Thinking Out Loud

Brian Maggi writes about product design, development, and innovation, mixing real-world stories with a bit of humor. His articles break down complex ideas into practical, easy-to-understand insights that help organizations create better products and grow their business.

October 9, 2024

Want to Know Why Your Team isn’t Feeling Innovative?

Creativity is intrinsic. It just needs to be activated, like caffeine taps the energy already inside you. Teams resist innovation not due to lack of creativity, but other concerns. By addressing these concerns, leaders can unlock their team’s natural creative potential for growth.

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September 30, 2024

How to Build a Culture Around Innovation without the Alienation

I recount my experience addressing over 1,000 Chicago Public Library staff members during a pivotal moment of change. Faced with the challenge of leading an entrenched culture into an era of innovation, I learned that the real fear wasn’t about new tools or tactics—it was about becoming irrelevant.

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September 2, 2024

If Over Explaining is Slowing You Down, Then it’s Time for a Limited Vocabulary

In comedy and politics, if you’re explaining, you’re losing. It’s the same thing with work. Too often things get bogged down because we need need to explain what we ‘really’ meant when people misunderstand or misinterpret what we said the first time. This happens so often at my last startup, that we decided to do something about it. The answer wasn’t more communication. It was less.

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August 19, 2024

What We Have Here, is a Failure to Communicate About Communication

Teams often blame poor communication after a project failure but rarely take steps to improve it. By treating communication as a learned skill and focusing on key elements, teams can prevent breakdowns.

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