Let’s Get Innovative!

1. Let’s Get Innovative! BOH4MI Chapter 6

2. Where do you plan to work? • In a big corporation or own your own business? • In the public sector or a not-for-profit agency? • Regardless, each type of business needs innovation • Innovation is all about … • Creating value • Making things happen • Doing something differently

3. What is Innovation? • The term innovation generally refers to the creation of something new or something better • Innovative thinking means looking at things differently – it is imaginative • Innovation can involve the ____________ of a new product, service or process • However, often innovation is an _______________ on something already in existence Introduction Improvement

4. Introduction of a New Product The Original Telephone The Original Scotch Tape The Original Cabbage Patch Kid

5. Improvement on Existing Products – The Telephone

6. Improvement on Existing Products – Cabbage Patch Kids

7. Improvement on Existing Products – Scotch Tape

8. Becoming an Innovative Thinker • Although we were not all born innovative thinkers, with a little help, we can learn to develop our creative potential • We can do this by understanding more about the creative process and its benefits • Becoming an all-star innovator requires … • Training • Commitment • Passion

9. First Step to Innovation Goal • The first step is to have a __________ • Understand the problem you are trying to solve • Do you want to improve the quality of the product or service you provide? • Do you want to reduce environmental damage? • Do you want to create a new product or service? • Do you want to reduce energy consumption?

10. Why is it Important to be Innovative? • A major study of 1,500 CEOs around the world was conducted by IBM in 2010 • This report found that _____________ is the most sought after leadership quality for success in business • 60% of study participants cited creativity as the number one leadership quality • Other important leadership qualities mentioned were … • Integrity, Global Thinking, Influence, Openness, Dedication and Focus on Sustainability Creativity

11. Why is Creativity and Innovation so Important to Organizations? • Our world is becoming more complex • It is more interconnected, more volatile, and more uncertain • The rate of change is accelerating • In particular, the impact of technology is changing the way organizations do business

12. Self Reflection Exercise: Creativity • When was the last time you had a creative idea? • This morning, yesterday, last week, last month, last year? • What was it? • What motivates you to be creative? • During what kinds of situations do you get your ideas? • E.g. While exercising? While driving? When you are faced with a problem?

13. Activity: Glass Half Full • Take a look at the item below. What do you see? • Come up with as many uses for it as possible. Go beyond the obvious! • What if it was shaped differently? • What if it was made out of a different material? • What if it had two handles?

14. Sources of Innovation Innovation can have unlimited sources, however, some of the key sources include; • Research • Customer feedback • Employee suggestions • Suppliers • Competitors

15. Myth Busting About Innovators and Innovation • Innovation brings instant gratification • Innovation is a process and may take a long time to develop your idea • Thomas Edison failed over 1,000 times before he successfully invented the light blub • Innovation is only about new ideas • Innovation can involve taking something that already exists and making it better • E.g. the Cell phone didn’t start out as compact and light weight as it is today

16. Myth Busting About Innovators and Innovation • Innovators are geniuses or “mad scientists” • Innovative thinking is a skill that does not depend on IQ • Innovators are not the stereotypical mad scientist, who spends hours alone in a lab making strange concoctions • Innovative Ideas are radical • Not all innovations are “out there” • They are often very subtle and go unnoticed • E.g. Nestlé's Pure Life – reduced the size of their plastic cap. The cap now contains 27% less plastic than the original

17. Myth Busting About Innovators and Innovation • Innovation is a waste of time • Some companies actually expect their employees to schedule time for creativity • Obviously, innovative thinking is considered to be a solid investment

18. Creativity Blocks: What Gets in the Way? • Boredom • Or laziness • “Let somebody else do it” • “I can’t be bothered” • “It’s too much work” • Lack of Focus • Creativity generally comes when you are relaxed, or following an achievement, therefore a chaotic lifestyle is not conducive to being creative

19. Creativity Blocks: What Gets in the Way? • Fear • Fear of failure, success, making a fool of yourself, rejection, etc. • Failure is actually a huge part of innovation; we can learn a lot from our mistakes • Status Quo • “Everything is just fine the way it is” • “Why fix it if it isn't broken?”

20. Creativity Blocks: What Gets in the Way? • Perfectionism • What if I am wrong? • What if I make a mistake? • Lack of Time • “I am far too busy” • Over scheduling, staying busy and stretching one’s self too thin are all classic signs of avoidance

21. Sharpen Your Creativity Skills • Change your perspective. Look at things differently. If you always think what you've always thought, you will always do what you've always done. If you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you've always got. If you always get what you've always got, you will always think what you've always thought. - Unknown

22. Sharpen Your Creativity Skills • Ask questions. • Ask why. Even if you already know the answer … ask anyways. • Look at average things and think about what will make them extraordinary. • Think about what you want that you don’t have now • Take the idea of a basic black t-shirt. What can be done to make it extraordinary?

23. Sharpen Your Creativity Skills • Separate the wheat from the chaff. • Information is everywhere. Some of it is useful and a lot of it is nonsense. • Learn how to sift your way through the nonsense in order to find the nuggets. • Stick-to-it-ness. • Don’t give up easily. Set a goal and stick to it. • The goal maybe to come up with 20 ideas or set aside 30 minutes a day to come up with creative thoughts. • Some of the most famous inventors actually set “idea quotas” for themselves.

24. Activity: Opportunity for Change • Opportunities often arise out of change – change in the way people think, what they fear, how they behave, etc. • People spend money to satisfy a want (status, luxury), a need (food) or to solve a problem (there are mice in my house). • What new products and/or services have arose out of the following situations? • Concern for the environment • High price of gas • Obesity epidemic • Fear of natural disasters

25. Summary Innovative thinking can be summed up like this; • It’s a skill • It’s powerful • It’s passionate • It’s creative • It’s amazing

26. Inventors Showcase Check out the below link for some cool and crazy inventions from the website Inventors Showcase. Inventors Showcase Website

27. Trend Hunters • Trends for 2013 • Trends for 2014 • Trend Hunters Website