Natural Innovation is the process that has often been unconsciously stifled by organizational cultures emphasizing uniformity and conformity. Watch any group of 2 year olds and you'll see "Natural Innovation" in action. Where does that go as we grow up? Regardless, the Innovation Lab brings it back!

Workshop Details

WHAT: A pragmatic, 3-day cross-functional team program designed to elicit innovative product and/or service ideas and taking them from idea to model.

WHY: Companies and organizations continue to lament the lack of innovation and creativity offered by their workforces. This Lab offers a re-usable practice and reinforcement system to further encourage "natural innovation."

HOW MANY EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE? Thirty is a good number. More important than the number is the spread of status, responsibility, tenure, gender, etc. This Lab epitomizes diverse action.

At the end of this 3-day process, participants leave with a decision-ready model for their organization to use, moving forward.

Who should use this experience?

• Companies that feel stagnant or dead
• Companies in which traditional requests and/or directives are not prompting innovative gains
• Companies in which there is a consistent failure to meet established goals
• Companies looking to sell…not because this is their strategy…rather, because they feel they have few (if any) other options
• Companies whose longtime Clients/Customers are leaving
• Companies for which talent retention is becoming (or has become) a true source of concern

Sample Innovation Lab Agenda

This is a 3-day, 2-evening intensive experiential process for up to 30 participants

Prior to team selection, agreement is reached on 3 touchpoints that, if met, will result in adoption of innovations created and presented.

DAY 1 - Focus is Idea Generation

• Participants are freed to entertain innovative ideas re: products and services
• The formal first day closes with definition of most productive/profitable ideas

Team dinner follows

DAY 2 - Focus is refining the previous day's innovative ideas

• Begins with review of renderings depicting the ideas perceived as most innovative (and with the greatest effectiveness/profit potential)
• In the middle of this day, a "poke holes in this idea" session leads to 3 teams' analysis of:
  1. Culture and Values Fit
  2. Financial Fit
  3. Long-term and Short-Term Strategy Fit
• Decision is made re: most innovative and effective idea(s)

Team dinner follows day 2

Day 3 - Focus is on testing previously-agreed-upon

Thinking and definition of forward process consideration turns to:

• Process
• Resources
• ROI
• Communication

• Participants select a team of 3 to hear the presentation they constructed
• Presentation is delivered and "The Ask" put forth