Getting to Innovation: How Asking the Right Questions Generates the Great Ideas Your Company Needs

Getting to Innovation: How Asking the Right Questions Generates the Great Ideas Your Company Needs

by Arthur B. VanGundy
Released July 2007
Publisher(s): AMACOM
ISBN: None

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Book description

Getting to Innovation

  • How to write positioning and rationale statements for each challenge

  • How to link together multiple objectives in priority frameworks

  • The top 10 techniques for generating creative ideas

  • Tips for designing and running brainstorming retreats

  • Advice on how to select the best ideas from the many that have been generated

When it comes to true innovation, it's not formulating the great ideas, but asking the right questions that will ultimately lead to results. Getting to Innovation offers the tools to help every company tap into its most inspired thinking.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
    1. Dedication
  2. Preface
    1. Note
    2. Endnotes
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. I. The Frame Game
    1. One. Framing Innovation Framing: An Overview
      1. “That’s the Way We’ve Always Done It!”
      2. “Let’s Try Something Different!”
      3. The Paradox of Paradox
      4. Ideas in Search of Problems
      5. “Framing” Framing
      6. The Importance of Framing Innovation Strategically
      7. Innovation Strategy vs. Tactics
        1. Strategic Objectives
        2. Tactics
        3. Strategy
      8. Initiating Strategic Decision Making
        1. Innovation Frames
        2. Conceptual Framing Maps
      9. Framing Innovation Challenges
      10. Notes
    2. Two. Question Banks: Understanding the Strategic Terrain
      1. Question Banks (Q-Banks)
      2. A Step-by-Step Guide to Q-Banks
        1. 1. Generate a List of Questions
          1. A Sample List of Q-Bank Questions
        2. 2. Send Questions to Stakeholders
        3. 3. Analyze and Summarize the Results
        4. 4. Send Results to Stakeholders
        5. 5. Send Final Results to Client
      3. Note
    3. Three. Challenge Banks: Generating Innovation Challenge Questions
      1. Challenge Banks (C-Banks)
        1. 1. Turn Q-Bank Responses into a C-Bank
          1. Sample Questions
        2. 2. Send Challenges to Stakeholders for Review
        3. 3. Do You Want to Revise the Challenges?
        4. 4. Select the Final Challenge
        5. 5. Send the Final List of Challenges for Ideation
        6. 6. Analyze the Results and Send to the Client
        7. 7. Client Approves the Results?
        8. 8. Select the Priority Ideas
      2. Note
    4. Four. How to Write and Evaluate Innovation Challenge Questions
      1. Criteria for Evaluating Innovation Challenges
      2. Relatively Simple Challenge Framing
      3. Moderately Complex Challenge Framing
      4. Complex Challenge Framing
        1. Reviewing Additional Framing Examples: Financial Services
        2. Writing the Challenge Briefing Document
      5. Preframed Generic Challenges
    5. Five. Constructing Conceptual Maps for Innovation Challenges
      1. Mind Maps, Concept Maps, and Strategy Maps
        1. Mind Maps
        2. Concept Maps
        3. Strategy Maps
          1. Example #1: A Concept Map in the Nonprofit Sector
          2. Example #2: A Concept Map from External Sources
          3. Example #3: Constructing Tactical Concept Maps
      2. Notes
    6. Six. How to Conduct Innovation Challenges
      1. The Types of Innovation Challenges
        1. Competitive Challenges
        2. Noncompetitive Challenges
      2. Preparing for Innovation Challenges
      3. Conducting Innovation Challenges
      4. Working Through the Stages of Innovation Challenges
        1. Idea Crossing’s Process
        2. Imaginatik’s Process
        3. Jenni Idea Management’s Process
      5. Notes
  5. II. After the Game
    1. Seven. Idea Management and Creativity Software
      1. The Evolution of Idea Management Systems
        1. Singular Focus on Specific Idea Campaigns
        2. Customizable Idea Capture Forms
        3. Customizable Evaluation Criteria
        4. Collaboration and Idea Sharing
      2. Idea Management Software Programs
        1. BrainBank
        2. Brainline
        3. BrightIdea.com
        4. Challenge Accelerator
        5. Goldfire Innovator
        6. i-Bank
        7. Ideabox
        8. IdeaCentral4.0
        9. Innovator
        10. Jenni
        11. NextNet 3.0
        12. Spark and Incubator
      3. Notes
    2. Eight. A Crash Course in Generating Creative Ideas: Individual Methods
      1. Idea Generation Techniques
        1. Individuals vs. Groups
        2. Related vs. Unrelated Stimuli
        3. Free Association vs. Forced Relationships
      2. Individual Techniques Using Related Stimuli
        1. Assumption Reversals
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Improve a Refrigerator?
        2. Attribute Association Chains
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Encourage Employees to Stop Throwing Litter on Company Property?
        3. Exaggerated Objectives
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Encourage Employees to Submit Ideas to Improve Our Company?
        4. Relational Algorithms
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Improve a Portable Radio?
        5. Reversals
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Encourage Managers to Attend a Management Development Seminar?
        6. Two Words
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Reduce Conflict Between Two Departments?
        7. Word Diamond
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Encourage Employees to Clean Up Their Work Areas?
      3. Individual Techniques Using Unrelated Stimuli
        1. Analogies
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Reduce the Number of Employees Who Leave Our Organization?
        2. Attribute Analogy Chains
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Improve a Filing Cabinet?
        3. Modifier Noun Associations
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Improve a Portable Radio?
        4. Product Improvement CheckList
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Improve a Flashlight?
    3. Nine. A Crash Course in Generating Creative Ideas: Group Methods
      1. Brainstorming Techniques
        1. Force-Fit Game
        2. Gordon/Little Technique
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Improve a Portable Radio?
        3. Object Stimulation
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Reduce the Number of Employees Who Leave Our Organization?
        4. Picture Stimulation
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Sell More Floor-Care Products?
        5. Semantic Intuition
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Encourage Employees to Stop Throwing Litter on Company Property?
        6. SIL Method
        7. Split-Brain Comparisons
          1. Sample Problem: HMW Improve a Flashlight?
        8. Trans-Disciplinary Analogy
      2. Brainwriting Techniques
        1. Brainsketching
        2. Brainwriting Pool
        3. Collective Notebook
        4. Gallery Method
        5. KJ Method
        6. NHK Brainstorming
        7. Nominal Group Technique
        8. Pin Cards
    4. Ten. Tips for Designing and Facilitating Brainstorming Retreats
      1. Obtaining Buy-in from Stakeholders and Upper Management
      2. Selecting an In-House Coordinator
      3. Managing Expectations
      4. Assessing Creativity Readiness
      5. Creating an Idea Generation Agenda
      6. Selecting a Location and Room Setup
      7. Choosing Retreat Participants
      8. Assigning Participants to Groups
      9. Establishing Ground Rules
      10. Controlling Pacing and Timing
      11. Evaluating Data
      12. Developing Action Plans
      13. Planning Postretreat Activities
      14. Conducting and Facilitating Problem-Solving Retreats
    5. Eleven. Evaluating and Selecting Ideas
      1. Evaluation vs. Selection
      2. Basic Guidelines
        1. 1. Assess Participation Needs
        2. 2. Agree on a Procedure to Use
        3. 3. Preselect Ideas
        4. 4. Develop and Select Evaluation Criteria
        5. 5. Choose Techniques
        6. 6. Evaluate and Select Ideas
      3. Technique Descriptions
        1. Advantage-Disadvantage
        2. Battelle Method
        3. Electronic Voting
        4. Idea Advocate
        5. Matrix Weighting
        6. Nominal Group Technique
        7. Reverse Brainstorming
        8. Sticking Dots
    6. Twelve. Implementing Ideas
      1. Importance and Nature of Implementation
      2. Change and Implementation
      3. Implementation Guidelines
      4. Implementation Techniques
        1. Potential Problem Analysis
        2. Copycat
        3. Five Ws
        4. Flowcharts
        5. PERT
        6. Time/Task Analysis
  6. Bibliography

Product information

  • Title: Getting to Innovation: How Asking the Right Questions Generates the Great Ideas Your Company Needs
  • Author(s): Arthur B. VanGundy
  • Release date: July 2007
  • Publisher(s): AMACOM
  • ISBN: None