20 Innovation Ideas From Lab Works

Gathered from #LabWorks, London 9th and 10th July 2015

Labs need to move from being awesome but marginal players to become a main way we

design and test public services

Mainstreamed Innovation

@christianbasonOn public service design:

It’s not about just what works.

It's about how it feels.

What about magic?

Enchantment? Experience?

Sometimes the greatest contribution we can make is taking the worst ideas off the table

@derekbmiller

Design has the power to change lives in a way that a

250 page report does not

@christianbason

@B_I_Tweets on how we all think our ideas are good ones:

We are guilty of ‘optimism bias’

Let's reserve describing ideas as "good" until we've seen how they interact with the real world.

More transparency

More rigorous sharing of data

More peer review with shared testing of theories

More creative engaged conversations - with more people.

@LeadbeaterCh on how we can have more impact:

Innovation Labs could be seen as an insult to every other employee - unless you make them the innovators - @nicklansley

The challenge is to turn wicked problems into wicked opportunities - @wdeggers

You need to be clear why you want a Lab.

Just because it's sexy and you can doesn't mean you should.

Andrea Kershaw of @ideo on Innovation Labs:

Forget copying others - you should develop your approach to innovation based on your own

organisational culture

“Innovation envy” – once one leader has seen and felt the benefits, others will want a bit of

what they’ve got - @jmsndrsn

Best way to create an appetite for change in leaders?

The thing we need most in public policy is intrinsically motivated people.

The way we currently measure destroys that. @snowded

If you can't explain your projects coherently in 10 seconds to the rest of the business, the lab isn't hitting the

mark.

What you want from your innovation lab is disruption but not mayhem. By disruption I mean thinking across silos.

@GoldsmithOnGov

Innovation is not about training the trainers

it’s about facilitating the facilitators - @tprehn

Whenever there's a problem, see who has already been working to solve it.

Almost always – you’ll find someone.

@geoffmulgan

Approach problems with creativity.

We aren't all hammers, our problems aren't all nails –

@GoldsmithOnGov

Design already exists in real life systems. Labs need to fit better with what is already there –

@derekbmiller

Instead of talking about failure we should shift the discussion to lessons learned and

how we manage blame - @carriebish

It doesn't matter if innovation is disruptive or incremental, so long as it makes a difference - @jmsndrsn

20 Innovation Ideas From Lab Works

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