FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Why should innovation and being innovative be important to you? Is it just a buzzword, a trend, the latest consultant talk or

should we sit up and take notice? I believe that innovation and creative thinking is more

important than ever before. Not in order to make more money but to make a difference – a difference in the lives of all living beings on planet Earth. Growth is great but how sustainable can it be if only a select few benefit from it? Is it possible for us to tap into whole-brain thinking

principles and create solutions, products and services which are sustainable in every sense of the word? Yes, yes and yes. We can apply everything that we have

learnt and unlearnt over the past 200-300 years; we can apply design thinking, critical thinking, systems thinking and futures thinking because we have developed the capability to do so. The South African Innovation Summit is one piece in this

interesting yet complex puzzle – by engaging the top echelon of SA’s leading minds in the multi-helix of academia, industry, community and government to integrate and work together in support of innovative thinking. We have the top innovative and creative minds in the world,

yet we seem to lack the ability to unlock the potential and value which is assembled in the rich relationships and networks. Can we do it? Yes. Do we want to do it? Yes. How do we do it? Join in the conversation, share your ideas, solutions and tap into the possibilities of yes.

Itha Taljaard CEO, 4th SA Innovation Summit (This month’s guest editor)

Forthcoming Events

September 06-07 14-16 19-21 19-20

21-23 26-28

October 04-06 12-14

17-19 The Skills Summit, Pretoria

2nd Annual Global Learning Academy, Johannesburg Lean Leadership UCT-GSB, Cape Town

21st Century Leadership, Dr G. van Rensburg, The Da Vinci Institute, Johannesburg

Employee Assistance Professionals Association SA Annual Conference, Durban

Branding in Banking & Financial Services, Johannesburg The Star HRD Expo, Johannesburg

Business Process Management in Government & State Owned Enterprises, Pretoria

Learning World Africa 2011 Conference, Cape Town

26-28 Women in Politics Africa conference, Johannesburg 30-02

Institute of People Management 55th Annual Conference (30 Oct to 02 Nov)

For more details see the pages inside this issue or go to our website www.management-today.org

Itha Taljaard holds numerous degrees in Mathematics and Chemistry. She has a varied background centred on innovation. In 2007 she starts Sense2Solve, a company specialising in creativity and sustainable innovation. She is also a regular participant in IronMan.

Management Today magazine SA Alan de Sousa Caires (Publishing Editor) Postal Address: P O Box 2239 | Northcliff | JHB 2115 | Republic of South Africa Contact: info@management-today.co.za www.management-today.org | Facebook.com/ManagementTodayMagazine | Twitter.com/ManagmentToday Tel: +27 (0) 792 966 375 | Fax: +27 (0) 865 775 602

Production and design: Hand-Off design and publishing services Advertising: Leizel Brown | Tel: 021 683 5973 | Email: Leizel@management-today.co.za

4 Management Today | September 2011