UNLOCKING INNOVATIONTraining Teams and Individuals to Have Every Day Breakthroughs

Innovation IQ• True/False: Innovation is the

act of coming up with new and creative ideas

• True/False: Innovation is a random process

• True/False: Innovation is the exclusive realm of a few naturally talented people

• True/False: The biggest obstacle to innovation is a lack of organizational resources and know-how

• True/False: Most companies are not structured to innovate

• True/False: The most important type of innovation involves bringing new products and services to market

• True/False: Teaching employees to think creatively will guarantee innovation

• True/False: The most powerful way to trigger your brain is to simply ask it a question

• True/False: Most companies pursue incremental rather than disruptive innovation

• True/False: Listening to your customers is a great way to innovate

Learning Outcomes

Improve leadership skills to motivate, inspire, and foster innovation within an organization

 

In order to stay ahead of the competition, people and teams must be creative and innovative. The key to success is engaging in ways of thinking that inspires breakthroughs. Science and technology is about using talent and skills to create possibilities. Did you know that there are proven tools to inspire teams to have every day breakthroughs? Uncover hidden talent on your team; learn strategies that are not only fun and creative, but also just might help you create the next breakthrough.

• At the end of this seminar participants will be able to:• Define innovation and creativity• Explore leadership skills that encourage creativity• Learn techniques and tools that support an inventive mind• Play games that inspire creativity and innovation

What are we talking about. Define Innovation

• Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society. Innovation differs from invention in that innovation refers to the use of a new idea or method, whereas invention refers more directly to the creation of the idea or method itself– the introduction of something new ; a new idea, method, or device :

novelty

• An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, process or discovery

• U.S. Patent Law . a new, useful process, machine, improvement, etc., that did not exist previously and that is recognized as the product of some unique intuition or genius, as distinguished from ordinary mechanical skill or craftsmanship.

What are we talking about. Define Creativity

• Creativity is the process of producing something that is both original and worthwhile. the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to produce meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination

• Create is to cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not made by ordinary processes.

• To create is to evolve from one's own thought or imagination, as a work of art or an invention.

• To create is to make a fuss

Google did it, Apple does it, and so do…• On any given day Google is running 200 to 300 experiments to a small audience –

unbeknown to them – with very minor user interface or features adjustments to understand how to better serve its existing or new customers.

• Apple eliminated passive aggressiveness and encouraged debate when new ideas were forming

• Apple has ad hoc meetings of six people called by someone who thinks he has figured out the coolest new thing ever and who wants to know what other people think of his idea

• 3M realized it was in the “touch and feel” and not just the adhesive business so now they are developing a MicroTouch capacitive TouchSense System

• 3M says "It's really tough to schedule invention

• 3M’s tradition of periodically reexamining their own products searching for possible improvements.

Most Innovative Companies (Fast Company)

Who Why What’s Next

Nike For a pair of revolutionary new products and a culture of true believers

Amazon For speeding up the delivery of change

Square For spreading the mobile payments revolution

Splunk For bringing big data to the masses

Fab For evolving into the destination for design wares

How to InnovateI N N O V A T E

I Initiated by Management Implemented by all

N Negotiate expectations and deliverables and a budget if possible.

N Nominate leaders and team members for exploring opportunities

O Operate outside the “work world” as much as you do inside

V Violate “business as usual” rules (see the first N) See what happens

A Always think about the customer first

T Treat all ideas as worthy and with promise

E Experience Excitement! Be excited

I Imagine a different future. Play “what if” games

O Observe everything and wonder about it, then frame it in the context of your world

N Nothing is impossible, just not made possible yet

Graham Wallas Stage ModelPreparation•preparatory work on a problem that focuses the individual's mind on the problem and explores the problem's dimensions

Incubation•where the problem is internalized into the unconscious mind

intimation•the creative person gets a "feeling" that a solution is on its way

Illumination•where the creative idea bursts forth from its preconscious processing into conscious awareness

Verification•where the idea is consciously verified, elaborated, and then applied

Creativity ProfilesCreativity Profiles Creativity Traits

1 Incubate (Long-term Development)

Idea Generation (Fluency, Originality, Incubation and Illumination)

2 Imagine (Breakthrough Ideas Personality (Fluency, Originality, Incubation and Illumination)

3 Improve (Incremental Adjustments)

Motivation (Intrinsic, Extrinsic and Achievement)

4 Invest (Short-term Goals) Confidence (Producing, Sharing and Implementing)

Innovation Competencies1. Risk tolerance

2. Interdependent

behavior

3. Problem solving

4. Making contextual

connections (Integrated

thinking)

5. Communication skills: Listening

Questioning

Provided by KUSI Visions and Creative Energy Solutions

Innovation Competencies

6. Observation skills

7. Experimenting

8. Networking

9. Decision making (confidence)

10. Performance planning

11. Enthusiasm and satisfaction

Provided by KUSI Visions and Creative Energy Solutions

The Ultimate Innovation Creation Strategy• Observe

– observe what is happening anywhere in the world via the internet,

• Listen– Listen to others intently with the expectation that there is a kernel

of greatness in what they have to say

• Read– Reading is fundamental. You can read any book or magazine in

an instant on an iPad or Kindle or Nook or regular magazine, news paper, or book!

• Combine– combine an incredible array of products and services and ideas

that already exist into something that is new and is of great value for other people.

Six Myths of CreativityCREATIVITY

1 Creativity comes from creative types. Where in the organization do you want people to be creative? almost all of the research in this field shows that anyone with normal intelligence is capable of doing some degree of creative work

2 Money motivates creativity. People are most creative when they care about their work and they're stretching their skills.

3 Time pressure fuels creativity. Time pressure stifles creativity because people can't deeply engage with the problem. Creativity requires an incubation period; people need time to soak in a problem and let the ideas bubble up

4 Fears force breakthroughs. Creativity is positively associated with joy and love and negatively associated with anger, fear, and anxiety.

5 Competition beats collaboration. The most creative teams are those that have the confidence to share and debate ideas.

6 A streamlined organization is a creative organization. Leaders will have to work hard and fast to stabilize the work environment so ideas can flourish

Visualization is Key to Innovation and Creativity

• The ability to express an idea visually, however crudely, is vital to creative power.

• Pictures offer an immediacy that words do not.

• images are powerful tools for expressing and engaging with ideas. They are frequently easier to remember

• Mind-mapping and diagramming allows you to see the big picture and the details at once.

• Draw simple: Geometric shapes, arrows, and stick figures are easy to remember

• See relationships: Use arrows, color, or shapes to show how things are connected

Quantity of ideas is essential to lateral thinking

• Another key feature to visual creativity is quantity or series.

• What would happen if I/we….

• I wonder why….• Where did that come

from• How is this similar to

…• Where would we/they

be if ….

• Why does ______ _______ ?

• How many….• What was the

inspiration for….• What is the essence

of….• What’s next for…

Review Summary• In business, innovation is the act of applying knowledge, new

or old, to the creation of new processes, products, and services that have value for at least one of your stakeholder groups.

• innovation and creativity is directly link to what a customer thinks is worth while and acceptable. ”

• Observe everything and wonder about its origins• Innovation competencies • Observe, Listen, Read, Combine• Visualize• Quantity of ideas is essential to lateral thinking• Ask questions

TEST YOUR INNOVATION IQ

Think left and think right and think low and think high.  Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!  ~Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!

Innovation is the act of coming up with new and creative ideas

1. True

2. False