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Robyn Taragin

Why people don’t like innovation sessions – 7 things you can do to fix it

Published date: September 23, 2023 в 3:10 pm

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Category: Innovation,Innovation Facilitation

I find that when you invite your coworkers to an innovation session you generally receive one of these responses:

  1. Amazing! Can’t wait to have a day to meet with passionate like-minded people and really crack this topic.
  2. If you can’t find anyone else…
  3. Can’t make it.
  4. (Radio silence).

The WSJ recently posted an article citing research that giving workers alone time could yield more innovation than getting everyone in a room.

For companies who really pride themselves on innovation (don’t we all?), why is there so much negativity to attend these sessions?

I think it boils down to what  happens inside the session room, what happens before people enter the room, and what happens after people leave the room. When a session is prepared, executed and packaged properly, I fully believe that two heads are still better than one.

And so, here are seven tips on how to make your sessions worth people’s while, where they feel they can truly contribute to be agents of change:

  1. Define a clear goal and scope of the challenge, and make it clear to yourself, stakeholders and participants. If it’s too broad or large a topic, break it down into manageable nuggets otherwise people will be highly doubtful that anything can be accomplished in the timeframe (and annoyed if they were right).  If the topic is smaller scale, maybe you don’t need to bring in the cavalry just yet and you can grab 3-4 folks to think it out with you.
  2. Plan and pick your time wisely and well: How much time do you really need for your session? Make sure your goals and deliverables match the time you have. If you have a full day, plan for it in a way that’s productive, and not dragged out. Everyone will always be happy to finish early. (In fact, I know an L&D professional who always plans innovation days to end an hour before the regular work day as a perk.) If you only have two hours, assess how your topic can be covered in this timeframe, and if not modify accordingly. Extra time you don’t need will make people feel resentful. Too little time on a big topic will make people feel like they haven’t scratched the surface and whatever time they did put in was for nought. Lastly, give some thought to the day of the week the session falls out on. A Thursday or Friday session could have people worrying about finishing other deadlines they have before the weekend, making them less than thrilled to participate.
  3. Make your innovation session walk the talk: An innovation session by name and definition is different from a regular business status  meeting. The danger that lies in these sessions is when in an effort to stimulate creativity they become too gimmicky for anyone to take them seriously. Yet, if it is run in the same dry business-like manner as regular team meetings, it might not be terribly conducive to thinking in new unexplored directions. It’s a fine line to find the right methodologies that will give you the results you need, without making people in the room feel ridiculous, bored, or that they are oranges that need to be squeezed. Ask yourself – would I want to be doing this activity?
  4. Have the right (and the right amount of) people in the room: People are your number one resource. You need their knowledge, expertise, experience, and gumption. But how do you choose who should participate? First, build a heterogenous team that is familiar with the topic from different angles so ideas can be initially evaluated on the spot (without having to keep marking them “ask the guys from engineering” or “ask John” and everyone  is frustrated why John isn’t here).  This will help keep you on target with what can and cannot be done. Second, be realistic about the number of people and personalities you need for this topic and that you can handle. Too few, you may not get a rounded picture; too many can overwhelm the room and no one gets a word in if not managed properly.  And last, mind the balance of the seniority level in the room. You don’t want people to be afraid of voicing their opinions in front of others and things are left unsaid.
  5. Menu: It is well known that I would do anything for a donut. Get your people fed! At the end of the day it’s these little things that we look forward to and make us feel appreciated. It’s also hard to think straight if you’re hungry, so set people up for success.
  6. Follow up and communicate – Set yourself a monthly reminder to update the participants how the project is doing. This will keep you accountable, all while showing your gratitude to the people who took time to participate. (You don’t want someone greeting you by the water cooler with  whatever happened…?) When the project is implemented you can celebrate it. Should it get shelved, you can provide an explanation and what you’ve learned from it. People will appreciate hearing directly from you and not  through the grapevine.
  7. Do some internal reflection: After the session, give yourself feedback on how it went. What went according to plan and what went less well than expected. Were you happy with the participants? Was the timeline realistic? What would you do the same in the future and what would you change?

 Innovation sessions have so much riding on them to begin with. If you can get a group of fresh, eager, positive faces to participate, you’re halfway there already.

Nurturing Dialog: 5 Techniques for Creating Productive and Inclusive Discussions

Published date: August 17, 2023 в 10:34 am

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Category: Innovation,Innovation Facilitation,Methodology

How do you get people to speak up? Not just to share their opinions, but to share true thoughts, pleasant or otherwise?

During a training session, my mentor, Idit Biton, raised a problem with the team and asked for solutions. This was met with awkward silence and nervous glances all around. Idit gave me a look that said – “watch this”: She divided the group into pairs and gave them seven minutes to discuss and suggest a solution. On her go, the room was abuzz.

Hello?? Clearly people had what to say. So what makes someone who has an idea, suggestion, or helpful criticism clam up?

  1. Fear of public speaking – To quote Jerry Seinfeld – “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking” (and if you’ve never seen that bit of his, you’re in for a treat).
  2. Uneasiness from people in the room (either their teammates, subordinates, or supervisors. Even walls have ears.)
  3. Worried that what they are about to say will sound dumb/haughty/baseless
  4. Just plain shy. Some people turn red when all eyes are on them and they want to avoid that if they can.

If it’s your role to get input – whether as team leader, problem owner, or facilitator – you need to help get the voices out in the open. Not all who participate in your meeting or session is a natural public speaker.

Here are 5 techniques guaranteed to get people talking and sharing:

1. Dividing into pairs/trios/groups: As I shared in my story above, the talking started to flow as soon as people were divided into pairs.

Benefits:

  • You can try out your ideas and suggestions on one person which is much less intimidating than the whole group;
  • You get immediate feedback from your partners (thumbs up, thumbs down, or areas that should be polished);
  • There’s more confidence when presenting since the suggestion was liked by all partners who now stand behind the idea;
  • Only one person actually has to present;
  • Can weed out the so-so ideas and comments by having teams present their favorite, and saves time since only need to present once if both partners share the same sentiments.

2. Writing ideas and thoughts down on a piece of paper/notepad/document.

Benefits:

  • Everyone has time to gather their thoughts independently;
  • Writing things down gives people the opportunity to see how it will sound outside their head, helping word it in a way that makes sense to others;
  •  No need to actually present as they can be collected – whether placed around the room for people to peruse or just for the eyes of the person running the meeting;
  • It can be anonymous if need be. (Yes, sometimes you really need to know who said what, but that’s your future problem. First get people to spill.)

3. Using a template/model for people to arrange and share their thoughts. For example – one of my favorite models is Edward De Bono’s PMI – Plus Minus Interesting, which is used to generate discussions around the positives, negatives, and interesting parts of an idea or strategy.

Benefits:

  • Not everyone knows where to begin. A template helps guide thoughts productively;
  • Not everyone feels comfortable sharing criticism – depending who’s in the room or to be thought of as a team player. Having everyone use the same language puts everyone on the same page and provide insights from different angles;
  • Helps steer the conversation -A friend confided in me that during meetings she feels she either says nothing or talks forever. A template keeps people on point.

4. Give info in advance – make sure everyone knows what the meeting is about and what their role is in it.

Benefits:

  • People aren’t put on the spot and have adequate time to prepare;
  • If it’s not a forum they feel comfortable with they can discuss alternatives or opt out.

5. Speak to people in private – With some folks, no matter what you do, you know they won’t say everything in a public forum. If their opinion matters to you then it’s time to go one-on-one.

Benefits:

  • They can feel comfortable to share the good, the bad, and the ugly;
  • They will feel valued that you sought them out to hear what they have to say, and respect their comfort level.

These techniques can be used individually or together. You know your people, and if not – time to learn your audience. Mix and match away so that you get the valuable input you desire.

The Top Ten Soft Skills for Innovation

Published date: October 19, 2022 в 8:43 pm

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Category: Innovation,Organizational Innovation

All roles in the company have a set of desired hard skills and soft skills required to make it a success. Do you have such a list for your innovation roles? Hard skills refer to task related knowledge needed to perform duties effectively. Soft skills are personal qualities that can take this knowledge to the next level. For example –  you give innovation courses. You make sure your employees have robust knowledge in innovation methods. But what are the abilities needed to make sure that all this gets put into actual and lucrative practice?

 Here are the top 10 soft skills people need in order for innovation to thrive:

  1. Tolerance to ambiguity – The ability to take leaps of faith and not have all the answers immediately. There are many points in the innovation process that require time to work things out. (They don’t call it the fuzzy front end for nothing.) Not everything is clear cut, and not every idea is polished and presentable at first. Innovation requires the ability to patiently put the pieces of the puzzle together or wait for them to fall into place, and not disregard or shelf initiatives because the value isn’t staring you in the face from the start.
  2. Accountability – The ability to stand up for and/or behind something. To-do lists need to be made and followed up on, resources and budgets need to be spent wisely, updates and explanations given. The sense of accountability guarantees that the ball doesn’t get dropped.
  3. Vulnerability – The ability to put yourself out there. In a previous blog post about vulnerability, we talked about how no vulnerability=no creativity. Innovation requires us to put ourselves in risky situations where things may or may not work out, people may say yes or no, things may flop –and with all that – still have the courage to stick our neck out.
  4. Teamwork – The ability to work with people. It takes a village to get a new idea off the ground. Engineers, marketing, HR, scientists. You need to be able to play nicely with others and not tick them off. You also need to be able to inspire your project group to function as a team, ensuring everyone has a say and preventing individuals from taking over.
  5. Cheerleader (e.g. positive attitude, enthusiasm, motivation) – The ability to keep the energy going and things moving forward. Troops need to be rallied, hurdles overcome, and an abundance of positive energy to get buy-in to ideas. It’s the ability to prevent yourself (and others) from getting disheartened when processes drag out longer than expected, and to self-motivate when things seem at a standstill.
  6. Active listening – The ability to hear people out and help them form their thoughts into coherent concepts that can be acted upon, noticing what’s being said and what’s the elephant in the room. Innovation processes involve people, and each one will have their ideas, opinions and areas of expertise for how things should get done.
  7. Critical Thinking – The ability to process information, sifting the good ideas from the bad. This skill also includes prioritizing, where to put efforts, and how to make things work (and when to call it quits).
  8. Communication skills –  The ability to articulate to others your vision, keep superiors and teammates updated with your progress, and making sure everyone directly or indirectly involved is speaking the same language as you.
  9. Flexibility – The ability to roll with the punches. Innovation projects often evolve when the original circumstances, resources, and legislation change. As more or new information comes in, you need to be able to pivot as necessary, and switch to Plan B or C.
  10. Problem Solving – The ability to spot and troubleshoot issues as they surface without giving up or tanking the whole project. Not being afraid to ask for help of experts if needed.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: What Are the Sources of Your Confidence?

Published date: July 6, 2022 в 4:48 pm

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Category: Innovation

Do we talk enough about imposter syndrome?

I remember the first time I facilitated a live innovation session in front of clients. I had been at my company for quite a few years by then, and had been wing-man in dozens of such sessions. I had been rigorously trained for this. I was dressed for the part. On paper I was ready, but I was shaking in my boots. The session was going well overall, when suddenly one of the participants steered the conversation towards more loaded areas. Like a deer caught in the headlights, it was a sink or swim moment for me. Since running for the hills wasn’t an option (sadly), I had no choice but to keep plunging forward, thinking that at any moment they will read me like a deck of cards. (Afterwards, when the session ended successfully and my breathing resumed to normal, I certainly felt like kicking myself for all the drama I worked myself up over nothing.)

Classic imposter syndrome anyone? Imposter Syndrome is when a person doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments, and has a constant fear of being exposed as a fraud.  A person believes that they’ve succeeded by luck, not because of their talents or qualifications, and that one day – everyone will know that they don’t really have what it takes. It’s hard for them to internalize and own their successes. While any person in any field can experience this, I find that in innovation it’s worse since there’s already added skepticism to begin with.

According to the HBR, Imposter Syndrome disproportionately affects high-achieving people, who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments. At first it was believed to be more common in women, but further research has shown that it affects men and women equally. So if you’ve ever felt that you’re not good enough at work, you’re certainly in good company.

 

Basically we’re dealing with a psychological state, where it’s in the person’s mind.  In general, people have a fear of failure hanging over their heads, so coupling that with imposter syndrome is enough to squash anyone’s self-confidence. And the question that begs is, how can we overcome so that we’re not debilitated by it? Yes, it is plausible that there was an element of luck somewhere in the process in which you’ve been chosen for the role you fill. But more likely it was your qualifications, and now you need to remind yourself of what they are. These are what we call The Sources of My Confidence. Here are five buckets that you can dip into, to help you answer the negative voices in your head (adapt as needed):

  • Past successes – Think of roles that you’ve filled successfully, projects that you are proud of, sticky situations that you’ve solved, deadlines that have been met, and achievements from working with or leading a team. You’ve done it before – you can do it again!
  • What you bring on a personal level – You have life and professional experience when approaching a task or interacting with people. You are educated – whether due to a university degree and courses, or “street smarts” and know-how gained from your own curiosity and thirst for knowledge. You have an individualized skillset – quick thinking, problem-solving, sensitivity to others, and eloquent. You know how to talk to people and you’re easy to talk with. You’re likeable.
  • The organizational umbrella – You have access to your company knowledge base (materials and such). You have people to consult with and throw ideas around with. There are learning opportunities in the company of which you can take advantage.
  • What you bring as a member of the team – You have the trust of the team/organization in selecting you for this role.  You have people to support you and who look to you for support.
  • The process – You follow tried and true company processes and protocols that lead to success. Here’s a shout out to my fellow Innovation Managers and iCoaches – It can be a super daunting role since innovation requires tolerance to ambiguity and you never know for certain what will come out of a session or a meeting. So remind yourself – you are guiding people through a process that you believe in and that works. You are involving intelligent people, and therefore, even just having a regular discussion in a room will yield results.

 

Imposter syndrome does have an upside to it. A good friend, who is VP Product of a large startup says that she (and her other successful siblings) suffer from it tremendously. However, instead of having it get them down, they use it to push themselves forward. They find it makes them work harder, learn more in order to prove to themselves and “others” that they can really do it. At the end of the day it’s making them more successful. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

WFH, WFO, or Hybrid – The Guide to Finding Your Sweet Spot

Published date: June 16, 2022 в 3:44 pm

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Category: Organizational Innovation,Strategy

Are you team WFH or WFO?

 

I worked from home long before it was considered fashionable, much to the jealousy of my friends and family. Little did they realize that they would join me quickly and abruptly. In just two years the pandemic has expedited WFH, with 70% of the U.S. workforce working remotely in mid-2020, compared to only 2% prior. Everyone remembers stories of corporate CEOs packing up their desks as they paved the way to a new era, without any plan in place. It was a sudden cold turkey move, with the reality and regulations of the time leading the decision making. As time progressed and everyone caught their bearings, new working models, technologies, and support systems evolved. The benefits of these new working models were quickly noted, and included a combination of expected and unexpected advantages. Now, even with the lifting of all social distancing and Covid regulations, companies are not quick to rustle their troops back into the office and are now adapting to find the model that works best for them.

The concept of WFH is being promoted top down and bottom up in organizations. On the one hand companies are noting a reduction in overhead due to releasing office space, and on the other hand employees needs and motivations around work have changed, and they are demanding continued flexibility post-pandemic. According to Accenture’s Future of Work Study 2021, 83% of employees prefer a hybrid work model. And as companies want to attract and retain the best talent, the WFH policies are now becoming part of the competitive job market.

 

While there used to be two clear camps – WFO or WFH, a new player has entered: Hybrid. So first thing first – let’s make some order amongst the different types of working models. Like you can’t walk into a Starbucks and just ask for coffee, saying hybrid nowadays isn’t clear enough with all the options. The Pumble blog has identified different types of working models, that run the gamut from full WFO to full WFH:

  • Fully in office – Everyone is in the office full time, no remote option.
  • Office-first (remote-friendly) hybrid model – Employees come to the office most of the time and with an option to work remotely a fraction of their working time (usually 1-2 days).
  • Partly remote hybrid model – Some teams are fully remote (e.g. content team), whereas others are office-bound (e.g. the HR department).
  • Flexible hybrid model –  Employees have the flexibility to choose when they want to work from the office and when from home or elsewhere.
  • Choose-your-own-adventure hybrid model – The company provides multiple work models and employees decide on one of the offered work arrangement options and stick to it.
  • Remote-first hybrid model – Remote work is the default, yet the company still maintains some office space so that people can occasionally go to the office. (All operations and policies are in alignment with remote work)
  • Fully remote model – The organization doesn’t have any office spaces or headquarters and everyone works remotely.

 

Believe me, there’s for sure even more sub-models. So with so many options, what’s the best way to choose what’s right for your company?

 

I suggest considering four factors:

  1. Employer preference: What management style do you have in your company and what type of working model can it support?  What do you feel would contribute more to the productivity and culture of your company? Is one model more cost effective for the company? Where are your employees located geographically and does one model support them better than another
  2. Employee preference: How do people feel they work better and more efficiently? Is there a consensus amongst employees’ desires? Remember, people who live in closer proximity to the company location may feel differently than people with a larger commute. People who live alone may prefer the quiet set up of their homes, whereas people with large families or roommates may favor the solitude provided at the office.
  3. Types of projects: Think of the types of projects people work on in your company. Do they require equipment that can only be found in the office or can it be available at home? Do they require collaboration in real-time and space or not? (And if so, can technology help overcome?) Are there different roles/projects that have different requirements?
  4. Flexibility: Are you looking for a one size fits all model? Or are you willing to offer flexibility on choosing a model based on a personal or department level? Do managers have any leeway in making their own decisions for their team?

 

Once you’ve worked out the model for your company, remember to treat this as you would any “startup” in your company. Create an official policy so everyone will be aligned, and KPIs to monitor and measure the model’s success. There will probably be a need to pivot from time to time as you learn. But if this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that things can change in an instant.

 

Nurturing the (Potential/Jaded/Allstar) Innovators in Your Company

Published date: June 2, 2022 в 4:32 pm

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Category: Organizational Innovation,Strategy

I adore a good scent. Give me hand creams, candles, soaps, lotions smelling of sandalwood or citrus and I am hooked. Therefore, you can imagine my excitement when buying a new plug-in for my guest bathroom. The excitement lessened when I realized that the safety cover protecting the outlet from moisture prevented me from plugging it in properly. Too lazy to go downstairs and rummage in the toolbox for the right screwdriver, I took the discarded cap from when I opened the plug-in and shoved it on top to hold the safety protector up so the scent could flow freely. Frankly, I didn’t think much of it until my guests happened upon it and they were enthralled, to say the least. “That’s such a great idea!”, they exclaimed over my contraption, “We have one too and couldn’t figure out how to keep it up!”

I found their reaction rather peculiar. Was it really that creative or innovative?

Judging by the looks on their faces, this actually was a very BIG deal. Certainly to them, where it was plain that they had been grappling with this issue for some time. And there I went and solved it in less than two seconds. What they wanted to know was – what made me think of it? The fact is, having been involved in innovation consulting for almost two decades, modes of thinking like this have become second nature, without my brain announcing what it’s doing. Nonetheless, I took the opportunity to share with them the Closed World Principle, which could explain the rationale behind my MacGyver-like solution. (I’m happy to explain more about this to those who are interested, but as this is not the topic of this article, we’ll be moving on now.)

Minds were blown. And I have to say I found their enthusiasm refreshing. Where so many people view innovation as a buzzword, standing before me were highly intellectual professionals who just went through an eye-opening experience and wanted to learn more.

What would you estimate is the percentage of these wide-eyed, eager to learn-and-apply people in an organization? High or low? I recently came across an article in the HBR that stated that although innovation is still one of the top agendas for companies, and innovation skills are ranked high in employee reviews, most employees hate innovation to the point of eye-rolling (or worse). But, given the fact that there are about 70,000 books on innovation, as well as other gripping statistics regarding the amount of websites and methodologies, we can conclude that there are still people like me and you (presumably because you’re reading this) that find innovation fascinating, exciting and constantly evolving.

So we see that in every organization we have three types of people: The Untouched, The Uninspired, and the Unfaltering. Here’s a breakdown of each group, what characterizes them, and what they need to be successful:

  • The Untouched – These are people that have somehow fallen through the cracks. Whether because they are new to the organization, their roles don’t directly align with the company’s innovation goals, or their direct manager doesn’t engage them. If innovation is part of your company agenda, these people are part of your target audience. Perhaps they are not directly developing a new product, but you still want them to learn skills to solve their own “plug-in problem” with efficiency. They need skills. An enthusiastic thinker can offer a fresh perspective even if the topic doesn’t pertain to them per se.
  • The Uninspired – These are people who are already involved in innovation processes to some degree. They may have received minor or intense training. However, the spark has gone out, due quite possibly to the overuse and generalization of the term innovation (I’ll try not to count how many times I’ve written it myself in these paragraphs). Or perhaps due to many initiatives not seeing the light of day. And of course, there’s the risk aspect – with already full plates, why would anyone want to take a chance on an extra-credit project that might fail? These are all issues that can and should be addressed. We need to reignite the passion. Whether it’s by letting go of the term innovation and breaking it into clearer goals, introducing new methodologies and tools, and most importantly – crafting your organization’s answer to the question of “What’s in it for me?”
  • The Unfaltering – These are your black belts. These are the people that drive innovation processes forward. They understand the potential that is waiting to be uncovered, and they are excited to be a part. They know it works and that it will work, no matter the topic, no matter the challenge. The danger is if these people switch to the “Uninspired” group. What this group needs are resources – time, budget, and people. They need continuous recognition for themselves and their efforts.

How would you estimate the breakdown of these groups in your company? Which group is the largest? The size of each group determines the level of enthusiasm for innovation in a company overall. As time evolves, the numbers can shift. Each group can become larger or smaller. Once you leave the “Untouched” group you never go back, yet it’s possible to travel back and forth between “Uninspired” and “Unfaltering”. Having this division in mind can help you discern the steps you need to take to make innovation bigger than a buzzword.

WORK – LIFE TRADEOFF

Published date: May 26, 2022 в 4:36 pm

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Category: Organizational Innovation,Uncategorized

I hit the jackpot. A good friend had a four-day company retreat at an ocean side resort and invited me to be her plus one! Calendars were blocked, plans were fashioned, daydreaming of sun and poolside drinks were kicked up a notch or ten.

And then, horror of horrors – we didn’t get a room. We missed the sign-up. We weren’t going. (Apparently those in the know wait for weeks anticipating the retreat and click refresh to not miss a spot.)

A well-meaning person suggested that since we already cleared our schedules, we might as well still vacation elsewhere. Um, yeah, right. We both knew that would never happen. The magic was gone. Now it’s not because the original was an all-expense paid vacay. I certainly can pay my own way. So why is it when the dates are set in stone we have one foot out the door, whereas when it’s a “just because” situation we are so reluctant to ask for time off?

Perhaps the voices inside your head sound like this:

I. I don’t really need a vacation.

Denial. And it’s not just the river I almost went swimming in. When we want to book a vacation for no apparent reason other than just to relax, we’re quick to make ourselves feel frivolous for even thinking of such a thing.

II. I have too much to do.

Me? Vacation? I really can’t. There’s so much going on at work. No way could I go now. That would be irresponsible. Unfair to my team. Can’t leave them to pull my weight.

III. It’s better to go at another time.

Vacation now? Why would I go now? We’re in the middle of X/Y/Z. We’re about to launch (fill in). Doesn’t make sense to go now. Might as well go when I’m less busy.

IV. Something will come up.

It’s not worth booking. Something is going to come up (as it inevitably always does) and I will have to cancel. Why bother getting my hopes up when I know it’s just not going to happen. This leads me to the next point —

 V. Easy cancellation policies.

No down payment. Cancel within 24 hours. Redeposit miles. It’s so easy for us to be committed and non-committed at the same time. And everyone knows, we’re always searching for an excuse to back out (and wondering who will back out first).

Yes. These are all excuses. Some realistic, some less. The point is – how do we convince ourselves that we are worthy of saying “taking a break is a good thing” and asking for time off? Not when it’s at the point that we are falling apart and obviously need one. But where we can, legitimately, on a regular Tuesday say: I need time away. Taking a breather and disconnecting will propel me forward.

Once, during a particularly large wave of maternity/paternity leaves, a colleague with grown children commented that he envied having a few months away with total disconnect and then returning with a fresh perspective.

 Adam Grant, Organizational Psychologist at Wharton has said:

“In toxic cultures, being a workaholic is normalized and sacrificing sleep is glorified. The best way to get ahead is burnout. In healthy cultures quality of life is expected and having a life is celebrated. You’re encouraged to put your well-being above your work.”

Having the Vulnerability to Innovate

Published date: May 4, 2022 в 4:14 pm

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Category: Innovation,Organizational Innovation

“The secret killer of innovation is shame” – Brené Brown

Given my “slight” infatuation with Brené Brown, it’s comical for me to think that I almost didn’t watch the first video of hers that I encountered. She was speaking to teachers. I’m not a teacher and therefore was wary of how it would be relevant to me. But having heard her name floating around I pressed play, only to realize that it was a 20-minute video!! But as they say – in for a penny, in for a pound.

And that’s how I found myself hearing her say these words:

“No vulnerability, no creativity, no innovation”.

Have 20 minutes ever gone by so fast?

In case you’re unfamiliar, Brené Brown, is a Social Researcher in the area of vulnerability and shame. She defines vulnerability as “uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure”. Her research, even without strictly focusing on innovation, sheds so much light on what prevents innovation from thriving in companies.

Think of the innovation processes in your company, and how many stages a person has to go through in which they render themselves vulnerable:

  1. Taking the time to work on an unknown outcome innovation instead of the pile of work on their desk
  2. Taking a leap of faith in getting an idea off the ground
  3. Presenting an idea to management
  4. Answering nay-sayers who doubt you and/or your work
  5. Using budget and resources without a guarantee of ROI
  6. Enlisting the help of others
  7. Accountability (for the project outcomes, for managing the project properly)

The list goes on.

But in order for innovation to happen we have to go through these stages, and therefore need to stick our neck out there.

But really, no one likes to be vulnerable.

 Now why is that? Brené’s answer – shame. “Every time someone holds back on a new idea, fails to give their manager much needed feedback, and is afraid to speak up in front of a client you can be sure shame played a part”. We have a deep fear of being wrong, belittled or feeling less than other people. And this is what stops people from taking risks.

But if innovation is what we’re after, then we got to get people on track: vulnerability -creativity – innovation.

So how can we encourage people to take that first step – vulnerability?

  • The Institutional Yes (Amazon.com) – Usually when someone has a new idea, they must prove to the manager why they think the idea is a good one. The Institutional Yes shifts the responsibility to the manager, by having the default answer of the manager be YES. If the manager wants to say no, they are required to write a two-page thesis on why they think it’s a bad idea. In terms of helping with vulnerability, if the manager can’t prove his poor opinion of the idea, the accountability is now shared for this idea.
  • Kickstart Innovation Workshop (Adobe Systems) – The Kickbox is a small, red cardboard box containing $1,000 in seed money and everything an employee needs to generate and prototype an idea all the way to selling the idea to management. The idea behind the Kickbox is that instead of funding a few big ideas that do get presented, the budget is spread out to potentially find the big ideas that usually go unpresented. Anyone in the company can obtain a Kickbox. Results need to be shared, but there is no deadline when they need to be presented, and more importantly in terms of vulnerability, no judgment if their Kickbox bet doesn’t pay off.

These next three examples address vulnerability by embracing outcomes, even if they were not the desired ones:

  • Heroic Failure Award (Procter & Gamble) – This award honors the employee or team with the biggest failure that delivered the greatest insight. As Nelson Mandela would say, this award demonstrates “I never lose. I either win or learn”. After all, crossing off something that didn’t work and understanding why, gives room to then find what needs to be fixed /pivoted to work the next time.
  • Dare to Try Award (Tata Group) – This award is given to ambitious projects that didn’t materialize due to any number of factors – cultural issues, technology, inability to commercialize. Yet, it recognizes that someone allowed themselves to be vulnerable enough to try, and therefore can now teach us what doesn’t work.
  • Wall of Shame (3d signals) -The Wall of Shame, located in a central part of the company, acknowledges employees who were voted in for saying something spectacularly, well, thick. The CEO of the company, Ariel Rosenfeld, says the wall helps people not take themselves too seriously, and realize that we’re all human, and everyone makes mistakes. To date, the company’s CTO holds the record and has just had his 5th saying hung on the wall.

These examples obviously are not intended to just reward failure because they “tried”. Rather it’s to show people that when they are willing to make themselves vulnerable, we’re willing to help them take sensible risks, and that there is just as much that can be learned from success as there is from failure.

 A last piece of advice from Brené for the road – In order to develop manager’s abilities to cultivate an openness to vulnerability in their teams, they need to allow themselves to be vulnerable as well. They would lead by example and demonstrate that the picture of the leader needing to know all the answers is no longer the case. In reality, we’re all in this together.

The Five Drivers Behind Food Innovation

Published date: April 8, 2022 в 4:34 pm

Written by:

Category: Innovation,New Product Development

One of my best friends, Rosa Seidenwar, is a pastry chef, food photographer, and stop motion artist. This gives me many perks, especially when a new recipe is in the works and I get called upon for my taste testing skills. Yes, it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. As I nibbled, taking in all the flavors and textures, I couldn’t help but marvel. Even with the colossal amount of food items, recipes, cookbooks, food blogs, food shows, restaurants, delivery methods (did I leave anything out?) – people are still able to come up with something new! And what’s more, consumers aren’t ready to say – Thank you! We have enough! In fact, according to a study by NielsenIQ, a third of Americans are actively looking for new products to try. Which makes product innovation still a lead runner for food corporations, as opposed to, say, taking a year off and just focusing on productivity (same study states that 30,000 new products are launched each year in the consumer packaged goods industry). Having worked with food corporations in the past and seeing their modes for launching innovations, I was curious to also hear Rosa’s take, as representing the personal brands rising in the industry.

 So if food innovation is your bread-and-butter, here are five drivers that keep product innovation going at such an intensity:

  1. Technology: New technology is affecting practically every aspect of the food industry – whether it’s the ingredients themselves (think cell-based meats), the equipment used on manufacturing lines, and kitchenware readily available and affordable to the regular consumer. This can deliver a whole slew of products that consumers can try out, whether because they can be manufactured, or because they can now be tried out at home.
  2. Digital: Apps and social media have changed the way we interact with food altogether. Whether its tracking calories, scanning QR codes on labels for the history of a food product, and the constant picture-perfect meals uploaded to insta, keeping up with the Jones’ has reached new heights and consumers are demanding products that meet these needs.
  3. Trends and lifestyle: I hate to use the C word, but Covid has changed a lot about how we connect with food. Whether it’s dining-in, family oriented meals, meals that are experiences, the food industry picks up on these trends (and other non-C related ones) and will create new products or adapt existing ones to suit. Working from home requires less products suited for eating on the go and gives rise to products like subscription boxes for creating meals at home. We see global trends such as sustainability affecting how ingredients are used and used up. And of course, while healthy eating never goes out of style, the introduction of new diets (Keto, Whole 30) also spark interest in new food items to match.
  4. New ingredients: The introduction of new or lesser used ingredients like monk fruit, microalgae, etc. (remember when spirulina was new?) or finding new uses for favorite ingredients like chocolate, peanut butter, and yogurt to fuel the inspiration for new products on the market. The motion for reducing waste and upcycling food leads to creativity in using previously overlooked by-products in new products.
  5. Your “Secret Sauce”: This last point is what gives each brand their exclusive drive. Ultimately, the food industry is made up of people, whether it’s one person in their home business, or teams of people in a large company). Each person involved in the food industry has their own unique offering and passion that they bring with them. It could be their experience from working in the industry or on a certain product line, the training they received at culinary school or degree in food science, or their market knowledge. It could be on a personal level such as affinities for fair trade, use of specific ingredients, risk taking, simple vs. complex flavors, specific cuisines. The combination makes up their secret sauce for what drives their creativity. You can look at this on a broader level, as what is each company’s secret sauce? What are the resources and strengths and cumulative experiences that can inspire?

So which is the biggest driver for you? The upside is, these drivers are very much connected. Ingredients can lead to products that establish behaviors. Behaviors can influence which ingredients are used. Technology can feed into trends that lead to products, and so forth. So once you get yourself onto one, you can always follow the arrows to the other.  But your “Secret Sauce”? No one can follow that but you.

Four Ways A Common Innovation Language Improves Your Business

Published date: March 16, 2022 в 4:17 pm

Written by:

Category: Innovation,Organizational Innovation

Over the weekend, I was talking to a good friend who has a VERY IMPORTANT job. Big startup, lots of awards – you know the kind. We caught each other up with the goings-on at our respective workplaces. When I shared I was writing about companies having a common innovation language, she responded with “A what?” and a blank look. I realized if this topic was ambiguous even to my friend with the VERY IMPORTANT job, then this was a subject that needed addressing.

The value gained from having a Common Innovation Language (CIL) is because:

  1. You have one
  2. It’s common
  3. It’s for innovation
  4. It’s a language

 Let’s dig deeper:

 Having: Having a common innovation language means that there is a defined, thought-out framework for how people work and innovate. This provides an overarching structure, what’s in and what’s out. There are a lot of options (method, terms, etc.) when it comes to innovating. If you specifically want people to use one innovation methodology over another, having a CIL reflects that wish. ‘Having’ also reflects on the present – something that is current and updated as needed, therefore making it useful (as opposed to something drafted five years ago with no connection to present company practices).

 Common: A common language is common for two reasons: Everyone shares the same language, and it’s prevalent amongst employees. This helps people work together more efficiently and provides clarity regarding what’s being asked of them. I.e. there are different types of prototypes. Imagine you asked for one and it took 3 months to develop, when you had in mind a simple sketch. Ouch. Or if you say MVP and someone is thinking about last night’s baseball game. Well – you get the picture. So if you have an innovation language in your company, but it’s not common, you’re missing out on all it can deliver. There’s even an emotional aspect – no one likes to be left out of a conversation or think there’s a secret language! A CIL contributes to feelings of camaraderie when working on a shared goal. So if you really expect everyone to innovate, make sure they know the jargon to do so.

Innovation: Companies have common languages, but is innovation one of them? The vast terminologies associated with innovation have made it into a sub-language of its very own. Although there is crossover and borrowing from other fields, they are used differently in the context of innovation (think Agile, Lean, Sprint, etc.). A CIL lets people align around the specific methods, processes, deliverables, roles, and responsibilities that you want people to use.

 Language: People need to have a way to communicate, period. It’s all good to want innovation in your company, but folks need something more than “that thing that we do”. A CIL provides ease of working together and speeds things up. When a term is used, everyone knows what they need to get on, without having to constantly explain the why, what, and how.

Your CIL can keep expanding over time. How you choose to share it can be through ‘word of the day’, during onboarding, or even have a glossary in your knowledge management system. (I’d love to hear your ideas!) The bottom line, the importance of having a CIL is that it shows respect for both the intricate innovation initiatives in your company and the people who make it happen.

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