neerven. This is the extraordinary story of a brilliant

Watch out if you are ahead of the pack… Dutch climate professor and frontrunner Jan Rotmans almost lost his job twice Innovation in organisations often comes with lots of resistance. The story of Dutch Climate professor Jan Rotmans, who almost got fired for his groundbreaking climate model, shows this. But his perseverance ultimately led to

The fatbike problems drag on, but no one takes responsibility: ‘Where are the rebels?’ The fatbike: hated by some, a status symbol for others. According to innovation expert Simone van Neerven, the (often tuned) electric bikes also symbolise something else. ‘The fatbike is exemplary of how we deal with pressing problems. Thinking in impossibilities and

The magic of innovation is totally underestimated, and that is why it fails so often During the Olympic Games in 1968, Dick Fosbury surprised the world with a completely new style for the high jump, which revolutionised the sport. That ‘Fosbury Flop’ is often used as an example of successful innovation, but some crucial success

Everybody seems to love AI, but no one talks about the high price we pay for it There is too little attention to the dark sides of AI, according to innovation expert Simone van Neerven. Technology determines what we see, do, and how we feel. We get out of touch with our bodies, and we

You face a devilish dilemma; stick to your ideals or let them go? Making choices is rarely easy, especially when ideals and interests clash. Austrian climate minister Leonore Gewessler risked her career for the nature restoration law, while natural winemaker Frank Cornelissen risked his reputation to save his company. Two stories about courage, pragmatism and

“Yes, but…” in the workplace seems forbidden, but we need more of it When United Airlines staff followed the rules too rigidly, they ended up with a bloodied passenger and significant reputational damage for the airline. Innovation expert Simone van Neerven advocates to stop covering all possible scenarios in procedures and let people think for

Taylor Swift an innovator? You bet! Here are her 8 leadership lessons This week marks the release of Taylor Swift’s eleventh album. The American singer has become a worldwide pop sensation. Her stormy path to success contains many lessons for business leaders. Innovation expert Simone van Neerven lists eight. Follow your heart In 2023, Taylor

Five things you should never say as a manager (plus better things to say) ‘Don’t bring me problems, give me solutions.’ is a phrase that leaders often say in meetings. A big problem, says innovation expert Simone van Neerven, as with these couple of words, leaders close themselves off for critical signals. And there are

How come you don’t see the solution that’s right in front of you? The solution to most problems already exists and is probably right in front of you, but we just don’t see it. We are too stuck in our thinking, which hinders coming up with creative solutions, sees innovation expert Simone van Neerven. Here

Struggling with change? These 6 steps guarantee success Implementing change in an organisation is difficult. Yet there is an approach that guarantees success, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven: the six-step algorithm of office expert and columnist Japke-d. Bouma. “Just take a break from meetings for a while and see what happens.” Better than Elon

Insecurity is former CEO Feike Sijbesma’s secret to success Being insecure as a leader is often seen as a weakness. Being overconfident, however, will not help you either since it will prevent you from being open to new insights. Feike Sijbesma’s leadership style is impressive and shows how to be insecure yet successful, writes innovation

If everyone knows it’s a bad idea, it won’t happen… right? How can a group of people make a decision that every individual disagrees with? This phenomenon is known as the Abilene Paradox. According to innovation expert Simone van Neerven, this can have disastrous consequences, such as the disaster with the space shuttle Challenger in

The more dumb ideas, the better When do you come to brilliant insights? If employees are given the space to come up with absurd ideas, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven. And it is up to leaders to create the right environment. The makers of South Park show how this is done. South Park thrives

Follow your passion? What a nonsense! Following your passion is lousy advice for an entrepreneur, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven. The best motivation comes from curiosity; just look at Boyan Slat (The Ocean Cleanup) and Lex Hoefsloot (Lightyear). But even that is not enough to be successful. More plastic in the sea than fish

Our society converges towards ‘sameness’ and it numbs us White walls, wood, and black steel. We see these design elements everywhere; in homes, workplaces, and coffee shops. That feels comfortable, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven. But it also dulls our senses. ‘There are fewer surprises that tickle us and that doesn’t do our creativity

Holland’s best innovator? Dutch comedian Theo Maassen! Theo Maassen is praised for hosting Zomergasten, a Dutch prestigious 3-hour interview show. That’s not a surprise for innovation expert Simone van Neerven. The comedian has been reinventing himself for years and – consciously or unconsciously – successfully applies many innovation lessons. Just an excerpt from one of

Today’s true innovators are regenerative farmers Solutions do not always come from technology, says innovation expert Simone van Neerven. In regenerative agriculture, farmers take a step back to learn from nature. ‘Such a holistic approach would also be very useful for organisations.’ Dare to step up The Netherlands cultivates flower bulbs over a total area

Oh my lord! I am a rebel. Now what? As a rebel, you have unique qualities that you can use to help your team or organisation. Innovation expert Simone van Neerven lists five. Plus what to do if nobody is listening to you. Lots of people identify as a rebel, but feel they cannot show

Why won’t managers listen to their employees? Organizations that listen to their employees perform better. Yet many managers ignore good ideas from their employees. Why is that, wonders innovation expert Simone van Neerven? “They often take criticism too personally and believe their abilities are being questioned.” Being silenced Sandra Palmen works as a top lawyer