Hi John, thanks for your comments! I think there is lots of things business can learn from research like yours. On your last point, I definitely see that the younger generations are network thinkers. Hopefully, we can all benefit from this. Stefan

Hi Hamish, I don't really disagree much with you. Innovation has always been important. It is just a question to which degree. The same goes with risk. Innovation today is very much about opening up to external stakeholders and this requires experimentation in order to get the right processes in place as well as experimentation with regards to getting the proper products and services to market. This has always been the case, but I still think it is more important today due to the faster pace of business and the growing understanding of innovation. You can no longer hide behind a monopoly or a strong position build over many years. Someone will try to tear it down and it can happen fast.

Hi Clive, you are right on this. The cloud is also related to / driving social media.

Hi Julie, some parts of innovation are definitely easy enough although easier for some than others. However, if you take the big picture, then innovation is complex and thus in my view difficult. But you are right that a both-and approach could work here.

Perhaps it is difficult for you to answer because it makes you realize that you should have used a different kind of wording in your earlier communication? :-)

Hey, we should all listen to our "critics" - this is where we really learn so of course I would post your comments here. We are just having a good discussion, right?

Hi Shekhar, as I mentioned in my blog post I could have gone further with examples on why innovation is difficult. I just touched briefly on executive issues. Your comments are just as valid and they just bolster my impression that innovation is not a simple thing. Thanks for sharing!

Lee, thanks for sharing your views!

Well, I agree with you on this :-)

Hi David, I guess we just have to agree that we disagree :-) However, I still miss your reply to my question. "I have spent many years as an a innovation consultant. I have worked with lots of smart people in many different companies and in many different industries. If innovation is easy and simple, why do these guys have to work so hard to make it happen?"

Hi Kevin, glad to hear that we are kind of aligned on this :-)