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It’s Not Rocket Science

Leading Innovation in Small Business

Rod HattchManaging Director

WISDOM is an innovative, high quality team of learning, facilitation and consulting professionals based in Canberra, Australia.

WISDOM provides a range of services in areas such as training/education, coaching/mentoring, research, business planning and management consulting.

www.wisdomlearning.com.au

Why?

What?How?

What Next ?

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The desire, and the ability of an The desire, and the ability of an organisation to continuously learn organisation to continuously learn

from any source - and rapidly from any source - and rapidly convert this learning into action - is convert this learning into action - is its ultimate competitive advantage.its ultimate competitive advantage.

Jack Welch CEO General Electric CompanyJack Welch CEO General Electric Company

Definition of innovation

Innovation is the actions to create and implement something new

or improved

Innovation

▲What actions?▲What is something new or improved?▲How do you create?▲How do you implement?

Leading innovation

▲If you are leading a team or a business; and

▲They are not being innovative▲You need to change one thing

YOU!

Levels of innovation

▲Strategic▲Tactical▲Operational

The Triple Jump of Innovation

▲ Innovations that Hop

▲ Innovations that Step

▲ Innovations that Jump

Adapted from Making Innovation Happen, Morgan 2000

Four P’s of Innovation

▲Procedural innovation

▲People innovation

▲Process innovation

▲Product innovation

Adapted from Making Innovation Happen, Morgan 2000

…something new or improved..’

▲ New product or service

▲ New voice mail message

▲ Technology improvements to improve service

▲ Better pens in your office!

▲ Making forms easier to complete

▲ New sign▲ Enhancements to

your web-site▲ Giveaways▲ Improved branding

of your products or service

Innovation

▲What actions?▲How do you implement?

Add innovation to team meetings

Establish an ideas register

Reward new ideas

Add innovation as a KPI

Make innovation part of your

culture

Follow through on all ideas suggested

Implement selected ideas – make it

happen!

Give staff feedback when ideas are

suggested

Assign project teams to implement

new ideas

Hold Ideas workshops or

sessions

Innovation and creativity?

▲Creativity is the process of having or getting new ideas

▲Innovation is the complete process of creating new ideas and translating those ideas into action

‘Creativity only becomes innovation when ideas become useful’

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‘A good idea is the enemy of a better one. You stop looking for

alternatives.’

(Tudor Rickards, Manchester Business School in Ideas Unlimited 1985)

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Some tools for innovation

▲ Revolution▲ Six thinking hats▲ Force field analysis▲ Ideas matrix▲ Brainstorm▲ Five Whys?▲ Ask What if ..?▲ Visioning▲ Metaphor or analogy

▲ 4-MAT▲ Attribute listing▲ Anonymous brainstorm▲ Circuit▲ Mind Maps▲ SWOT▲ GAP analysis▲ Mind Mapping▲ Forced connection

In summary

▲ Innovation is a practical set of actions▲ Innovation can be learnt▲ Innovation can be something very small

as well as something very large▲ Innovation can be improving little things

as well as breakthrough new ideas▲ Innovation can be applied to all areas of

a business

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Creativity plus innovation

plus a hell of a lot of execution equals

profit.

Mark BourisFounder and Chairman Wizard Home

Loans

Nine features of a truly innovative organisation1. Identifying future trends and their clients' future needs.2. Capturing new ideas.3. Ensuring they stay technically current.4. Looking at old ideas in new ways.5. Fast-tracking innovative concepts.6. Rewarding staff for their-creative input.7. Short circuiting cumbersome organisation structures and

communication delays to facilitate rapid decision making.8. Tight project management to minimise delays in

development.9. Sound operational systems to ensure that innovative

ideas become part of the day-to-day procedures for doing business.

Survival in the corporate jungle: innovate or perish, in Innovation and Imagination at Work (2001) Australian Institute of Management, McGraw-Hill Australia

Continuous improvement is about Continuous improvement is about

doing 100 things 1 per cent better,doing 100 things 1 per cent better,

not one thing 100 per cent better.not one thing 100 per cent better.

www.wisdomlearning.com.au