The Urgency of Innovation - Where to Begin?

A recent report titled, Innovating for Growth, published by Vistage, emphasized the importance of innovation for businesses of all sizes. All organizations share the constant threat of being disrupted or suddenly outdated. The growing uncertainty is enough to keep business owners tossing and turning in their sleep wondering what might come next.

Focusing on innovation is no longer something a company should do, but something all companies must do. Thinking proactively and preparing for different scenarios is a matter of survivability. In a changing economy that leaves so much of our future to the imagination, business strategies must be hyper-focused and business owners hyper-aware. Those that wait to invest in creative thinking and innovation may find themselves struggling to stay afloat.

Implementing an innovation engine into an existing organizational structure may be overwhelming, especially when meeting performance deadlines and daily operations are treated with more urgency. The right injection point can vary depending on the business model and driving circumstances.

Human-Centered Design offers flexibility in getting started. Here are a few options that have worked well for our clients.

1. HUMIIN Innovation Summits - Get the conversation going internally by inviting select experts and internal leaders to a one-day summit that evaluates business opportunities through our proprietary HUMIIN lens. HUMIIN is a comprehensive framework that addresses all aspects of experience from emotions to technology and psychology to biology. Intersection organizes an insightful and informative space for leaders to speak freely, imagine wildly and plan aggressively. (Read more about HUMIIN.)

2. Insight Tours - Identify what competitors are doing, where there are emerging opportunities, and look to other industries for inspiration. Step out of your daily box and get an in-the-field, insider look at how other companies make it happen.

3. Sprints - Invigorate your team by taking a deep dive into a complex problem and solving it together. A SPRINT is typically a five-day intensive exercise that focuses on a specific challenge. This is a fun way to test the receptivity to new behaviors, align teams and celebrate new ideas.

4. Lighthouse Visioning - Take a step back and build a timeline of where you have been and where you’d like to go as an organization. This is an exercise highlighting key milestones and leaves leaders with a tangible vision poster to share with your stakeholders.

5. HCDi Implementation Program - Go for it! Build out an entire implementation plan using Intersection’s Human-Centered Design Innovation (HCDi) framework. Together we craft the internal support system needed to sustain innovative practices in any size business.

Contact us for more information on any of these services or to discuss your specific needs in a brief, consultative call. Intersection offers a variety of customizable services.

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