In this article, Shelli Baltman and co-founder Fiona Stevenson share what they’ve learned about virtual ideation during the pandemic, and explore how you can make it work for your team. Congratulations!  If you’ve successfully transitioned from office-based working to a work-from-home model, you’re already an absolute champion!  Many of us talk about pandemic fatigue as if it’s simply a matter of navigating PPE and social distancing, while forgetting that the monumental task of completely transforming your working habits is a…

Shelli Baltman shares an article on exploring how to unlock the creative potential of the next generation of innovators. Our mission at The Idea Suite is to unlock the creative potential of people and businesses through innovation – but that mission goes beyond just business, and the day to day work of our company. We also share a strong and deeply-rooted belief that every child deserves to learn the creative problem solving, design thinking and entrepreneurship skills that will help…

In this article, Shelli Baltman shares some of the critical drivers and creative strategies that she has observed link directly to innovation success.   Choose your innovation team thoughtfully Any number of books have been written about successful innovation processes, approaches, tools, requirements and techniques, but in my experience the single most important determining factor when it comes to success or failure in innovation is the team.  Your innovation team members not only need to have a diverse set of…

Sherif El-Henaoui provides a few insights into changing our perspective when dealing with difficult people.  Often I hear the term difficult about a person that colleagues don’t like or don’t like working with. I kept thinking about that for a while with the conclusion that there is no such thing like a difficult person. Let me explain using two cases. Case 1: Is John [the person for the sake of the example] understanding / acknowledging to be perceived as difficult…

Shelli Baltman shares Fiona Stevenson’s article from the archives that explores the value of brutal honesty in both professional and personal life.  The Idea Suite’s President and Founding Partner Fiona Stevenson makes the case for brutal honesty: Let’s make this the year of brutal honesty in our personal and professional lives! Flashback to a decade ago. We were a group of 20-something Canadians who had spent the past couple of years together as ex-pats in Europe. We’d gathered for a…

  Shelli Baltman shares a post from an intern at her company that gives all team leaders, bosses, and managers insight into introverted employees and how to help them integrate.  As someone who’s always been the quiet person in the room, I never could have imagined that I would end up in an organization like The Idea Suite. An unconventional innovation agency teeming with energy, enthusiasm, and passion, we unlock the creative potential of people and businesses through innovation –…

  Shelli Baltman shares a post from her company blog that showcases innovative products in food and packaging.  Kate Summers, Innovation Associate at The Idea Suite, highlights some innovative products that were due to be showcased at this year’s Natural Products Expo West. If you’re passionate about innovation, as we are at The Idea Suite, then you’ve most likely experienced waiting with bated breath for a certain event in your calendar each year: The Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim,…

  Shelli Baltman reflects on creativity, and how you don’t have to be ‘creative’ to bring it in to your day-to-day working life. ‘But I’m not creative!’ Even today, it’s hard for me to write that.  After almost 20 years as an Innovation Expert, a role where clients hire me for my creativity and fresh ideas, and a long track record of commercial success, there’s still a small, childlike part of me that wonders if I’m creative enough. My journey…