Lessons learned from The Innovation Hub

©2009 www.thecreativityhub.com

Lessons learned fromThe Innovation Hub

Compiled for Kaos Pilots - Sept 2009

Presented by Rory O’Connor. Illustrations by Rory O’Connor

[email protected] @roryoconnor

Wednesday, 4 November 2009

http://www.thecreativityhub.com


mailto:[email protected]?subject=Reponse%20to:%20Forming%20Innovation%20Hubs.%20Teams%20%26%20Agetmts%20Presentation


http://www.twitter.com/roryoconnor



My intention is to provide an overview of an Innovation Hub project...

...so that you can learn from our experience!





you are here!

Check-in & Intro’s

The Innovation

Hub

Learnings

Building a better

Innovation Hub

Debrief

OVERVIEW





Rory's Story Cubes

hi my name is...and...

INTRODUCTIONS




http://www.storycubes.com/

http://www.storycubes.com/


speakerlistener

1 question + 6 minutes - 3 points =Windtunnel

CHECK-IN: WINDTUNNEL





The approachI would take

in forming an teamof ‘Innovation Agents’






3 minutes to each share your 3 key points






swap roles...

...and repeat






the story behind...

can you see the people?





me

If only morepeople thought

like me!





I will leadthem to the

promised land!

me...again

promised land





you need an Innovation Hub!

we need an Innovation Hub!





Re-SeedBear Fruit

Seed

Nurture & Grow

Preparethe Ground

PREPARE THE GROUNDAssess alignment and support of Senior ManagementSEED - Recruit participants from diverse range of levels/roles NURTURE & GROW - Receive ongoing training and one-to-one coaching BEAR FRUIT - Apply learning through solo and group innovation projects. Focus is on solving existing work-related challenges and creating larger business related innovationsRE-SEED - Innovation Agents work towards creating a culture of innovation, by forming off-shoot Innovation Hubs

INNOVATION HUB: STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT





Independent Innovation

Hub Facilitator

Innovation Agents

Innovation Agents meeting

facilitator requirements

can establish new Hubs

linked to original

New Innovation Hubs

continue to grow within

the organisation and

wider community

A SELF-REPLICATING MODEL





(it was never used!)

RECRUITMENT POSTER

MONDAY 23rd OCTOBER @ 10AM, 1PM & 5PM. Join us in LOCATION for 60-MINUTES and learn how you can be part of a unique team tasked with KICK-STARTING an INNOVATION REVOLUTION in Citigroup. You will receive special training through group and personal coaching. If you can’t wait until MONDAY, contact SEAN MEHIGAN (ext. xxxx)to learn more.

innovationthe

hub

START AREVOLUTION!

Join us and becomean Innovation Agent!

THEY CAN’T MEAN ME. I NEVER HAVE ANY ANY DECENT IDEAS.

I NEED TO FIND MYSELF SOME WORK-LIFE BALANCE!

I’M FED UP TRYINGTO MAKE CHANGESAROUND HERE.

FINALLY!A CHANCE TO STRETCH MYSELF, AND SHOWWHAT I’M CAPABLE OF!!





Dec 2006, over 50 expressed interest in joining





In Jan 2007, 24 people signed-up





yippee!

Every Agent received an Innovation Agent Toolkitcontaining tools, techniques and worksheets





7Epicure

?

Agents were profiled for Thinking Styles.(Note weighting towards ‘Achievers’)





Agents ran pilot on eliminating use of Polystyrene cups that could create EU40k annual savings





113 managers do not

have enough time for

managing people

116 managers are not

meeting their objectives

of managing people

115 less than 50% of staff

appraisals are completed

112 managers end up

covering gaps in the team

109 staffing growth plans

not always effective

121 staff

turnover rises

103 some areas of

organisation are

generally reactive to

business environment

107 only hire if we

get the business

101 local business

environment is

constantly changing

104 business focus is on

satisfying existing

clients first

120 staff become

demotivated

106 cost controls act

to constrain growth

capacity

117 managers are

not up to date on

staff development

119 staff are not

properly managed

118 staff do not

receive feedback

on performance

114 managers do not have

time for informal one-to-

ones

110 limited growth

capacity built into teams111 there are

headcount constraints

105 business strategies do

not always predict the full

impact on organisation

306

108 we generally only

act in response to

client requests

415

122 It takes time for

managers to answer

queries from team in

relation to career

100 budgets define expectation

around business growth and

cost control

228

231

Author: CreovisionCurrent Reality Tree"Why do managers not have the resources to manage?"Version: 4.0Page: 1 of 4

232 harder to

attract new staff

407 managers focus on

completion of tasks

from p.4

from p.2

407 managers focus on

completion of tasks

from p.4

416 managers take a

reactive approach to

appraisals & goal setting

402 managers see that

their own managers are not

effectively managing own

subordinates

from p.4

from p.4

from p.4 from p.3

p.4

p.2

419 managers

become

demotivated

415 managers do not

have time for all

necessary trainingfrom p.2

= UndesirableEffect (Primary)

(34 of 35) (34 of 35)

(33 of 35)

307

p.3

415

p.4

214

p.2

416

p.4

from p.4

= UndesirableEffect (Secondary)

102 Headcount is a

primary measurement

tool for cost control

102

223

But that’s just how things are around here!

Agents created Current Reality Tree to map out complex challenges facing managers.

Issue was considered too big to address.






Tell them about the email project

Agents surveyed staff to measure effects of email overload, but were too busy to act on results!





by Dec 2007 there were 7 Innovation Agents





Dec 2007: Training Dept was closed, and all training initiatives ended






There are 2 Innovation Agents currently active





result #1: EU40,000 saved per year on cups





result #2 (hidden): multi-million $ client relationships salvaged

Hmm? I guess that you’re feeling pretty

exasperated?






result #3 (hidden): eased transition between two merging companies

how do we turn this into a win-win?






result #4: reduced amount of printing and paper used, totaling EU?? per year





Before after

result #5: University of Ulster survey showed 25% average increase in

participants’ creativity and innovation





CHALLENGES FACED













wanted thesegot these

target

particpants





often looking through very different lenses





We MUST(appear to)Innovate!!





Can we not just get started? I’ve another

meeting at 14:00

We need to identify our Vision, Mission

and Aim





Allowing staff time for Innovation

is vital to growth





So. who’s taking responsibility for

this project? umm.I have to go





StayOut!

You really want access?

Yes! I really want access





I’m a proud member of the

Innovation HubWhat a pack

of losers!









me





A Mind Map of ideas on how re-energise flagging interest in the Innovation Hub





A Pre-Requisite Tree mapping out the proposed new direction for the Innovation Hub

Citi has an effective team of Innovation Agentsby December 2007

existing commitment by group to deliver 'Big Innovation'

by December

deliver one 'Big Innovation by December

we do not have any 'Big

Innovation' ideas to choose

from

focus training on teaching creative

problem solving & idea generation techniques

session is not long enough to

really teach learn techniques

vary technique sessions in length and/or split

across multiple session Participants schedule time between sessions to

practise techniques

participants focus on generating innovative

ideas

participants are not confident in

ability to generate

Innovative Ideas

schedule weekly 2-hour sessions

start support forum in iRoom to discuss techniques, provide

guidelines, and sample scenarios for how to use

techniques outside of sessions

participants do not use

iRoom

Establish reward system for Agent support/

contribution in forums

participation in all aspects of iHub is part of

appraisal process

iHub is secondary to

participants core responsibilities

Direct Managers embrace ideology of

iHub Direct managers are focused on

solving immediate challengesparticipants use

techniques between sessions to solve job-

related challenges

participants prefer to focus

on 'Big Innovations'

show participants how solving core-job

problems is linked to 'Big Innovations'

Managers contribute 'Challenges' to iHub

potential resistance from

managers for generating

solutions to 'their challenges

Direct managers do not see direct relevance of

iHub

upload sessions into iRoom as Audio Files

Rory records sessions

Attendance at sessions voluntary

Agents are missing out on

learning techniques

participants catch up with buddy between

sessions

there are 5 months to December

organise additional Idea Generation Events offsite

meeting environment does

not encourage creative thinking

group size affects the

level of learning

participants pre-book attendance at sessions

there is no central

calendar

create a session calendar in iRoom

sessions only take place if there is 3 or more people

attending

participants don't always

turn up

Rory does not have access to

iRoom

Follow-up with Annette to arrange access to

iRoom

projects are completed separate from technique

sessions with Rory

some participants in iHub are not interested

in learning new idea generation or creative

problem solving techniques

Offer to facilitate problem solving around specific project-related issues when requested

Ask participants to choose if they would

rather focus on projects or learn techniques

Using sessions for project

meetings is not effective use of

time

working on projects alone will develop

innovative mindset leading to 'gap' between Agents

Schedule sessions on change, creativity, innovation & human

development geared towards projects

participants working on

projects still need to use

creative problem solving for

project-related issues

current subgroup projects are not

complete

some particpants see completing projects as core

part of iHub

not all projects are progressing outside of iHub

sessions

participants do not practise

between sessions

establish buddy system for practice between

sessions

needs someone to record the

sessions

organise optional sessions off-site and outside work-hours

Develop metrics to evaluate projects

projects are not providing 'innovative'

solutions

a Big Innovation takes months/

years to implement

Author: Rory O'ConnorContributors: Neil McKenna, Marie Geraghty,Juan Rio Salvadore, James NolanTechnique: Prerequisite TreeObjective: Map out obstacles and intermediate objectives for redirection for Innovation HubVersion: 1.0Date: 1 Aug 2007No of Pages: 2

xxx





Aha! I know exactly what

needed to happen!

hindsight is a wonderful thing!

LEARNINGS





Yeeeee-haa!!

Instead of going in, guns blazing...





No peeking!

Lemme see,lemme see!

...reveal aspects of the program





You too can get rich from Innovation

in 3 easy steps!

make it look procedural...





...even if the reality is more chaotic!





Adapt your teaching style to fit the group(This preferred to start with a didactic approach)





Don’t try to force people to make big changes...





...instead provide wedges that become the new norm





Any small winsfrom the

Innovation Hub?

um...yes!

nearly there!

Identify a more senior champion to ‘run defense’





&

Know when to stand firm & when to be flexible





speakerlistener

1 question + 6 minutes - 3 points =Windtunnel

DEBRIEF: WINDTUNNEL





How might I apply Rory’s experiences to my own particular area of

interest?

DEBRIEF: WINDTUNNEL





3 minutes to each share your 3 key points

DEBRIEF: WINDTUNNEL





swap roles...

...and repeat

DEBRIEF: WINDTUNNEL





No! No! No! You’re doing it

all wrong!

A CHALLENGE FOR YOU!





The Challenge:Build a better

Innovation Hub





Objective:

design a program/timeline for gathering/training

a self-sustaining, self-replicating,team of Innovation/Change Agents

(centred around your area of interest)





Some Considerations:

Who/Where is it for?Number of people

Commitment & DurationContent of program

OutputsResources Required





To Learn more

Email [email protected]

Follow @roryoconnor

Visit www.thecreativityhub.com










Date post:	12-May-2015
Category:	Business
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Lessons learned from The Innovation Hub

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