embarq innovation workshop presentation

Innovation Workshop

Today’s Goal

Start to develop everyday practices & manageable processes for innovation that are repeatable and measurable

Today’s Storyboard

Creativityfor Innovation

Innovation for YOU & Embarq

Review, Commitment & Implementing

Problem-Solvingfor Innovation

The InnovationUniverse

The Natureof Innovation

A Creativity & Problem-Solving Exercise

The InnovationUniverse

image

innovation?

Which

represents

Defining Innovation - A Mind Map

IDEAS

Creativity

MarketValue

Implement

Tool

Discipline

ProcessActivity

InventionTechnology

Customer

Change

Commercialization

Areas of Innovation

Product Development

Challenge ~ how to create an open-sourced, collaborative system for

development

Objective ~ creating & coordinating synergies across the global community

Challenge ~ how to discover more and better ideas that lead to

innovation

Objective ~ creativity & innovation in organizational teams

Creativity

Challenge ~ how to create the core capability of innovation in all company

activities

Objective ~ performance metrics, processes & systems

Process/Capability

Challenge ~ how to create strategic innovations that drives adaptive

competitive advantage

Objective ~ exploiting change to shape and create new markets

Strategic

Innovation Defined

the art of converting new ideas, discoveries or a vision into societal progress or commercial success

faster and more effectively than competitors who have equal access to

knowledge and technology

Being Innovative

Solving problems by creating the new and unexpected as an everyday part of

business

You must be innovative to create innovations

The Art of Converting Ideas

Conversion Process

convert the idea

transform the person

transform the organization

transform the risk

shape the market

ideas ~ discoveries ~ a vision

societal progress ~ commercial success

creativeinputs

outputs

The Natureof Innovation

UnderstandNature to Nurture

Less

More

Younger Older

Intelligence

Knowled

ge

Problem Solving

Adapted from “How to Think Like Einstein” by Scott Thorpe (2000)

We Can’t Lose OurImagination

Nothing is True -Everything is Permitted

Question Assumptions& Orthodoxies

Trial & Error, Iterative Process

It Takes Yearsto Become

an Overnight Success;

PatienceTrust

Staying Power of IdeasLong-Term Vision

Innovation is very hard, rigorous & tedious work; it is an emotionally

tough job & messy process

In the future Leadership will be defined as the act of inspiring not followers but creative

collaborators & creative collaboration

Leadership will then transform into an art of team empowerment based on reciprocal and synergistic relationships built around self-organizing processes

Failure/SuccessRatio

Risk is an inherent part of innovation

Innovation Riskconsiders

lessons learned

missed opportunity cost

return on unintended consequences

You PlantMore Trees

Innovation

Portfolio

Remove the perception of risk (career risk) from the innovation process

Different is not Deficient

“There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous

to handle, than to initiate a new order of things”

- Niccolo Machiavelli from “The Prince”

IDEO Video

Ideas are anindividualendeavor;

Innovation isa team sport

Brainstorming Rules

Build upon the ideas of one another

Go for quantity, not quality

Defer judgement

Use active listening

“Yes, and”... not “No, but” (See Possibilities)

Brainstorming Rules

Create a well-honed problem statement

A question, maybe edgy

The problem statement can’t presume an answer

The problem statement should not be too narrow or too broad

Open-ended problem statements

Brainstorming Rules

Playful Rules

Generate enthusiasm & energy

Encourage wild ideas

Should not feel like work

Don’t take turns speaking in an orderly way - interactive, continuous & engaging conversation

Creativityfor Innovation

“The whole of science is nothing more than a

refinement of everyday thinking”

- Albert Einstein

Idea Management

StimuliEnvision

StructureDocumentFollow-up

CreativeActionTeams(CATs)

Entrepreneurship CAT

The Unserved/Under-servedMarket

Vision to Build & Shapea New Market

A Market Inefficiency

Customer CAT

Passion

Pain

Pleasure

Possibility

The Future CAT

New Change Associations

Converging Forces& Emerging Trends

Divergent Developments

Revolutionary CAT

The Crazy Idea

Breaking the Golden Rule

Grass Roots Change Activist

Technology CAT

Invent it for the Sake ofTechnological Progress

Accidental - ROUC

Removing Physical Constraints

Strategy CAT

Big Picture

Value Chain & Business Model

Strategic Alternatives

Competitive Positioning

Solar Energy CAT Biofuel & Agricultural CAT Energy Storage CAT

Resource Recovery &Waste Management CAT

Water Technology & Management CAT

Green Materials &Green Buildings CAT

Environmental Sustainability CATs

Factors of Creativity

Challenge the Core Dimensions of Orthodoxies

Lateral &DivergentThinking

Reframe Problems“SCAMPER”

Forced Associations& Integrative

Thinking

Value Denials& Empathic

Design

“er” Factors

Unreasonable Expectations

(BHAGs)

IdealizedDesign

Redefine Core Business

Start-UpChallenge

CreativeDestruction

Converting Ideas

Idea Qualification

Ideas in Imagination

Ideas in Experimentation

Ideas in Development

Ideas in Incubation

Degrees of Innovation Value

Transparency&

Engagement

InnovationPortfolio

Problem-Solvingfor Innovation

“Take the mess that confronts you, organize it into a problem, figure out what to do, and implement

your decision - modifying it as you go”

- Problem-Solving Guru Sid Dudley

NOLEFT

TURN

Why do airlines need pilots?Ideas in Imagination

Ideas in Experimentation

Ideas in Development

Ideas in Incubation

Problem

Solving

Conventional Problem-Solving

Identify the True Problem

Explore Options & Solutions

Evaluate Priorities & Decisions

Select the Best Solution

Problem

Solving

Think Differently

Outside-In Thinking

Connective Thinking

Scenario Thinking

Problem

Solving

Learn Differently

Learn & Develop Knowledge of the Future

Develop Learning & Accountability Networks

Invest In & Take Personal Learning Journeys

Problem

Solving

Act Differently

Act Experimentally

Act Inclusively

Act With Professional Resolve (NEVER SETTLE)

Think in Possibilities;

Believe in Possibilities

Creativity& Problem-Solving

Exercise

A) Create 6 CATs that represent the challenges, opportunities & possibilities

for your department

B) Define a problem that can be addressed with each CAT

C) Create 3 ideas for each CAT(you can use the factors of creativity)

D) Take your top 3 ideas and design an innovative solution

E) Define the orthodoxies that MUST change for these ideas to become innovations

F) Build the case for change - be advocates for the innovation and change recommended

Innovation forYOU & Embarq

Passion to Win

Think and act like an owner

Be passionate about the business

Care deeply about winning

Passion to Win

Don’t search for opportunity;Search for Possibilities & create opportunity

Don’t allow “winning” to enable complacency

Challenge the status quo ~ The Loyal Opposition

Do not select the most acceptable ideas;do not compromise ~ No “Satisficing”

Innovation

Innovation

Change, simplify and improve what you do

Drive diverse thinking

Be flexible and adaptive

Innovation

Innovation

A repeatable, manageable process

Ownership of continuous stimuli search

Idea management & qualification

Factors of creativity that focus on improving the customer experience & human condition

Teamwork

Embrace diverse perspectives and talents of all employees

Work across teams

Lend a hand

Teamwork

Social Trust & Shared Risk

Creative Advocacy & Change Advocacy

Collective Imagination& Creative Collaboration

Celebrate Failures

Celebrate Successes

Celebrate People’s Effort

Customer Focus

Deliver a Quality Customer Experience

Provide Practical Solutions

Support Our Communities

Customer Focus

Customer CAT (Creative Action Team) ~4 Creative Customer P’s

Open-Sourced Collaboration, Full Engagement & Shared Experimentations ~

Combat the “Not Created Here” Syndrome

Observation & Empathic Design ~Get In The Field

Velocity

Act with Urgency

Focus Energy on Priorities

Accelerate Decision Making

Velocity

Compete on Ideas & Compete on Speed ~Accelerate Future Windows of Opportunity

Change the Organization FasterThan the Pace of Market Change

Implement Unproven Concepts ~ Take Strategic Risk

Integrity

Work Honestly & Ethically

Speak Up on Issues That Matter

Integrity

Relegate your emotions, desires and ambition for the sake of the mission/objective

Don’t look to find or place blame when you correctly engaged the innovation process and failed

Be EMPOWERED!Take Responsibility & Be Accountable

Lets Review& Think About

The Future

Redefine Innovation

It is more than technology, new products & creativity

It is a branch of knowledge, a discipline and substantial organizational change

Keep Your Imagination

Understand the challenges of innovation

Design approaches to overcome them

Redefine risk

Reframe Everyday Thinking

Develop your own idea management system and CATs

Understand the Factors of Creativity

Have an idea qualification process

Make It Real for You & Embarq

Develop individual & team action plans to tie innovation principles to Embarq’s mission critical essentials

Use Knowledge & Imagination

Stop applying just your knowledge& understanding to problems

APPLY YOUR IMAGINATION

Think & Believe in Possibilities

THANK YOU!