Sparking Ideas In Your Own Organization Innovation Workshop
Nancy Francis and Susan Robertson May 15, 2008
Workshop Purpose
• To learn about “Creativity and Idea Generating Techniques – The Creative Process.”
• To participate in interactive activities.
• To share take-home tool.
Group Introductions
• Introduce yourself to the person to your left and the person to your right.–Shake hands.–Tell them your name.–Share a piece of advice your
mother gave you.
• Leaders in innovation for 30 years.• Over 5,000 facilitated innovation sessions
for Fortune 500 companies on an amazing array of topics.
• Fourteen highly experienced Facilitators and a stellar staff of professional writers and artists, word processing specialists, plus creative and IT support staff.
• State-of-the-art facilities in three locations (plus the ability to provoke great thinking anywhere).
Ideas To Go Background
5
Relevant Experience• Ideas To Go has worked with a wide variety of food
companies including:
Agenda
• Creative Process Overview.• Breaking Through Creative Blocks.• Tools for Creative/
Breakthrough Thinking.
Creative Process Overview
Integrated Creative Problem Solving Model
Environment
Person Process
Creative style preference
Habits/Paradigms/Blocks
Distractions
Diverging / Converging
Process steps
Tools and techniques
Team composition
Group comfort level/trust Communication skills
Level of risk-taking Physical surroundings
Attitude/mindset Rewards
– Divergent thinking – exploring all the possibilities.
– Convergent thinking – identifying and honing those ideas with the most promise.
The Creative Problem-Solving Model
Converge
Diverge
10
• Fluency –
• Flexibility –
• Originality –
• Elaboration –
Elements of Creative Production E. Paul Torrance
Many ideas.
Different kinds of ideas.
Unusual ideas.
Adding on to basic ideas; twisting or turning ideas to make them better.
The Four Stages of the Creative Process
1. Search for New Opportunities.2. Redefine the Problem/Opportunity.3. Generate New Ideas/Solutions.4. Plan for Action.
Use Divergent and Convergent Thinking in All Stages.
Breaking Through Creative Blocks
Create a Context in Which
Ideas are Valued
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Reactions to New Ideas
Yes, But…•We already tried that.
•It will take too long.
•It will cost too much.
•“George” won’t like it.
• The idea dies.• People stop contributing.• Ideas get “safer” - less “new.”• People argue.
Some Results of “Yes Butting”
No, Yes But
Replace “Yes But…” with Forness® Response
WHAT YOU’RE FOR
I wish . . .
How to . . .
How might we . . .
WHAT YOU WISH FOR
What’s good
What’s useful
What’s valuable
What’s the potential
Forness® Response Thinking
Abracadabra You Have a New Job!
Generate Possibilities for New Bathroom Fixture Products
The Fur Lined Sink
WHAT YOU’RE FOR WHAT YOU WISH FOR
Forness® Response
Benefits of Forness® Thinking
1. Keeps the good alive.• Dropped items won’t break.• Won’t show dirt.• Dries without spotting.
2. Pushes towards actionable solutions.• I wish for faux fur.• I wish for the ability to change to match décor.• I wish for fur-covered pipes for instant warm water.
3. Creates a safe environment.4. Encourages teamwork and ownership.5. Saves time.
!
!
+ + + + + + + +
Blocks to Creativity and Change
Solution
Typical Process (Jump to Solution)
FF
FFF F F
F
F F
Broad Area
Opportunity
Solution
Opportunity Expansion
FF
FFF F F
F
F F
Broad Area
Opportunity
F F FF FF F
FF
F FF
FF
F F F FF F F FF F F
F F FF F F
Opportunity
Opportunity
Opportunity
Opportunity
PossibilitiesPossibilities
Possibilities
ASSUMPTION BUSTING (Or, when is knowledge and experience a hindrance?)
Area - Think of new ideas for grocery store salad dressing.
• Immediate assumptions, based on knowledge and experience:– Goes on lettuce.– Liquid.– In a bottle.– Refrigerated.– Eaten from a bowl or plate.– Eaten with a fork.
• Assumption Busting:– What if that’s not true?
• Take one of the assumptions and assume it’s not true.
• Now, think of new areas of opportunity for salad dressing.
Assumption Busting
• List facts, assumptions, givens, truths about your topic.
• Now role play as your customers, management, other constituents and list their assumptions.
• For each, ask “What if that’s not the case?” What possibilities might that present?
Tools for Creative/Breakthrough
Thinking
Excursion Theory
Logical /Analytical
Fantasy
Forness®
thinking
Types of IdeasOld New/Innovative
Type
s of
Thi
nkin
g
Approximate
Making Ideas Come to You at Will: 6 Simple Steps
1. Introduce the topic.2. Forget the topic.3. Go somewhere for stimulus.4. Force fit stimulus to topic.5. Incubate.6. Create a new idea.
Excursion Practice: Wishes
• Individual Practice:–How to improve the customer experience.
Selected Target Area
• Generate ideas for new ways to increase value without discount.
• Remember – Ideas can be for:–Your company.–Your suppliers.–Your employees.–Your customers.
Excursion Practice: Drawing From Other Industries
• Work with a partner:– Share with your partner a non-food company
that you are personally loyal to and list the reasons why you are loyal to that company.
– Swap roles.– Use the reasons for loyalty to help you
generate ideas for improving the customer experience in a restaurant.
Excursion Practice: “Get Fired” Ideas
• Small Group Practice (each table):– Come up with your “Get Fired” idea.
• Sell food at a loss.• Add additional ingredients - place insects in the
meal before serving it.• Handout instructions to each guest on how to deal
with food poisoning.
– Swap your get fired ideas with someone at your table.
– Use Forness® thinking to generate “Get Hired” ideas.
Good luck with your creative thinking!
Nancy Francis612-331-0223
Susan Robertson 407-221-4592
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