Editor’s Choices for Week Ending Jul 13, 2012

Article of the Week
The Power of Being Different  (Fast Company)
Big Idea:  Product success usually starts with difference–but there are many ways to be different. The trick is to be different in a way that is highly relevant to your audience and creates a sustainable competitive advantage.

Editor’s Choice Articles
The Unconscious Executive (HBS Working Knowledge)
Big Idea:   Research by Maarten Bos and his colleagues suggests that unconscious thought supports the kind of mental organization needed for making complex decisions. In addition, unconscious thought might be more dependable than conscious thought when we are low on energy. The research also indicates that using odor or sound cues during sleep might improve creativity and innovation.

3 Steps to Innovate Like Google  (Inc.)
Big Idea:  By leveraging the Alchemy of Growth’s Three Horizons Model, companies of any size can begin driving innovation throughout their organization.  These companies will discover not only that their firm may be more innovative than they think, but also that they can better allocate resources to drive future growth.

The Softer Side of Risk Management Means Fewer Analytics (Smart Data Collective)
Big Idea:  For the past 25 years quantitative analysts have ruled the roost in Finance. However, as global financial flows (and financial products) get more interconnected, complex and opaque; investors and managers are finding this new paradigm terrifying.  It’s high time to supplement quantitative strategies with the softer side of risk management.

Where’s Your Innovation Friction (Innovation Excellence)
Big Idea:  When it comes to creating an innovation culture, often people make it far too complicated. If you’re part of the senior leadership team and you’re serious about innovation then your job is simple – reduce friction.