Innovation Training
Best for teams who:
Need help cultivating an innovation mindset; focusing on curiosity and embracing failure
Struggle with the “but that’s how we’ve always done it” mentality
Need more practice being flexible and agile
Are looking for help to get started on their innovation journey
TEAM EXERCISES YOU CAN LEAD
30 mins; 5 min video + discussion
Communication: Speaking for Impact
Group size: 1-100
Why: Storytelling is critical for innovation professionals, learn how to maximize your effectiveness with some advice from Frances Frei
How: Share with the team and have a group discussion after or share with team members who might be struggling with speaking skills
Stay Curious (1 hour; 20 min video + discussion)
Group size: 1-100
Why: Curiosity is the most important skill for innovators. Learn from Emma Mcilroy, founder of Wildfang, how to keep that mindset going.
How: Watch as a team and have a group discussion after. Suggest start using “yeah, maybe” regularly in meetings going forward
People are the Most Critical Element to Innovation
innovation isn’t just about being creative or having great ideas, it’s about simplifying the unnecessarily complex and having an open mind to a set of diverse ideas that really moves the needle. Tiffani Bova explores the importance of diversity in innovation.
Format: Article
Suggested Use: Assign as reading before a meeting and discuss.
Total Time: 30 minutes
Group size: 1-100
Failure Spectrum
Not all failure is the same. This spectrum outlines the range of “blameworthy” failure to “praiseworthy” failure in an easy to grasp visual.
Format: Image
Suggested Use: Share with the team before starting a project or after a project has “failed” to spark a discussion.
Total Time: 20-30 minutes for discussion
Group size: 1-100
Culture Canvas
Starting a new project can be daunting and kicking it off with structure can be extremely helpful for teams. This tool walks you through how to get everyone the same page from the start.
Format: Tool
Suggested Use: Facilitate either virtually or in person a session to complete the culture canvas together
Total Time: 2-3 hours
Group size: 1-10
The Lean Startup
A crash course in innovation methodology; applying lean manufacturing techniques to innovation.
Format: Book
Suggested Use: Either read as a leader and share back with the team or propose a book club to read the material together and discuss what you’ve learned and how to use it on your team.
Total Time: 20-30 hours
Group size: 1-10