Podcast

Innovation or culture, which comes first with Charlie Widdows

Written by Sopheon | May 1, 2023

Charlie Widdows is a thought leader and the Acclaim Ideas Product Specialist at Sopheon. Charlie joined the team after Sopehon acquired Solverboard, an innovative idea management tool that he co-founded. With a passion for ideation that spans over a decade, Charlie empowers customers to harness the full potential of their ideas. He believes that impactful ideas can change the world and is committed to helping businesses transform their ideas into better, more profitable products. Charlie is not content with merely achieving professional success. He gives back to his community as a business mentor at Black Valley, where he helps to increase equity in tech and foster Black entrepreneurship.

Charlie is back on the podcast to discuss the difficulties of creating an innovation-ready culture in a risk-averse world. He offers suggestions on how companies can become ready for innovation through culture shifts and uncover insights about innovation processes. We discuss how new ways of working can facilitate innovation and how most companies still use outdated technology. We deliberate on who innovation ideas should come from within the company and the qualities and skills an innovation manager needs. We also debate whether it’s better to experiment with innovation behind closed doors or make it a transparent and educational process.

“The world will always want innovators working for them. If you feel like you're an innovative person and the business is just not listening to you, go somewhere else.” - Charlie Widdows

This week on Innovation Talks:

  • How to know if your company is ready for innovation
  • The effect the pandemic has had on attitudes toward innovation
  • How digital tools have transformed the process of innovation
  • How to actualize ideas quickly
  • The 4 Vs of innovation culture
  • The value of openness and inclusivity for innovation
  • The qualities and skills innovation managers need to drive long-term success

Connect with Charlie Widdows:

This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon

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