When the umbrella was first opened in Britain during a rainstorm, passersby ridiculed the brolly-user, pelting him with trash. They thought the gadget resembled a lady’s parasol. After the Wright Brothers’ first flight, French general Ferdinand Foch poo-pooed the airplane as “an interesting scientific toy with no military application.” The personal computer, coffee, cabs, and vaccines all had similar plot lines. More
“What’s your company’s vision?” I asked an interviewee for the 10th time this week. I’m not complaining, mind you. After conducting hundreds of interviews with internal stakeholders (staff, administration, board, faculty, volunteers), I still love that question. More
There seem to be more books on the topic of collaboration and team-building than shelf space – from visual thinking to leading from within to identifying your animal spirit. But there is one step in the collaborative process that often gets short shrift: intergroup feedback. More
Conduct your own field research to find out what motivates your audiences. STEP ONE: Select and experience a peer organization’s service, event or product. Imagine this is your first time engaging in the experience. More
Elizabeth wasn’t looking for a sports vacation and she didn’t want to travel the world via tour bus. She set off on her own self-created adventure and along the way met women just like her—women who wanted to have flexibility while traveling, feel safe and most of all feel like locals. More
Harvard Business Review devotes the entire September 2015 issue to Design Thinking, a process that is integrated into everything we do at DefCult. To learn more, join us for any of the DefCult free public workshops or invite us over for an office visit! More
The Atlantic Monthly September 2015 issue features First People's Center for Education, a not-for-profit changing the lives and futures of Native Americans through education. Learn more about our work with this organization in our case study. More