Lessons from Innovation Hub

Lessons learned from
The Innovation Hub
Compiled for Kaos Pilots - Sept 2009

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

rory@thecreativityhub.com @roryoconnor
©2009 www.thecreativityhub.com

Wednesday, 4 November 2009

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

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



OVERVIEW

Check-in & Learnings Debrief
Intro’s

you are
here!

Building a
The better
Innovation Innovation Hub
Hub



INTRODUCTIONS

hi my name is...
and...

Rory's Story Cubes


CHECK-IN: WINDTUNNEL

1 question + 6 minutes - 3 points =Windtunnel

listener
speaker



The approach
I would take
in forming an team
of ‘Innovation Agents’




3 minutes to each share your 3 key points



swap roles...

...and repeat



the story behind...

can you see
the people?



If only more
people thought
like me!
me



me...again I will lead
them to the promised
promised land! land



you need an we need an
Innovation Hub! Innovation Hub!



INNOVATION HUB: STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

PREPARE THE GROUND
Assess alignment and support of
Senior Management
SEED - Recruit participants from
diverse range of levels/roles
Bear Fruit Re-Seed
NURTURE & GROW - Receive ongoing
training and one-to-one coaching
BEAR FRUIT - Apply learning through
solo and group innovation projects.
Nurture & Grow
Focus is on solving existing work-
related challenges and creating larger
Seed business related innovations
RE-SEED - Innovation Agents work
towards creating a culture of
Prepare innovation, by forming off-shoot
the Ground
Innovation Hubs


A SELF-REPLICATING MODEL

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



RECRUITMENT POSTER

START A Join us and become
an Innovation Agent!

REVOLUTION !
THEY CAN’T MEAN ME. FINALLY!
I NEVER HAVE ANY A CHANCE TO STRETCH
I’M FED UP TRYING
ANY DECENT IDEAS. MYSELF, AND SHOW
TO MAKE CHANGES
WHAT I’M CAPABLE OF!!
AROUND HERE.

I NEED TO FIND
MYSELF SOME
WORK-LIFE BAL ANCE!

the
innovation MONDAY 23rd OCTOBER @ 10AM
hu b , 1PM & 5PM. Join us in LOCATIO
learn how you can be part of a un N for 60-MINUTES and
ique team tasked with KICK-STA
REVOLUTION in Citigroup. You wi RTING an INNOVATION
ll receive special training throug
coaching. If you can’t wait until h group and personal
MONDAY, contact SEAN MEHIGA
N (ext. xxxx)to learn more.

(it was never used!)


Dec 2006, over 50 expressed interest in joining


In Jan 2007, 24 people signed-up


yippee!

Every Agent received an Innovation Agent Toolkit
containing tools, techniques and worksheets


?

Epicure 7

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


121 staff
p.2 231
Author: Creovision
Current Reality Tree
"Why do managers not have the
resources to manage?"
Version: 4.0
But that’s just
Page: 1 of 4

how things are
turnover rises

120 staff become 419 managers
demotivated become
demotivated
119 staff are not

118 staff do not
228 from p.2
properly managed
415 managers do not
have time for all
necessary training

from p.4
p.4

around here!
receive feedback 117 managers are
on performance not up to date on
staff development 116 managers are not 122 It takes time for
meeting their objectives managers to answer
of managing people queries from team in
relation to career

416 managers take a
114 managers do not have 115 less than 50% of staff
reactive approach to
time for informal one-to- appraisals are completed
appraisals & goal setting
ones
from p.4
p.3 415 306
402 managers see that
their own managers are not
307 113 managers do not effectively managing own from p.4 from p.3
p.4
have enough time for p.4
subordinates
managing people
415
416 from p.4
407 managers focus on
112 managers end up completion of tasks
covering gaps in the team
from p.4
232 harder to 110 limited growth 111 there are
attract new staff capacity built into teams headcount constraints
from p.2
109 staffing growth plans p.2
not always effective
407 managers focus on
completion of tasks 102 214

from p.4

106 cost controls act
105 business strategies do to constrain growth 108 we generally only
107 only hire if we
not always predict the full capacity act in response to
get the business
impact on organisation client requests

(33 of 35)
= Undesirable 104 business focus is on
103 some areas of
Effect (Primary) 102 Headcount is a satisfying existing
organisation are
primary measurement clients first
generally reactive to
= Undesirable tool for cost control business environment
Effect (Secondary)

223
100 budgets define expectation 101 local business
around business growth and environment is
cost control constantly changing

(34 of 35) (34 of 35)

Agents created Current Reality Tree to map out
complex challenges facing managers.
Issue was considered too big to address. ©2009 www.thecreativityhub.com


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 ©2009 www.thecreativityhub.com


There are 2 Innovation Agents currently active


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


Hmm? I guess that
you’re feeling pretty
exasperated?

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


how do we turn this
into a win-win?

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


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



get s
tar ant
ar ticp
p

got these
wanted these



often looking through
very different lenses



We MUST
(appear to)
Innovate!!



We need to identify Can we not just get
our Vision, Mission started? I’ve another
and Aim meeting at 14:00



Allowing staff time
for Innovation
is vital to growth



So. who’s taking
responsibility for
this project? umm.
I have to go



You really Yes! I really
want access? want access

Stay
Out!



I’m a proud
member of the What a pack
Innovation Hub of losers!



me



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


xxx has an effective team of
Citi
participants are Innovation Agents
not confident in by December 2007
ability to
Author: Rory O'Connor generate
Contributors: Neil McKenna, Marie Geraghty, Innovative Ideas existing
Juan Rio Salvadore, James Nolan commitment by
Technique: Prerequisite Tree group to deliver
Objective: Map out obstacles and intermediate 'Big Innovation'
objectives for redirection for Innovation Hub by December
focus training on we do not have
Version: 1.0 some participants in teaching creative any 'Big
Date: 1 Aug 2007 iHub are not interested problem solving & idea deliver one 'Big Innovation'
No of Pages: 2 in learning new idea generation techniques Innovation by December ideas to choose
generation or creative organise optional sessions off- meeting from
problem solving site and outside work-hours environment does
techniques not encourage
creative thinking
a Big Innovation
participants focus on takes months/
Ask participants to generating innovative years to
choose if they would ideas implement
rather focus on projects session is not
Using sessions
or learn techniques long enough to there are 5
for project
really teach learn months to
meetings is not
techniques December
effective use of current subgroup
vary technique sessions
time projects are not
in length and/or split
across multiple session Participants schedule complete
schedule weekly
time between sessions to
2-hour sessions organise additional Idea
projects are completed practise techniques
separate from technique Generation Events offsite some particpants
sessions with Rory see completing
projects as core
start support forum in iRoom to part of iHub
discuss techniques, provide
participants
guidelines, and sample establish buddy system
working on group size
scenarios for how to use for practice between
projects still participants do affects the
techniques outside of sessions sessions
need to use not practise level of
creative problem between learning projects are
solving for sessions not providing
Attendance at sessions 'innovative'
project-related
voluntary solutions
issues
iHub is
secondary to
participants core
responsibilities Develop metrics to
Offer to facilitate sessions only take place if evaluate projects
problem solving around participants Agents are there is 3 or more people
specific project-related do not use missing out on attending
participation in all learning
issues when requested iRoom
aspects of iHub is part of techniques
appraisal process participants catch up participants
Establish reward system upload sessions into
with buddy between don't always
for Agent support/ iRoom as Audio Files
sessions turn up not all projects
contribution in forums Direct are progressing
working on projects managers do outside of iHub
alone will develop not see direct sessions
innovative mindset needs someone
relevance of
leading to 'gap' to record the participants pre-book
iHub
between Agents sessions attendance at sessions
Direct Managers
embrace ideology of Rory records sessions there is no
Schedule sessions on change,
iHub central
creativity, innovation & human Direct managers calendar
development geared towards are focused on
projects solving
immediate
participants use challenges
techniques between
sessions to solve job-
related challenges potential create a session calendar in
resistance from iRoom
managers for
generating
solutions to 'their Rory does not
Managers contribute challenges have access to
'Challenges' to iHub
iRoom
participants
prefer to focus
on 'Big
Innovations'
show participants how
solving core-job
problems is linked to
Follow-up with Annette
'Big Innovations'
to arrange access to
iRoom

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


LEARNINGS

Aha! I know
exactly what
needed to happen!

hindsight is a wonderful thing!


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 wins
from the nearly there!
Innovation Hub?
um...yes!

Identify a more senior champion to ‘run defense’


&

Know when to stand firm & when to be flexible



DEBRIEF: WINDTUNNEL

1 question + 6 minutes - 3 points =Windtunnel

listener
speaker


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



A CHALLENGE FOR YOU!
No! No! No!
You’re doing it
all wrong!



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 & Duration
Content of program
Outputs
Resources Required



To Learn more

Email rory@thecreativityhub.com

Follow @roryoconnor
Visit www.thecreativityhub.com



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