Project Leader:  The “Energy Source” & Leader of the Innovation Project.

Project Leader is the role that is both the most fun and the most work in the process.   They provide the energy, vision and direction for the project.  The project leader is the “hub of the wheel” connecting to all of the departments, team members and resources (inside and outside the organization).  The role is modeled after the P&G Brand Manager role of the 70’s and 80’s and Toyota’s Chief Engineer role for new vehicle development. Project Leaders lead the project and are responsible for making the multitude of technical and business tradeoffs.  

Among the tasks for the Project Leader are:

1.  Keeping the Focus on the Purpose:  With the mountain of changes, issues, adjustments necessary to take an innovation to market it’s easy to lose sight of the purpose of the project.  This purpose is generally embodied in the customer problem that the innovation addresses.  Great Project Leaders keep the focus on the purpose by getting and staying personally close to the work and close to the problem.

2.  Managing Tradeoffs to Maximize Meaningful Uniqueness:   For innovations to be successful there are inevitable tradeoffs that are required.  Tradeoffs need to be made on the customer/problem, the promise, the product/service.   The tradeoffs are often driven by feasibility or financial issues.   It’s the Project Leader’s job to manage these tradeoffs in a manner that maximizes meaningful uniqueness rather than compromising to mediocrity.

3.  Be the Energy Source For Action:   Projects start with great excitement.  As challenges arise it’s common for projects to stall and energy to die.  It’s the role of the Project Leader to be the energy source for pushing the project team and the project forward.  Project leaders rejuvenate energy by having a bias for action and learning.  They are the one who is driving something to be learned each week, every week.

Traits of Great Project Leaders

Passion for the Project and/or the Innovation Process:  Innovation projects experience lots of ups and downs.  To maintain momentum the project leader must have a personal, intrinsic passion for the idea.  We’ve also seen success with Project Leaders who though they don’t have a particular passion for the idea itself - they have a deep love for the process of turning innovations into reality. 

Multi-Tasking of Project Details & People:  Innovation projects that succeed require an ability to manage multiple details and people.  The rapid changes and tradeoffs require an ability to deal with multiple inputs in a calm yet focused manner.

Willingness to Confront Reality & Know when to Let Go:   The Project Leader needs to be one part cheerleader and one part truth teller.   They must be willing to confront the facts - learn from them - and adapt the innovation in a productive manner.  Importantly, they need to be willing to let go of ideas, concepts and approaches when they are not in the best interest of the achievement of the purpose of the project.



Management Coach:  The “Reality Check” for the Innovation Project.

Management Coach is the hardest and most important role in the Innovation Engineering process.  The role is hard because of the responsibility to bring truth and reality to the dreams of the Project Leader.   The role is important because without the Management coach providing guidance and perspective the project will often run into a challenge in the future - when it’s too late to make changes to adapt for it.

Among the tasks for the Management Coach are:

1.   Be Honest:  It’s the Management Coach’s job to tell the truth and nothing but the truth about the death threats that the project faces. It’s about identifying the critical issues that - if not resolved - could result in the project failing.  The truth must be told with clarity and without ego or personal attack.   Being honest means saying you “don’t know” when you don’t.  Honestly is not always easy to hear or give.  However, “tough love on death threats”  -- early in the process -- when the team still has the time, energy and money to adapt their idea - prevents many failures & increases odds of success.

2.   Be Helpful: Great Management Coaches are “coaches” not ‘judges.”  They encourage and nurture instead of judging and deciding.  They frame their ideas and advice in a way that empowers Project Leaders to come to the right decision themselves instead of dictating decisions. The Management Coach has a responsibility to use his or her wisdom, experience, contacts and influence to help the Project Leader.  It doesn’t mean doing the work - rather it’s about providing advice and assistance to increase odds of success.

Traits of Great Management Coaches

A True Understanding and Appreciation for “Reality”:  Management Coaches need to have a true understanding of what is possible and not possible for the organization.   This includes an understanding of strategic, financial and executional capabilities plus constraints.

They Can Balance Both Left Brain DISCIPLINE with Right Brain CURIOSITY.  Great Management coaches provide an honest, ego free “Reality Check.”    Great Management coaches have a genuine curiosity about people, projects, ideas, technology and customers.

 They Know...“They Don’t Know”, “They Need Help” and “They Fail A Lot”:  With Great Management Coaches, the more they learn the less they believe that they know all the answers.   They are not bothered by making mistakes.  Where others become defensive and emotional - great Management Coaches bring calm by encouraging the participants to step back and look at the broader systemic realities.

Process Coach:  The Process Navigator for the Innovation Project.

The Process Coach provides guidance and advice to the Project Leader AND the Management Coach as they lead the innovation project.  The Process Coach remains emotionally independent from the project.  He or she is responsible for keeping the Innovation Engineering Labs project acceleration portal up to date.  When possible - Process Coaches are Certified Innovation Engineering Black Belts - with advanced training and tools. 

Among the tasks for the Process Coach are:

1.  Hands On Help With Ideas, Writing, Math & Experimentation:  The Process Coach is responsible for helping the team translate their ideas into a tangible form.  They are relentless in using writing, math and experiments as a way to think deeper about ideas.   Great Process Coaches have a bias for action.   Even when they don’t know what to write - or how to do the math - or how to run an experiment, they have a bias for trying and learning - instead of being crippled and frozen by fear.

2.  Drive For Meaningful Uniqueness:  As projects proceed -- and the participants get tired - it can be easy to lower standards and accept “good enough.”  The Process Coach’s job is to keep a relentless focus on Meaningful Uniqueness of the customer promise and the product/service/process offering.   To do this, they ask honest questions like “Why should I care?”  --- “What facts do we have that back up this decision” --- “How can we learn more?”  --- “What can we do fast and cheap to get smarter?”

3.  Be the Bridge Between Management Coach and Project Leader:  The Process Coach will at times need to act as translator between the Project Leader and Management Coach.  The best Process coaches spend 50% of their time coaching the Management Coach and 50% coaching the Project Leader/Team.

Traits of Great Process Coaches

They see PROCESS as a Means for Accelerating - Not Constraining - Action:  Process Coaches are deep into process - documentation, methods, systems - as a tool for accelerating not constraining action.  They trust the Innovation Engineering process. They know that 5 minutes of documenting today - pays triple digit dividends later.  They know that doing the math and the writing is the fastest, cheapest form of prototyping on earth.

They Can Balance Both Left Brain DISCIPLINE with Right Brain CURIOSITY.  Great Process coaches provide an honest, ego free “Reality Check.”    Great Process coaches have a genuine curiosity about people, projects, ideas, technology and customers.

They Know...“They Don’t Know”, “They Need Help” and “They Fail A Lot”:  With Great Process Coaches, the more they learn the less they believe that they know all the answers.   They are not bothered by making mistakes.  Where others become defensive and emotional - great Process coaches bring calm by encouraging the participants to step back and look at the broader systemic realities.

Bill Conway was THE Fortune 500 CEO responsible for the adoption of continuous improvement in America.  Bill was the first business leader to suppor the new “field of study” that is known today as Total Quality, LEAN and 6-Sigma. 

Bill was the first CEO to embrace the teachings of Dr. W. Edwards Deming.   As Bill told me last year, “I was all alone.  I called other CEO’s and they said they didn’t have a problem with quality - they didn’t understand why Dr. Deming mattered.”

Bill also transformed the direction of the Innovation Engineering movement.  I had the honor to spend  a couple hours with him last year and it transformed my thinking.  I’ve pasted below my notes from that meeting. 

HOMEWORK:  Your homework for 2012 is to LEAD your organization, department or life as Bill did.  

The time for Reigniting American Innovation & Growth is now - 2012. 

The time for leading the creation of a Sustainable Innovation Culture that Increases Innovation Speed & Decreases Risk is now - 2012. 

If you are WILLING - we (myself and the NIST/MEP, U Maine and Eureka! Ranch Innovation Engineering Black Belts)
will make you ABLE. 

To get help call me directly at 513 271-9911.  

There are no excuses - as Dr. Deming said "you don't have anything more important to do" 

Doug

How the Quality Revolution was Created

This reviews the learnings from a meeting with Bill Conway the Fortune 500 CEO who was instrumental in igniting and creating the Quality movement with Dr. W. Edwards Deming in the early 80’s.   

The meeting was with Bill and his daughter Mary Jane King, current CEO of Conway Management, to learn his perspective on how the quality revolution started - what worked and what didn’t.   The reason for my interest is that today, with the help of NIST/MEP of the US Commerce Department plus other governments - we are engaged in a quest to start a similar revolution focused on Innovation. 

Background:  In the early 80‘s, USA manufacturing was facing increased competition from Japan and the far east.  After World War II Dr. Deming, an American Statistician, was sent to Japan to teach them how to improve product quality by using statistical process control, the scientific method (Plan, Do, Study, Act) and by focusing on improving the total manufacturings system as opposed to blaming the workers.  

Bill Conway, CEO of Nashua Corporation met Dr. Deming when he was in Japan for a meeting with Ricoh.  Bill brought Dr. Deming back to the USA to work with his company.  This developed into a long alliance.  Bill’s boardroom was the scene of the first meeting between Dr. Deming and the big 3 US auto makers. Nashua corporation was featured in the NBC White Paper Production If Japan Can Why Can’t We?   When Bill retired as CEO, he created a company called Conway Management - teaching the Deming system to hundreds of thousands around the world.  

The foundation of the early Quality movement was a 3 or 4 day “deep dive” workshop lead by Dr. Deming, Bill Conway and others.  These events featured up to 400 people and were held nearly every week.  The purpose was to educate business leaders in a new way of thinking about manufacturing and to give them the tools to implement the Deming philosophy.  

First Impression - ABSOLUTE CONVICTION

The first impression from Bill is an aura of ABSOLUTE CONVICTION.   Even at age 84 his absolute belief is clear and persuasive.  He told me that this was critical for success.   As CEO he was advised by Deming that it was Bill’s job to make the company commitment.  Bill explained to his company staff, “This (Deming Continuous Improvement) is not a consensus decision. We are going to commit to it - commit to changing how we work.  You are going to do it or you will not be working here.”  

Talking with Bill you get the impression that to him quality is not a task or a job - it’s a religion, and he believes in that religion with his heart and soul.  Nothing is more important.  Bill told me the story that on one of Dr. Deming’s visits he told him he would miss a morning meeting because of a previously booked appointment.  Dr. Deming scolded him “You don’t have anything more important to do.”   Bill cancelled his meeting. 

Bill told me that changing the organization’s mindset was his #1 job.  As CEO he estimated he spent 40% of his time - every day, every week, every month for years - teaching, advocating and encouraging organizational adoption of Dr. Deming’s teachings. 

Success Principle #1:  Working on the Right Things

Bill explained that the first role of leadership is to make sure everyone is working on the right things.   I explained that many companies are currently focused on cutting costs because their offerings were perceived by customers as commodities.   Bill’s response was clear and direct, “Then they are not working on the right things.  They have to stop working on reducing cost and start working on innovation.” 

I explained that it was hard to convince them of this.  His response was clear, firm and direct “then they’re stupid.”   

Hearing an 84 year old man say “then they’re stupid” in a loud and firm voice was a bit shocking - even if it was a true statement. 

I gently challenged him on his directness. He then went on to explain that Dr. Deming was very impatient and sorrowful.  Sorrowful that he was unable to save every company.  Sorrowful that he could not get through to every leader.   Impatient to get to those who he could convert as companies in the early 80’s were dying very fast.  Bill explained that they would teach the importance of focusing on quality/ continuous improvement twice and if the leader didn’t get it - and I quote Bill directly “then to Hell with them.”  Many CEO’s felt insulted by his and Dr. Deming’s directness (or rudely honest words) however, given their absolute conviction they moved on, without regrets, to those who were willing to learn and apply. 

Success Principle #2:  Leaders Getting Close to the Work

Bill was very clear that one of the big problems with most companies is that the leadership has become separated from the real work of the company.  They don’t fully understand the reality of the challenges that workers face.  

He advocates leaders spending time on the front lines learning the work. To quote Bill directly, “The bosses need to get close to the work.  The work of Sales. The work of Manufacturing.  The work of R&D.  They need to fully understand the causes of the worker’s challenges.”  They can only do this when the SEE, FEEL, TOUCH and EXPERIENCE the REAL WORK.  You cannot get it from meetings, reports or Powerpoint presentations.  This is reminiscent of Deming’s famous statement that 94% of the problems are due to management - because only management can change the system.  

Success  Principle #3:  Offer Amnesty & Admit Failure 

When the leadership learns a new process it’s common for flaws in past decisions to be revealed.  Bill found that it was effective to offer Amnesty and forgiveness for all past mistakes.  He also encouraged the CEO to take responsibility for the past failures.  CEO’s were advised to say “I am the problem because I am responsible for the company’s systems and I am working to change.” 

Success  Principle #4:  Target Audiences CEO’s and Points of Light 

The primary marketing system was to talk directly to CEO’s.  The conversation was a serious one focused on the cold, hard reality of the situation.  CEO’s were contacted directly and through connector referrals from organizations and other CEO’s.   

The conversation with CEO’s was a serious conversation about the reality of the economics and challenges of the marketplace.   Messages that they found persuasive included: growing profitability, increased job security and making the company a more fun place to work.   One way they would bring the benefit of continuous improvement to life was by asking “how would you like to have less things to keep you awake at night.”  

The secondary marketing approach was through people in organizations that Bill calls “points of light.”   These are people down in the organization who have read Deming’s books, seen the TV stories (If Japan Can Why Can’t We, etc) or heard about the program from a friend.  They are eager learners.  They are passionate about studying and taking action on quality / continuous improvement. 

Success  Principle #5:  Don’t Waste Time on “Dippers” and “Oxygen Eaters”

“The world is filled with people who waste your time.” Bill said.  The urgency of getting to those who are ready and willing to take action caused Dr. Deming and Bill to be relentless in avoiding two types of “time wasters.”   He defined “Dippers” as those who come to the work shops so that they can say, “I’ve been dipped.” They talk a lot and never take action.   He defined “oxygen eaters” as those who want to hold long conversations about the virtues of the program - asking for details, references, case studies, etc., etc. as methods of delay from taking action.   They seem like they’re interested but in truth they are not.  When they sold the Quality movement - they found that people either “got it” or the didn’t.   Given Deming’s age at the time - the sense of urgency drove them to move on to those who got it.  As referenced earlier - when people didn’t get it they were sorrowful but took an attitude of “to hell with them.”

The One Big Mistake They Made

“Given how obvious and common sense our message was we thought that the change would be easy.  Looking back it’s clear that we didn’t comprehend how difficult change was going to be.   The leaders needed much more training and support than they thought they did and that we thought they did.” Bill explained. “It is such a change they can’t absorb it in the multi-day training - they need more help.”   If Bill was to do it all again he would have put in place more teaching of the tools, application of the tools, support systems and coaching.  In his case Dr. Deming spent 6 weeks a year teaching him all day, every day, even through every breakfast, lunch and dinner.    

To make innovation sustainable we must focus, focus, focus on continuing teaching and coaching.  We must use web social networking systems, web continuing education systems, monthly CEO support group breakfasts, one on one coaching and quarterly update meetings to create support.   We currently offer Eureka! Jump Starts to get companies started on applying the principles.  However, based on Bill’s feedback we are also testing an Innovation Sustainability program of weekly coaching of the CEO for a month followed my monthly coaching at project review meetings for the first quarter followed by coaching at quarterly review meetings of the innovation pipeline for a year.  Bill explained that the core message to leaders should be “Your job is to get better and to help others get better.”   

Closing Challenge from Bill: 

I asked Bill what advice he had for us as we embarked on the journey to create an innovation revolution.  He put his hand on my shoulder, looked me straight in the eye and said “You have to do it.  America Needs it Now.  The country is failing because bosses are not doing the right things. Do it now.  Do it faster.  Have no tolerance for excuses. “

Bottom Line: In the 80’s the need was Quality - today the need is Innovation.  

To make the innovation revolution happen is going to take conviction and dedication - it’s not going to happen overnight.  To summarize

1. We need to have absolute conviction - this is not a consensus decision. 

2. Innovation needs to be the first priority.

3. Bosses need to personally get close to the work of sales, manufacturing and R&D

4. We need to “let go” of past failures and focus on where we’re going

5. Our focus needs to be on the CEO’s first - and the Points of Light second

6. If people don’t get it - we need to move on to those that do.  We can’t save them all. 

7. We must teach, coach and coach on a one to one basis to make innovation sustainable.

OK so this posting is a little long.  That's what happens when I write a blog post while flying from Cincinnati to Seattle to lead a Leadership Institute.  This post covers today's "best practices" for Implementing Innovation Engineering within your organization.  I think the issue is an important one – I hope it helps you.  Sorry for any typos – I’m not the best at editing on screen . 

BACKGROUND:  The changes to the system were sparked by hundreds of pieces of feedback.  For example, at a recent Innovation Engineering Training program there was a debate about what should come first DO versus STUDY.   That is – when it comes to implementing the Innovation Engineering Management System should an organization — Plan, Do, Study, Act?   Or should they Plan, Study, Do, Act?

Leading the "STUDY" then "DO" side of the debate was a pair of senior executives from an organization who urged caution.  To be clear – they weren't against Innovation Engineering – they just had a cautious mindset.   They proclaimed "changing the culture is something we should not rush into" and "before we DO we need to fully understand what we are "doing" and it's consequences."

Leading the "DO" then "STUDY" side of the debate were a diverse blend of old veterans and young people.  They proclaimed "That's our classic approach — study, study, study – let's try something different" and "what's the downside of just getting started?"

As I travel the county -  meeting every day in person or via the blog, idea requests or emails – I've developed some empathy for both mindsets.  I'm not going "soft" but rather I'm gaining understanding that  for many business leaders the idea of changing their culture is very scary.

To help reduce the stress they feel we've been testing a few changes.  Based on the success we're seeing I think it's time to "expand the learning" to the entire Innovation Engineering community.

The three changes are:

1. Start with ACCELERATING a small team of WILLING volunteers:  Instead of trying to change the entire organization start the transition with a small group of WILLING employees who have a passion for innovation.  The purpose of the small group is to accelerate quick wins AND to adapt and optimize the process so that it works for your specific culture.   It's important that the team members be WILLING volunteers so to leverage the power of intrinsic motivation.

Focus initial energy on accelerating existing projects and ideas that the team has but that have not been acted on. (see point #3 below for step by step method).

As confidence builds – we then move from the ACCELERATE phase to the EDUCATE Phase where we involve more employees and managers.   The success of the ACCELERATE stage pulls more volunteers into the innovation process.  Training includes Innovation Engineering Green Belt and Black Belt Training – plus having key employees attend Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute.

After: 1) ACCELERATE and 2) EDUCATE comes the sustaining stage 3) CULTURAL CHANGE.   Here we engage the entire culture (division, subsidiary and/or company).  It involves mass training – and deployment of tools to transform the culture:  a) private Innovation Social Networking Platform, b) Certification of one or more full time Innovation Engineering Black Belts to lead process, c) Systemic systems for continuous stimulus mining, breaking down silos and connecting with suppliers and customers who make up your Innovation Supply Chain.

2. Changes to the Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly Meetings:  In extreme cases we even label each of these meetings as  "study" sessions – to release tension – for those who have concerns about the changing of the culture.  Our latest "best practices" for these meetings are as follows:

Weekly Project Meetings:  The purpose of these meetings is to provide a disciplined structure for increasing speed and decreasing risk.  During the Discovery Stage – the first task of the meetings is to STUDY what has been learned and to make a conscious decision on 1) Should we kill the idea because we have learned something fatal?, 2) Should we recommend the idea for development because all Death Threats are mitigated?, or 3) Should we do a another week of learning?

We then document – PLAN/DO – what we are doing during the next week.

This is a change.  We we started with the Innovation Engineering Management System the deep thinking was once a month. Today we STUDY more deeply each week.  This dramatically REDUCES management stress factor.

ADDITION:  To maintain focus the weekly project meetings are kept focused on project management.   Separate from the project meetings we've added 1 to 4 hour CREATE sessions to problem solve solutions to Death Threats.  These use the complete Innovation Engineering Tool Kit (and Black Belt advanced tool kit) to Create, Communicate and Commercialize ideas.

Monthly Process Meetings:  With the yes/no/learn more decision moved to each week – the monthly meetings have become process improvement meetings.  The focus is on  "what have we learned" from a system/process standpoint during the previous month.  AND, to make adjustments to how we motivate, manage and implement the innovation system during the next month.  By stopping and THINKING we move the focus from the details to the bigger picture system.

Quarterly Growth Pipeline Meetings:  These meetings "connect the dots" between the projects we are working on and the longer term company plan for growth.  At these meetings the Growth Pipeline is compared versus the 3 year goal for profitable growth – in sales and profits – as well as growth in % of sales from New Customers/Markets and % of sales from New Products/Services.

These quarterly meetings reinforce a sense of purpose to the Innovation projects.  They give everyone – employees, managers, management, shareholders – a clear understanding of where we are and where we are going.

HINT: Don't SKIP Monthly and Quarterly Meetings. When you have a motivated project leader the project meetings have lots of energy behind them – and are rarely missed – at least in the beginning.  However, if you're not careful the Monthly and Quarterly meetings can be seen as not as urgent and as a result get skipped. And this is the reason why the Innovation efforts are abandoned – and soon weekly meetings are not held either.

The Monthly and Quarterly Meetings are critical for the sustainable success of the system.  The monthly meetings drive continuous improvement in the system within your organization.  This increases ownership and engagement.. The quarterly meetings move innovation from a "nice to do" to a critical driver of the company's future profitable growth.  They make it part of "what we do" to grow sales and profits.

Given the importance of the monthly and quarterly meetings making sure they happen is the responsibility of company Management.  Project leaders are focused on "doing" – only Management has the bigger picture system view and responsibility.

3. Start with a Focus on REAL Change – SYSTEMIC Change not "magical events": In the past we ran "Innovation Engineering Jump Starts" to spark company momentum.  Sadly, these Jump Starts rarely generated enough momentum to break free of the gravitational pull that exists in most organizations against innovation driven change.  One of two results occurred in 95% of Jump Starts:

a. Ugly Result:  Because most of the people attending the Jump Start were not "volunteers" and had negative attitudes (as shown via the company assessment) the session became a giant "bitch session" where employees complained and/or didn't engage.  At the end of the session they would declare with pride "see I told you so – we can't innovate." If the project was lead by a passionate coach and/or company leader – a project came out of it that was PUSHED through into a month or so of learning cycles. And that was the end of an organized innovation effort.

b. Best Case Result:  The participants were polite and used the session to gain visibility on an idea they were already working on or an existing idea they had not taken action on.  Working on existing ideas is  not a problem – however the fact that the CREATE session resulted in an existing idea being the idea we're working on -  tends to deflate organizational confidence in their ability to innovate.

Today, we no longer recommend starting with a JUMP START.  Instead we have found that it's most effective if we implement the system by ACCELERATING Success with a team of 3 to 8 volunteers over a 3 month trial of the system.  The process begins with a very disciplined 4 week program of meetings and homework:

Week 1 – Documenting Where We Are:  A two hour work session is held to review: 1) Our company Innovation readiness Assessment, 2) Our 3 year Growth goals (we make them up if we don't have them) and 3) The Innovation Engineering Process Coach (Black Belt) teaches everyone how to fill out a "Yellow Concept Card" on all of our existing projects as well as any ideas for growth that we've had but not acted on.   Homework for the week is to write 6 to 12 cards each.

Week 2 –  Thinking Deeper:  A two hour work session is held to review all of Yellow Cards.  Each team member then picks two projects or ideas that are both important for the organization AND that they have a passion for.   The Innovation Engineering Process Coach (Black Belt) then teaches how to fill in the Project Acceleration Portal of Innovation Engineering Labs.com – Customer Concept, Math Game Plan and Learning Plan.  Homework for the week is for each person to DEFINE on Innovation Engineering Labs (or on paper using the Word Document template if your organization is not on the path to becoming an Innovation Engineering Black Belt company.)

Week 3 – Decision Point:  A two hour work session is held to review all of the DEFINE proposals – Concept, Math, Learning Plan.  Then have an honest conversation about the ideas based on the company's current cultural mindset, business situation and goals.   The Management Coach MUST facilitate this conversation . And, must be very Honest and Helpful.  The goal is to decide do we "have ideas" that are worth working on. Or, do we "need ideas" to work on.

If the team "has ideas" (which is usually the case) – then the Innovation Engineering Black Belt helps the team pick two to get started with and the Plan, Do, Study, Act cycles of learning begin.

If the team "needs ideas" – then the Innovation Engineering Black Belt sets up a CREATE project and team members are giving stimulus mining homework.

HINT: Having Ideas in DEFINE sparks continuous innovation and smarter decisions.  When you have a collection of good ideas that have been DEFINED – then you make smarter decisions during your weekly coaching.  You make smarter decisions because you have other options you can pursue if an idea is death threats turn out to be fatal.  Conversely, if you don't have other options – then you tend to force ideas forward by making fatal compromises in the promise, product or math.

Week 4 – Two Options & Monthly Process Meeting:  If we “have ideas” then Weekly Project meeting is held to increase project speed and decrease risk.  If we “need ideas” then a CREATE session is held.

In addition, the first Monthly Process meeting is held to review what have we learned as a team – and what should we do in the next week.  At this meeting one to two CREATE sessions are usually scheduled for the upcoming month – to help problem solve issues with the two lead projects.

The three changes outlined above have made a dramatic difference in the transformation of companies into Innovation Driven Organizations.  Government organizations, Non-Profits and For-Profits are seeing faster and smoother start ups – with less stress.

HOMEWORK:  What have we learned?

Your homework this week is to gather together the team that attended Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute with you and ask "what have we learned since we attended the institute?  What has worked? What hasn't worked?  Then, review the changes outlined above – and discuss if these changes would make it easier for you to be as successful as others have been.

DO IT YOURSELF or GET HELP:  You can do this yourself.  If you have questions or need help – post your questions in the comments to this blog post, or contact us via the feedback link at the bottom of the InnovationEngineeringLabs.com website.

Alternatively – you can get expert help from a nationwide network of certified Innovation Engineering Black Belts or Black Belt Candidates who work under the direction of a Master Black Belts (Maggie Slovonic, Renee Kelly, Maggie Nichols, and or myself).  If you need help connecting to a Black Belt call the Eureka! Ranch at 513-271-9911 and ask for Corie.

More important than HOW you do it is that you JUST DO IT.  In today's economy it's important that every company Increase Innovation Speed and Decrease Risk.  And, the way to do this is through systemic change lead by management not by "beating the workers."   Innovation Engineering is a system for achieving systemic change that works.

It’s been a glorious week.  A week focused on the here and now.  A week looking towards the future.

This week I felt like I was inside the secret building at Apple where the next three years of innovations are laid out.   At Apple their Innovation Pipeline is not a 30 day, 90 day or one 1 year pipeline but rather a 3 year pipeline.  And everything has a looks like prototype built for it.  Jony Ives, Steve Jobs “soul mate” for design describes it this way in the new book Steve Jobs.

The great room is the one place in the company where you can look around and see everything we have in the works.  When Steve comes in he will sit at one of these tables.  If we’re working on a new iPhone, for example, he might grab a stool and start playing with different models and feeling them in his hands, remarking on which ones he likes best.  Then he will graze by the other table, and see where all the other products are heading.  He can get a sense of the sweep of the whole company, the iPhone and iPad, the iMac and laptop and everything else we’re considering.  That helps him see where the company is spending its energy and hot things connect.  He gets to see things in relationship to each other, which is pretty hard to do in a big company.  Looking at the models on these tables, he can see the future for the next three years. 

For 25 years I’ve been on a mission to change the world of innovation.

"¢ To turn the art of innovation into a science.

"¢ To create systems that increase speed and decrease risk.

"¢ To empower the worker and enable the leadership to lead.

It's been a long journey.  There have been great moments and sad moments.  Over the last two years as the Innovation Engineering Institute has come to life with the support of:

"¢ Government (NIST/MEP Network of 1,300 field people)

"¢ Education (University of Maine + 5 other Universities) and

"¢ Industry (Eureka! Ranch and corporate for profit & non-profit clients)

This week over a two day period a group of visionaries from NIST/MEP, the Ranch and the University (I was the link to the University) presented their visions for Innovation Engineering for the next 3 years.  We showed each other "works like" and "looks like" prototypes of the future that are MIND BLOWING.   (Sadly – they told me they want to keep the ideas secret as they have much to do – and they swore me to silence).  We shared ideas for 2012, 2013 and yes even 2014.   We shared ideas for new editions of Innovation Engineering Leadership Institutes, IE Green Belt, Black Belt and Master Black Belt programs, new methods of improving our teaching, new web tools, new web site designs, new metrics systems for reporting impacts, integration with new government services, new sales systems, new tools for helping organizations go even faster with innovation and with less risk.  We even shared a new system for yes — increasing speed and decreasing risk with the ideas that are for 2013 and 2014!!!!!

Together we got a sense of the sweep of all of Innovation Engineering. together we could see where the whole system is headed. 

I am here to report – that the Future is Bright. In fact it’s WICKED GOOD!  This meeting inspired your homework for this week.

Your Innovation Engineering Homework for This Week is Future Mining and Developing  your longer term Innovation Growth Pipeline 

Step 1:  Write your mission.  Mission is your higher purpose.  Your reason for existence.   Note: mission is not a financial goal.  It's not x% increase in sales.  It's not y% increase in market penetration.  For Innovation Engineering it's simple:

To Change the World —- of how people innovate

Specifically – a Sustainable Innovation Management System For Increasing Innovation Speed and Decreasing Risk.

Our method for accomplishing this is by teaching students (on campus, in government and in industry) an integrated system of tools and building within them the confidence to Create, Communicate and Commercialize Meaningfully Unique Ideas.

Step 2: Do some Future Mining  Gather a small group of proactive thinkers (3 to 6).    Note, I'm not interested in any REACTIVE people participating.  Give them the mission in writing and have each of them them do some Future mining.  Talk to thought leaders, do some internet mining, stop and trust your gut instincts about what the future could be.   Download the Future Mining worksheet from InnovationEngineeringLabs.com if you want a more structured approach.

Step 3: Leverage Diversity  Get the small group out of the office – and spend an evening – or half a day thinking about the future.  Again, I'm only interested in having proactive people attend – there will be plenty of time for reactive nay saying later.

Three stimulus prompts for you to ponder:

1. What are ideas that are NOT POSSIBLE TO DO TODAY – but that would create a meaningful leap forward for our mission.  Note, if you can do them today – they don't count.  I'm saying this so to push you towards thinking further out.

2. What are the IDEAL solution to our mission 20 years from now?

3. Assume that your organization has gone out of business.  What is the product, service, customer change, cultural change, government change that caused that to happen?   Then – what could you have done to prevent it from happening.

Talk about the above for 2 hours and no longer.   Then in the next 2 hours – build a bridge from some of the future ideas to today.  Put the idea for the future on the right side of a chart pad or piece of paper.   Then Mind Map back to the left – to today.  What things would you do today to make the future ideas become reality tomorrow?

When you're finished.  Download the Pitch Package – or if your organization is deploying the Innovation Engineering Management System then use the on-line forms and put your ideas into DEFINE.  Define the customer, problem, promise, proof, math game plan and the death threats.

Then, bring together a multi-disciplinary team to review the ideas and pick two for moving into Discovery.

The week after next Maggie and I are in Seattle with the Leadership Institute – December we are in Little Rock

We are close to announcing 15 more dates for the 2012 Edition of Innovation Engineering Leadership Edition.  It’s going to be WICKED COOL.

In addition in January you’re going to see….darn, they made me swear to secrecy …I’m not allowed to tell you what’s coming….:)

Cheers,

Doug

This is THE ROOM where Innovation Engineering took on a new urgency. The scene was a dinner where I was the keynote speaker. I was at a table with a number of company owners discussing innovation. Suddenly, one owner said, "Doug, I don't get it. I don't get innovation. I don't do it. I don't know how to innovate. My people don't know how to innovate. And honestly I don't think my customers are interested in innovation."

UGH!

I was speechless.

In the car on the way back to Orono with Renee Kelley – I was frustrated beyond belief. How can it be so to see? Why isn't it obvious that cheap and cheaper is the path to destruction it's non-sustainable? Why don't they see what's coming? Why aren't they taking charge of their destiny?

The next morning – I was even more frustrated. From the Foster Innovation Center at U Maine I lead a conference call with Renee, Maggie Nichols and Scott Dunkle of the Ranch.

I told the story of the night before and explained that we needed to develop a more comprehensive solution. We can't "assume" that organizations will "get it" if we just give them cool tools for Creating, Communicating and Commercializing.

From the conversation the scope of Innovation Engineering moved from tools to a Management System. A system for leading organizations.

In practical terms – it would be about defining an Innovation Pipeline. The Innovation Pipeline would be a compliment to a company's balance sheet.

Balance Sheet shows the past. Innovation Pipeline shows the future.

At that meeting was laid the plans for what we have today. The InnovationEngineeringLabs portal with Project Acceleration, Idea Requests and Tools.

HOMEWORK: Your homework this week is to spend time thinking about the Very Important Problems and Opportunities for your organization.

Send the following e-mail to 5 people.

To: One of Five people from Inside and/or outside the organization

Subject: 10 Minutes of your time would really help my thinking

Innovation Engineering teaches that we need to stop from time to time to look at the bigger picture issues facing us.

I'd like your help thinking about where we are as an organization and where we should be going. Please take ten minutes to answer two questions based on your opinion.

1. What are the 3 most Important Problems we face as an organization?

2. What are the 3 biggest Opportunities we have as an organization?

There is no need to justify your answers. I'm interested in your gut instincts.

Print out the responses and read them as a set. Then THINK! Mindmap the responses looking for agreements and disagreements.

Finally, gather the team that responded together to share, discuss and learn from one another. From the conversation pick one problem or opportunity to take action on. Create Ideas – and get started driving out fear of action through Fail FAST Fail CHEAP experiments.

WICKED COOL: We’ve set a new record for Idea Requests this week. If you’ve not visited in a while log into InnovationEngineeringLabs.com and post some ideas or post a request of your own. Importantly, our tracking research one year later indicates that those who participate in posting and responding to requests develop greater confidence in their Innovation Engineering skills.

BOTHERED BY ALL THE REQUESTS? In IELabs preferences you can set to get requests instantly – once a day – once a week, etc.

A senior executive told me at the time "who knows we might have one of these on every floor one day."

I replied, "Maybe on every desk."

"Keep dreaming he said."

Dreaming about a better future is the whole ideas behind Innovation Engineering.   But dreaming can be hard.  So I thought I'd let Steve Jobs explain his motivation for change.  It comes from his Stanford Commencement Speech.  It's the motivation that drives true entrepreneurs.  It's the motivation that drives the Innovation Engineering Community of 6 Universities and over 3,000 business people.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything " all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Steve Jobs – Stanford Commencement Address

HOMEWORK

Your homework this week is to think deeply about what is the right thing for you and your organization to do.   THEN GET STARTED!  NOW!

"¢ What would be WICKED COOL?

"¢ What would get you so excited to work on that you could hardly sleep?

"¢ To ensure a 20 year future what must you do NOW!

"¢ To change the world of your industry – what needs to be done?

- If not you?  Who?

Thinking about the future DOES NOT mean  being REACTIVE.  It means being PROACTIVE.  It means LEADING.  As Dr. Deming said.

"Did customers ask for the electric light? No.  They never asked for it, the producer produced it.  No one asked for a car, nor a telephone.  No one asked for a copy machine or a fax machine.  

Innovation does not come from the customers.  Innovation comes from the producer, from people who are responsible for themselves and have only themselves to satisfy."

Steve Jobs felt the same way.    When asked what market research went into the iPad, Mr. Jobs replied: "None. It's not the consumers' job to know what they want."

In memory of Steve Jobs and the Steve Jobs everywhere I'll end with the closing from his Stanford address:

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960′s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute returns to MAINE!

We are in Freeport October 17 to 19.  It's going to be a HUGE Crowd.  There are a few – very few seats left.  It's within a week or so of selling out.  If you want to see the latest (It improves every month) visit www.InnovationEngineering.info

In 24 hours of various meetings I was able to observe how the Innovation Engineering Management System is being implemented.   Here are just 2 of the 12 things I wrote down that I learned this week.

Lesson #1:  To Go Faster – Document Learnings Each Week.  Recall, last week I reported that a year after attending the Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute confidence in Commercialization declined while confidence in Create and Communicate grew.    The research also found that those attendees that use the Innovation Engineering Labs web site to manage their projects (or the Pitch Packet – see updated version inside InnovationEngineeringLabs.com) had the greatest commercialization confidence.

I saw it myself this past week.  I sat in weekly project meetings that were focused on going through the boxes on – customer concept – math game plan – death threats.  These meetings were highly productive.  In one case the company has made more progress in 3 weeks then in the two years previously!!!!!

I also sat in a couple meetings where it wasn't used.  These meetings were far less productive.

GREAT BLACK BELT SUGGESTION:  In one case the Black Belt didn't use the platform because they were working on a marketing message test and she thought it didn't fit – as it wasn't going into Discovery.   I had never thought of that issue.  We talked about it and it was suggested that in the case of Marketing Message projects you should first put them into DEFINE to get ready – then DEVELOPMENT as it is not a project that has "risk or unknowns" rather it is simply something that needs to be Developed.

Lesson #2:  The Power of RESTARTING  I had an opportunity to connect with a great company that is helping us prototype a new Innovation Engineering RESTART project format.

It's a very innovative company that has lost it's way.  As the owner said 3 years ago they were doing great.  Then the economy changed, their customers changed and they didn't change fast enough.

To get them going again he had 5 people from the company work for 5 days with a couple Innovation Engineering Black Belts.  The team worked from 8 in the morning till 10 at night creating, communicating and commercializing ideas.   They ran Fail Fast Fail Cheap cycles that were as fast at 1 hour.  Ideas were created – died – more created – more died.  At the end of the week – the team presented their recommendations for how to grow the company to the CEO – who had not participated in the week.

The CEO said yes to the ideas – and I had the honor of sitting in during the weekly update meeting with their Innovation Engineering Black Belt.   I wish all of you had been there.   It was very impressive to see what these folks are doing.  The Owner and I talked about how great it was to have projects being lead and moved forward by his team – without him.

By the way – the title of this Blog Post comes from the RESTART CEO – he said his company needed the RESTART and the weekly coaching from the Black Belt to "Light a Fire Under Their Butt"

HOMEWORK:

1. Document your learnings.   Take a project you are working on – and document the customer concept, math game plan and death threats/learning plan.   Use either the online or downloadable version inside InnovationEngineeringLabs.com

2. Do a 2 Hour Restart:  Assemble your team and take a death threat and have them find a way to Fail FAST Fail CHEAP in 2 hours.  Have them learn more from others, dig for wisdom on the internet, make it real and run customer research or build a prototype.

I can't wait for this week to continue.  We have the largest ever Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute going on – over 300 People!   As you'd expect – Maggie Slovonic and I have some wicked cool new things we'll be testing all week!

We've come a long ways since that cold and snowy January week at Sugarloaf in Maine.

A recent survey of Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute (IELI) participants – a year later – shows that when companies USE the tools – their overall confidence grows.   This overall growth is combination of growth in CREATE and COMMUNICATE and a minor decline in COMMERCIALIZATION – though still way ahead of where they were before IELI.   (I will address the decline and what we can do to address it next week).

Most interesting of all is the second chart below on the right shows that those who GOT STARTED applying the learning in their business – have grown confidence much more than those who didn't apply it.

Therefore – as we enter into fall - LET'S GET STARTED. 

Your homework this week is to do one of these three things.

1. Post an Idea Request or Respond to one.   You can find them at InnovationEngineeringLabs.com

It's a painless way to get your brain thinking again about Insight, Market, Tech and Future Mining.    You can even download one of the tools – 666, Check List, TRIZ and give one of them a go – to create solutions for the Idea Request presented. Note: On Campus – Students in upper level Innovation Engineering Courses were challenged to use tools in all four quadrants to Create ideas to address Idea Requests.

2. Ask for Help.   E-mail me at DougHall@EurekaRanch.com – and we'll connect you to an Innovation Engineering Black Belt in your area – who will provide you with a FREE half day quantified assessment of where your company is versus proactive growth companies – AND – what you can do to get started on fixing it.  The assessment includes:  1) Confidential Employee Survey in advance, 2) Management conversation on 20 Key Questions and 3) Benchmarking of employee & management results during the half day session.  There is NO OBLIGATION – however, if you want to really change your organization – it's worth at least reviewing the Black Belt's Innovation Engineering Management System program.

3. Do ANYTHING.  A body in motion stays in motion.  Get started on any of the Innovation Engineering Tools you learned.  Call 3 customers and ask them "What would be such a wow you'd be willing to pay more money for it?" or go to the National Innovation Marketplace and review the 1.5 BILLION DOLLARS in Innovation Buying Requests and over $800 BILLION DOLLARS in Innovation Buying Opportunities.

HELP WANTED:  A company in southern Maine is looking for a someone to create and accelerate their Innovation Engineering program.  Contact me at the Ranch for more details.

BIGGEST Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute Yet:  September 26 to 28 over 300 people will attend the largest event yet – in Virginia.  A few seats are still available.

Back to the Homeland:  October 17 to 19 the Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute returns to Maine.  The event is in Freeport.   Visit InnovationEngineering.info for details

Good Luck!

Doug

1. I Don’t Know (meaning you are open to learning more via stimulus mining)

2. I Need Help (meaning you are open to asking for help, to diversify your thinking with those inside and outside your organization)

3. I Love to learn from failing (meaning you live Fail FAST Fail CHEAP every day)

OR as YODA would say to Luke Skywalker

Great success will be when you embrace 3 simple things…

1. I not know…Hmmmm

2. Help, I need help

3. I Love Fail FAST Fail CHEAP Yesssssss

The barrier to these three simple things – I don’t know – I need help – I love to learn from failing – is the unhealthy EGO.  We find  a healthy ego – when we become aware that opening ourselves up – is actually a sign of strength – not weakness.

When we embrace learning we actually become smarter.

This process starts with open sharing.  Sharing of our fears – successes – failures – personal thrills.

Innovation Engineering HOMEWORK for this week

Your homework this week is to "try" the three secrets.

Step 1:  Admit "I Don't Know"

This week admit you don't know something.  Then become a learner.  Start with the Internet – the answers to most of the world's problems are there – you just need to be open to learning.

Step 2:  Admit "I Need Help"

This week admit you need help.  Then diversify your thinking by asking for help with those inside and outside your organization.

Step 3:  Embrace "I Love to learn from failing"

Just do it.  Try something that you know will likely fail. From this you will get smarter – GUARANTEED.

My daughter Tori – the Vet – who has my passion for changing the world sent the following quotes to me last week. Each speak to the 3 simple things.

Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an

experiment. The more experiments you make the better.  What if they are a

little course, and you may get your coat soiled or torn?  What if you do

fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice. Up again, you shall

never be so afraid of a tumble.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Some things cannot be spoken or discovered until we have been stuck,

incapacitated, or blown off course for awhile. Plain sailing is pleasant,

but you are not going to explore many unknown realms that way. 

-David Whyte

INNOVATION ENGINEERING JOB OPPORTUNITY

A company that is fully committed to Innovation Engineering is looking to hire someone to LEAD their efforts.   I've pasted below their job description.   If you are interested in applying forward your information to me at DougHall@EurekaRanch.com.

SENIOR Innovation Engineering Analyst

General Purpose:  The Senior Innovation Engineering Analyst:  This individual will work cross-functionally throughout the organization to rollout, evaluate and impact critical innovation engineering processes and to provide internal consulting around innovation engineering.

Product and Innovation Engineering Analysis, Coaching and Management:

Drive execution of company's innovation and commercialization process including:

• Leveraging new product development and innovation engineering disciplines,spearhead the launch of a systemic innovation engineering process at Wright Express.
• Lead bi monthly project review meetings.
• Develop and refine a streamlined stage gate process that facilitates new product development.
• Assist in the development of innovation platform strategies in partnership with Innovation Team Leads to ensure that projects are clearly defined, on strategy with long terms visions, and are adequately resourced.
• Develop appropriate key performance indicators and ensuring that they are monitored and reported.

Provides hands-on coaching/mentoring to managers and key associates on all aspects of Business Innovation. Instill the Wright Express "Innovation Approach" thinking, tools, and methodology throughout the organization.

Assess business innovation process needs of internal and external customers, partners and third-parties.  Make recommendations to improve process .

Working with managers, drive adoption of  innovation engineering changes, prepare training material, conduct training as needed and conduct 90 day reviews of projects after completion. Work with Innovation Project Managers to develop schedules, project estimates, resource plans, and status reports.  Communicate effectively, with well developed presentation skills, to influence and guide all levels in organization and with partners. 

 Project Coaching, Management, Training &  Documentation 

• Lead and coach associates on execution of  innovation projects from original concept through final implementation.  Work with HR in developing Innovation Engineering Training Modules for associates. Define and lead definition of  project scope and objectives to achieve calculated ROI achieve financial forecast.  Interface with all areas of the business affected by the project including end users, Sales, Marketing, Product, Technical services, and Client Service Operations and customers/parents as needed.  Conduct and coach on effective project meetings and coach/take responsibility for project tracking and analysis. Ensure adherence to quality standards and reviews project deliverables.  Identify and escalate any potential issues/risks to overall project return.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Strong analytical experience and skills in the new product development and/or innovation engineering processes. Background in new product development, innovation methodologies or project management with demonstrated experience with process improvements methodologies such as Lean/ Six Sigma/Business Process Management; related work experience may be substituted.

Strong general management business background including skills in communication, presentation and reporting.

Highly developed interpersonal skills including influence beyond formal authority. Strong collaboration skills. Individual should have previous experience in coaching and leading teams.

Non-direct report coaching/mentoring/training experience required.

Bachelor degree required MBA in Marketing preferred. Certification programs in new product development, innovation also preferred.

Guidance and Freedom to Act

Freedom to act independently with very limited supervision from management.

Impact

Impacts revenues and internal/external customers directly depending on magnitude of project scope.  Any changes in project timelines could result in seriously impacting aspects as directed within a particular project.  Budget impacts range anywhere from $1,00,000 to $5,000,000 in incremental revenue related to new product and service launches over a three year period.

Contacts

Daily contact with internal and external customers, prospects, partners, and vendors at all levels, global and national, to resolve complex problems and answer questions on any facet of innovation engineering.

The team at Company #1 are the true decedents of the founding fathers.   They are taking action and responsibility for their future.

When asked what they were going to do about their decline – the team at Company #2 responded “we're hoping to ride out the downturn in our industry.”

New research shows that companies who are focused on innovation are thriving today.  Importantly they are thriving by adapting for new customers and by innovating their product lines.   Today they have 37% of their sales in products or services they didn't have 3 years ago and 43% of their sales are to customers they didn't have 3 years ago.

It's time to declare our independence from commodity products, services, customers and markets.   It's time to reinvent our offering to make it meaningfully unique.  To lead our existing customers and to adapt it for new customers and markets.

Innovation Engineering HOMEWORK for this week

Product/Service Your homework this week is to spark a sustainable profitable future.

Step 1:  Restart Gather together 5 people who are forward thinking.  The kinds of people who have a long term view of the future.  They could be young people with an optimism for the future.  They could be old people who are committed to intense exercise or adventure.  They could be retired people from your company who are now pursuing new careers.

Ask them to help you do two things…
1. Make a list of 20 ways we could reinvent our product, service so to become a long term growth company.  Think of how we could deploy our internal resources and external technologies to restart the organization's growth.
2. Make a list of 20 customers or markets that we could pursue to spark long term growth.  Think hard about your current customers.  Which of them have management that is engaged in the long term survival of their companies.  This is key – because if your customers are stupid – you suffer most.

Step 2: Learn MoreTake your 20 – 20 list and commit to one week of learning.  Ask for help from your team to learn more about what actions could be taken to manufacture a sustainable profitable future for your organization.

WANTED: Business, Government and Education Leaders who want to learn how to INCREASE Innovation Speed (up to 6X) and DECREASE Innovation Risk (30 to 80%).  The first step is the three day Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute.  Public program dates include:

August 23-25 Vermont

September Virginia

October 17-19 Maine

November 14-16 Washington State

Nov 30 – Dec 2 Arkansas

More information is available at www.InnovationEngineering.info  For special pricing and coaching support for teams of 4 or more call Corie Roudebush Spialek at 513.271-9911 or email her at corie@eurekaranch.com.

A key to their success was their future orientation.  Rather than “simply rearranging” the existing reality – they proactively pursued new technologies that offered future focused growth potential.

It was energizing seeing the Eureka! Ranch filled with proactive, forward thinking people.  At the Bar, in the front of the Ranch – we shared a few Highland Parks late at night and the question of the night was “what's happened to American industry.”  The data indicates the we've become a reactive culture – focused on complaining and making excuses – instead of proactively anticipating the future.

I know from personal experience that there are few real surprises in business.  I've had executives tell me their company was going to die because of credit challenges (big bank executives), foreign competition (Detroit with it's lack of investment in fuel efficient cars years ago), internet competition (phone companies, retailers, distributors, etc.).

The challenge is to stop, think about the future – and take action on it.

Innovation Engineering HOMEWORK for this week

Future Mining Your homework this week is to confront the future.

Step 1:  Make a list of Megashifts that could impact your organization.

Write the initial list yourself.  Then either in person – or via e-mail ask 5 people what their gut instincts are about changes, trends, events that could occur and may have a very positive or negative impact on your organization.

Step 2: Think of the Market Consequences & Innovation Possibilities

With 2 to 4 other people review the list of Megashifts and pick the two that have the greatest potential to create a negative impact (Potential Very Important Problem) and the two with the greatest potential to create a positive impact (Potential Very Important Opportunity.).

Mind Map a future scenario.  Take the Megashift and identify the Market Consequences to your organization if the change, trend or event occurred.  Then think of the Innovation Possibilities that change could offer.

Step 3:  Take Action

Do something, anything – to further explore, learn or take action on one of the Innovation Possibilities – THIS WEEK.   Once you get started – the odds are you will keep going because as Newton found “A body in motion stays in motion.”

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on,” said Jobs. “But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying ‘no’ to 1,000 things.”

The focusing on doing a few things great has a proven track record of success.  A Bain and company study found that companies that were lowest in complexity grew 1.7 times fasterBottom Line:  As Complexity Increases Growth Slows.

Innovation Engineering Students of the Year Award goes to the attendees at the recent Leadership Institute in St. Louis Missouri. During the homework the first night – the power went off in the hotel.  It didn't impact the students at all.  They used their cell phones for lighting – and kept working on ideas for growing their organizations.

Innovation Engineering HOMEWORK for the week of June 13th

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify Your homework this week is to simplify your business. Do at least one of the following:

1. Simplify an Innovation    Take a project and simplify it.  Reduce the options by 50%.  Focus the innovation project on fewer options, customers, benefits and features.  Take away many of the "good ideas" – and focus on the best ideas.

2. Simplify a Meeting    At the start of a meeting define the purpose of why it's being held – make it ONE THING – not 22 things. Write it down so all can see.   Review the amount of time allocated for the meeting – and cut it in half.  Then – allow no conversations except those focused on addressing the purpose.  Complete the meeting and declare victory.

3. Simplify a System Take a process or system in your organization and reduce it's complexity.   Eliminate steps.  Reduce options. Eliminate Rework.  Trust the people "closest to the work/problem."

There is a general misconception that entrepreneurs who create meaningfully unique products and services take lots of risk. Successful entrepreneurs don’t have a crystal ball, a magical vision, or ability to see the future. In truth – they dissolve risk through dozens, hundreds if not thousands of fail FAST, fail CHEAP experiments.

Every time you execute a cycle of learning – you build your confidence. This week’s homework is about executing three fail FAST fail CHEAP experiments in one hour!

SPECIAL SYSTEM BONUS: Here’s a link to a very interesting video from Garry Hamel that outlines a funding system for Discovery projects.

Innovation Engineering HOMEWORK for the week of May 16th

Do the Math – Three Fail FAST Fail CHEAP Experiments in 1 hour

You have one hour to do the following homework assignment.

Step 1: Identify an Idea that you have a passion for. It can be an idea for more profitable customers, markets, products, services or system.
Pick an idea that you’ve had for a while for a more profitable customer, market, product, service or system. Or if you don’t have a company – an idea for a more profitable job or career.

Step 2: Worst Case, Best Guess, Best Case Estimates
Do three estimates of the potential value of the idea. You can use the Innovation Engineering Labs.com sales forecasting tool, a free form spreadsheet or even the “back of an envelope.” Use Fermi Estimating Process – to do the math:

A: Decomposition into A Few Key Factors

"¢ The fewest, most meaningful & direct

B: Estimate Factors

"¢ To an order of magnitude
"¢ Detail your assumptions behind each estimate

C: Do Simple Math

"¢ Repeat with other approaches – keep SIMPLE

Do three estimates – the Worst Case, Best Guess and Best Case. We often define Worst Case as there is a 1 in 5 chance it could be this bad. Best Case is there is 1 in 5 chance it could be this good. Most important is to detail your assumptions.

Step 3: Review the Risk
Step back and review the three estimates and associated assumptions. Reflect on how it makes you feel about committing yourself to taking action on the idea. If you are ready to go – then get started. Identify the Death Threats – develop a learning plan – Fail FAST Fail CHEAP and turn your idea/project into reality!

WANTED: Business, Government and Education Leaders who want to learn how to INCREASE Innovation Speed (up to 6X) and DECREASE Innovation Risk (30 to 80%). The first step is the three day Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute. Public program dates include:

June 13-15 New York State
June 27-29 Kansas
August 23-25 Vermont
September 12-14 Arkansas
September 26-28 Virginia
October 17-19 Maine
November 14-16 Washington State

More information available at InnovationEngineering.info For special pricing and coaching support for teams of 4 or more call Corie Roudebush Spialek at 513.271-9911.

NEWS FLASH:  You can now add your comments to these blog postings. If you are reading this blog post within your email, click on the link at the bottom of the post to go to InnovationNews.com – a new publishing portal that shares News, Wisdom and Wit on Innovation.   If you were receiving these blog posts before then you are auto enrolled to receive them through this new site. At InnovationNews.com there are also other blogs you can sign up for with more to come in the future.

This week I was reminded of the the power of focus, focus, focus.   I observed a half dozen innovation teams who had taken the simple and made it complex.  Instead of focusing on the key Death Threat – they talked, and talked and talked about endless micro project details.  They got so far into the “weeds” it was hard to see the purpose.  And, without the connection to the purpose – the energy and enthusiasm of the team was hurt.

My advice was to focus on a smaller step.  I explained that I didn’t mean to imply that the mass of details wasn’t important – rather – at this stage of the process (Discovery) it was important to focus on the bigger picture learnings.

I wonder – what would happen – if every employee of every company in the USA – did one small Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle every week.   Imagine – everyone learning – every week.  Sadly, for many organizations they’re lucky if even 50% of employees realize significant learning once a quarter!

I’m so interested in this subject that I’m half tempted to cut the InnovationEngineeringLabs.com portal listing to only one death threat per week instead of three – to increase the focus.

Innovation Engineering HOMEWORK for the week of May 9th

Focus – Focus – Focus Your homework this week is to focus on ONE death threat, doing ONE thing and learning ONE thing.

1. FOCUS on ONE death threat.
PLAN: Take any idea you’ve considered but not acted on.  Or, one project that you are working on.  Identify an uncertainty or risk associated with the idea or project.   This is your ONE “Death threat” or point of focus for your homework this week.

2. FOCUS on ONE thing to do each week.
DO: Identify and take action on one way to LEARN MORE about the Death Threat.  It can involve: Asking for Advice, Doing the Numbers, Tech Mining for data or running Fail FAST, Fail CHEAP experiments.

3. FOCUS on learning ONE thing from what you did each week.
STUDY & ACT:  Study what you learned. Think deeply about the root causes, root issues, meaningful solutions.  Then Act – 1) drop the idea/project if the death threat can’t be resolved, 2) go with the idea/project if the death threat is resolved and there are no others or 3) run another Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle to dissolve the remaining death threats.

WANTED — Passionate people who want to change the world!  Eureka! Ranch is looking for individuals who want to revolutionize how governments, universities, non-profits, and for profit companies large and small innovate.

Here’s our promise to you: Scary amounts of responsibility.  Overwhelming amounts of failure.   Non-stop learning from failures.  Success doubtful.  Honor and personal satisfaction for being part of an elite team that made a difference in the case of success.  Decent wages. Outstanding personal growth and very good bonus possibilities.

Specific job opportunities:

Eureka! Ranch Apprentice: Before there was Trump’s TV show – Ben Franklin inspired us to have a paid apprentice program.  In fact, the COO of the Eureka! Ranch started as an apprentice.  It’s a two year adventure – where a recent college graduate will see, feel, do and learn more “cool stuff” than 99.99% of their fellow graduates.

Innovation Engineering Sales Evangelist: Create and implement systems for selling the Innovation Engineering Management System to small and mid sized companies through a 1,300 member licensed network.

Internet Evangelist: An individual who is passionate about web publishing and social media to manage Eureka! content and link to other sites like ours – the content would include Innovation Success Stories, Buying Requests and Innovations for Sale from the USA National Innovation Marketplace using InnovationNews.com resources.  You will need to love writing and technology.

If you are interested in joining our team then “Jump Start Our Brains” with your personal Marketing Message.  E-mail Corie@EurekaRanch.com your resume and an explanation of why you should be the next Eureka! Ranch employee.

The new Innovation Engineering way involves playing "whack a mole." It involves Simultaneously optimizing your Customer Concept (Problem, Promise, Proof) as well as your Math Game Plan.  We call the process Simultaneous Engineering.  It involves taking the wisdom from Fail Fast Fail Cheap cycles of learning to optimize the total proposition.

Simultaneous Engineering is best done when you and your team have a deep understanding and respect for each discipline.   As I say during Innovation Engineering Institutes…

Marketing is too important to be left to marketing people.
Product development is too important to be left to product developers
Finance too important to be left to accountants
Legal too important to be left to lawyers
Sales too important to be left to sales people.

The good news is you and your team don't have to have all the knowledge at the start.  Understanding can be gained through simultaneously engineering solutions to innovation projects.   All that's required is a natural curiosity for learning. It means asking questions about the consequences and tradeoffs involved in changes to innovation concepts.

HOT PODCAST:  Here's a link to a great podcast by Terry O'Reilly.  Listen to the one titled Dynamic Duos released 4/4/11.    It tells why small teams of people – are the key to great innovations.  In this case it's stories of how partnerships have lead to great marketing campaigns.

Innovation Engineering HOMEWORK for the week of April 11

Simultaneous Engineering

Developing cross department knowledge by you and your team is the purpose of this week's homework.   The method of developing it is to examine the tradeoffs between problem, promise and product/service proof for a series of innovations.

Two weeks ago you created 50 Ideal Benefit promises. If you didn't do that homework – create at least a dozen right now – before you go forward. Specifically you are to write at least a dozen Ideal Benefit Promises.  By IDEAL I mean – if you were to take away all constraints and simply promise the ideal what would you promise.  You can write them on your computer or by hand I don't care.  But you MUST put them in writing. Make the promises bold – brave – exciting – meaningful – unique…you know the story.

Then, gather your team and spend an hour or two playing "whack a mole" with the benefit promises.   Trade off the "ideal promise" – with the realities of product/service feasibility, with insights into customer problems and rough estimates of the math game plan (pricing, profits, sales potential).  To help with the Math Game plan use Fermi estimating and/or the on-line forecasting tool inside InnovationEngineeringLabs.com.

Your specific homework assignment is to identify 3 new offerings – that are both technically possible and make a meaningful difference to customers.   Note, I didn't say "technically feasible" I said possible. The ideas may well require some Fail FAST Fail CHEAP cycles of learning to translate from "possible" to "feasible."

Good luck.   Till next week.

Doug Hall

(To comment on this posting click here it will take you to our new website – www.InnovationNews.com – that will be our master publishing site for the blog, podcasts and other offerings.)

Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute Dates

The dates for upcoming Innovation Engineering 2011 — the "Way to Wealth is Innovation Tour" – public programs include:

May 2-4        Louisiana
May 23-25        Missouri
June 13-15        New York State
June 27-29        Kansas
September 12-14    Arkansas
September 26-28    Virginia
October 17-19        Maine
November 14-16    Washington State

Sign up information is available at www.InnovationEngineering.info

For details on special Institute packages where your team can have a PRIVATE coach to work with you in the evenings of the Leadership Institute contact Corie Roudebush Spialek at 513.271-9911.

Background on Innovation Engineering Weekly Homework: Research indicates that it takes 10,000 hours to master a subject.   The Innovation Engineering homework assignments provide a clear and focused task each week – to keep students focused on the Way to Wealth through Innovation.    The homework assignments are built around what we call the 13 Virtues of Innovation Engineering.  The inspiration for these weekly assignments is Dr. Ben Franklin's 13 Virtues that he focused on one at a time, each week completing four 13 week cycles over 52 weeks.

Successfully connected a food manufacturer in Ohio with a patented technology for yogurt that is a 5 to 1 taste test winner.

Successfully connected a manufacturer of high end guitars in Maine to three breakthrough technologies.

A short while ago – it connected a Kansas company to a potential business partner in Utah.

Recall, quantitative survey’s at the moment of creation – with over 6,000 teams found that the key to creating ideas is to Feed the Brain with Stimulus and to Diversify Thinking.   The Innovation Request system helps you accomplish both tasks.

You can use it to Mine for Stimulus AND use it to Diversify your Thinking by connecting to others.   And, you’re not just connecting with random people.  Rather, you are connecting to a community of progressive, forward thinking leaders who have attended an Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute.

HINTS FOR USING INNOVATION REQUESTS:

1. Think about the title because it’s all that is seen before clicking on it. Examples include:   Ideas for…Contacts for…, Manufacturing help with…, Proprietary Technology for…, Stimulus Mining on…, Expert Help With…

2. Think about who you send your request to. As a participant in the Leadership Institute your account allows you to send requests to the entire Innovation Engineering community or you can target only specific people – by simply entering their email addresses.    When your organization commits to the Innovation Engineering Management System – you also have the ability to send to your company or groups of people in your company with just one click.

3.  Don’t be a voyeur – become part of the process by contributing ideas and posting requests. Become a part of the community by contributing ideas and practice the skills you were taught during the Leadership Institute.   On the right side of the requests are links to useful web sites for doing stimulus mining.

If you wish you can stop public requests from being sent to you.  Simply sign into the system, click on your NAME in the top right, then click on EDIT MY ACCOUNT and change your Notification settings.

Friends, you are the pioneers, the leaders, the forward thinking.  It is up to you to ignite the Innovation Engineering Revolution.   As Dr. Franklin said during the Continental Congress “We must all hang together, or most assuredly we will all hang separately?”

Innovation Engineering Homework: week of April 4, 2011

Help One Another

This week your challenge is to use the system to help others and yourself.  SIGN IN at InnovationEngineeringLabs.com (this is a replacement for the InnovationEngineeringTools.com address if you were signed up earlier in the year) – and click on Innovation Requests.  Your specific tasks for this week include:

1.  RESPOND to two requests: Join at least two conversations – providing mining or ideas.

2.  START a Request of your own: Start a request of your own – sending to specific people or to the community as a whole.   I am in Spokane Washington this week leading a Leadership Institute – however I will try to respond in the evening after the session to all pubic requests – or requests that you include me on privately using my e-mail address from the front of the Engineering Journal’s you received.

Good luck. Till next week.

Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute Dates

The dates for Innovation Engineering 2011 — the “Way to Wealth is Innovation Tour” – public programs include:

April 11-13        Wyoming
May 2-4        Louisiana
May 23-25        Missouri
June 13-15        New York State
June 27-29        Kansas
September 12-14    Arkansas
September 26-28    Virginia
October 17-19        Maine
November 14-16    Washington State

Sign up information is available at www.InnovationEngineering.info

For details on special Institute packages where your team can have a PRIVATE coach to work with you in the evenings of the Leadership Institute contact Corie Roudebush Spialek at 513.271-9911.

Background on Innovation Engineering Weekly Homework: Research indicates that it takes 10,000 hours to master a subject.   The Innovation Engineering homework assignments provide a clear and focused task each week – to keep students focused on the Way to Wealth through Innovation.    The homework assignments are built around what we call the 13 Virtues of Innovation Engineering.  The inspiration for these weekly assignments is Dr. Ben Franklin’s 13 Virtues that he focused on one at a time, each week completing four 13 week cycles over 52 weeks.

Recently a very smart client quoted Dickens…

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way" in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

For the 25% of the adult population with the courage to proactively take action on their ideas – this is the Best of Times.   It’s the best of times because under the current economic “cloud” – the 85% of the population that live reactively are literally crippled with fear.  This means more opportunities than ever for those with the courage to take action.

25 years ago I founded the Eureka! Ranch.  Over that time I’ve lived through a number of ups and downs.  I’ve come to love the real down times – because they give me space to accelerate versus competition.

A wimp can scrape up the courage to innovate in good times.  Only courageous leaders have the courage to keep innovating even in difficult times.

As I raise a class of Highland Park 18, the World’s Best Spirit here’s to the best of times for the courageous!  (to see an irreverent video on Highland Park – Click here)

Innovation Engineering HOMEWORK for the week of March 28

50 Ideal Benefit Promises

Innovations can start from 1) Product or Service enabling Technologies, 2) Customer Problems or 3) Benefit Promises.   With one element defined you then “solve the puzzle” to fill in the rest.

This week your homework is to start from the promise.  And not just any promise – in this case the IDEAL PROMISE.  Your homework is to use what you’ve learned over the past two weeks as you did your homework on Insight Mining and Tech Mining and now articulate IDEAL Promises.

Specifically you are to write 50 Ideal Benefit Promises.  By IDEAL I mean – if you were to take away all constraints and simply promise the ideal what would you promise.  You can write them on your computer or by hand I don’t care.  But you MUST put them in writing.

Make the promises bold – brave – exciting – meaningful – unique…you know the story.

Having written your list show it to three people – they can be your staff, suppliers, current or potential customers.  Invite them for coffee, a beer or a Highland Park Whisky    Try to pick people from both inside and outside your organization.  Tell them it’s part of your Innovation Engineering Homework.

Don’t be surprised if when you share your Ideal Benefit Promise list you find a way to make a couple of the ideas real right now.

NOTICE: Next week this blog goes public – at a new site.  It will enable a weekly Innovation Engineering Podcast – and you will also be able to comment on the postings.

Good luck.   Till next week.

Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute Dates

The dates for Innovation Engineering 2011 — the “Way to Wealth Tour” – public programs include:

April 4-6        Washington State
April 11-13        Wyoming
May 2-4        Louisiana
May 23-25        Missouri
June 13-15        New York State
June 27-29        Kansas
September 12-14    Arkansas
September 26-28    Virginia
October 17-19        Maine
November 14-16    Washington State

Sign up information is available at www.InnovationEngineering.info

For details on special Institute packages where your team can have a PRIVATE coach to work with you in the evenings of the Leadership Institute contact Corie Roudebush Spialek at 513.271-9911.

Background on Innovation Engineering Weekly Homework: Research indicates that it takes 10,000 hours to master a subject.   The Innovation Engineering homework assignments provide a clear and focused task each week – to keep students focused on the Way to Wealth through Innovation.    The homework assignments are built around what we call the 13 Virtues of Innovation Engineering.  The inspiration for these weekly assignments is Dr. Ben Franklin’s 13 Virtues that he focused on one at a time, each week completing four 13 week cycles over 52 weeks.

The line that made me stop and think hard was when the producer talked about how it was easy to look at the US Education challenges from afar.  It was easy to look at students as a group.

He went on to explain how it was much harder to look at them one by one – to feel their individual pain and frustration.  At this point he flashed back over the pain points of the five or six students documented in the film.

Despite an intense and exhausting week – and beating back a sinus infection – watching the film – feeling the pain – renewed my energy.  As I watched – I found myself personally motivated to work harder at helping students.  Motivated to help all of the now thousands of Innovation Engineering Students – on university campuses, in the high school programs that are being piloted and those in the Leadership Institute program.

Getting close to individual children – looking in their eyes – feeling their pain – will renew your energy – and fuel your teams to do great things.   Bill Conway, the Fortune 500 CEO who brought Dr. Deming back to the USA calls it “getting close to the work.”   He says that management has become disconnected with the challenges of the front line workers and customers.

Fred Carl the inventor of the high end kitchen equipment industry, founder and CEO of Viking Range – that makes all it's products in Greenwood Mississippi calls it "feeling the pain."

Homework for the week of March 21: Insight Mining to Feel the Pain

Your assignment this week is to feel the pain of 10 customers. You don't need to "turn in" this assignment (in the future you will be encouraged to) – but you are expected to write down what you found in a personal journal – either on paper or your computer.

Your task is to connect with customers to see, feel and experience the pain they feel about your product or service.  If your customers are an internal department – for example if you create marketing materials for sales people – connect to sales people.

See, feel, experience their pain.  Watch them doing their work.

You get an "A" on the homework if you do it in person.
You get a "B" if you do it by phone or video conference.
You get a "C" if you do it by e-mail.
You get an "F" if you don't do it.

Good luck.   Till next week.

Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute Dates

The dates for Innovation Engineering 2011 — the "Way to Wealth Tour" – public programs include:

April 4-6        Washington State
April 11-13        Wyoming
May 2-4            Louisiana
May 23-25        Missouri
June 13-15        New York State
June 27-29        Kansas
September 12-14    Arkansas
September 26-28    Virginia
October 17-19        Maine
November 14-16    Washington State

Sign up information is available at www.InnovationEngineering.info

For details on special Institute packages where your team can have a PRIVATE coach to work with you in the evenings of the Leadership Institute contact Corie Roudebush Spialek at 513.271-9911.

Background on Innovation Engineering Weekly Homework: Research indicates that it takes 10,000 hours to really master a subject.   The weekly Innovation Engineering homework assignments provide a clear and focused task each week – to keep students focused on learning.    The tasks are built around what we call the 13 Virtues of Innovation Engineering.  The inspiration for these weekly homework assignments was Dr. Ben Franklin's 13 Virtues for Living.  He found that working on all of them at one time was too difficult.  To address this he created a plan where he worked on each virtue once a week.  In 52 weeks he could complete four cycles of the 13 virtues.  In the same manner,  each week you get a homework assignment to work on one of the Innovation Engineering Virtues.

During the stimulus mining one spark set off a chain reaction of 6 connections. The result is a change to these weekly emails.

Stimulus #1: The stimulus that started the chain reaction to follow came from a book by R. Barker Bausell called Too Simple To Fail. The premise, that is too simple to fail, is that the primary determinant of success is the number of hours spent learning. By “hours spent” Bausell means all hours – hours by parents, in class, doing homework, etc.. He documents how hours spent is far more of a determinant than “learning styles.” (Which even Dr. Cronbach – who sparked the movement toward learning styles later admitted could not be confirmed scientifically).

Stimulus #2: I connected this finding to Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers: The Story of Success. In the book he concluded that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery. This is 5 years if you assume 8 hours a day, 250 days a year. Or a little over two years if you go at it 12 hours a day 365 days a year.

Gladwell cites how the Beatles amazed over 10,000 hours of performing time in Hamburg Germany from 1964 to 1969. He also cites how Bill Gates amassed 10,000 hours of programming time in his teenage years. Galdwell’s findings are based on the research of Anders Ericsson on experience.

Stimulus #3: I also connected this idea that you need to invest significant time to my children’s experience with the Kumon Math program when they were younger. It’s a program that’s focused on lots of repetitions to build confidence and skills.

Stimulus #4: The “experience effect” is also something we teach in Innovation Engineering. It’s based on Mark Gottfredson and Steve Schaubert of Bain & Company’s book The Breakthrough Imperative. Studying dozens of categories they found that with every doubling of the experience curve — 1 to 2, 2 to 4, 4 to 8, 8 to 16 – costs went down an average of 25%. In class we visualize this effect through a chart on the productivity improvement in the construction of Liberty Ships during world war II.

Stimulus #5: Connecting to my own life – I realized that my skills at creating ideas, doing market research were also built over many, many years of intense experiences.

Stimulus #6: Lastly, as my Hero Dr. Ben Franklin said: “It is true that there is much to be done, and perhaps, you are weak-handed; but stick to it steadily, and you will see great effects; for constant dripping wears away stones; and by diligence and patience, the mouse ate in two the cable; and little strokes fell great oaks.”

My net conclusion was simple — or as Bausell says “Too Simple to Fail” – we need more homework in Innovation Engineering! Given that I can’t get students to do any more than we give for homework already – or get executives to work longer than from 8:00 am to 10:00pm at night I need to try something else.

My next best option for building your skills is to use these weekly e-mails to give homework assignments. Thus, in 2011 the 13 Virtues E-mails will become — Innovation Engineering Homework – Hands on Learning Assignments to build your skills and confidence in leading innovation.

As a side benefit – I’ve had trouble finding the time to do these each week – as many of you know. In part it was because I didn’t know if they mattered – if anyone was reading – and what the purpose was. With this new focus, I have a new energy – as I can see with clarity now how this homework can make an impact. So here we go.

Homework for the week of March 14: Tech Mining

Your assignment this week is to find 10 new technologies that could transform how you work, your company, your products and or your services. You don’t need to “turn in” this assignment (in the future many weeks you will) – but you are expected to write down what you found in a personal journal on your computer.

I’m not picky – the tech mining can be as simple as a new app or service to make it easier for you to do travel (if you’re not using it check out Tripit) Or a new tool for keeping you focused on exercise (check out Fitbit.com I use it and love it).

You can also go big time – and do a dig at the USA National Innovation Marketplace – searching for benefits as well as innovations. Or go for a bigger dig at TechMining101.

Good luck. Till next week.

Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute Dates

The dates for Innovation Engineering 2011 — the “Way to Wealth Tour” – public programs include:

April 4-6        Washington State
April 11-13        Wyoming
May 2-4            Louisiana
May 23-25        Missouri
June 13-15        New York State
June 27-29        Kansas
September 12-14    Arkansas
September 26-28    Virginia
October 17-19        Maine
November 14-16    Washington State

Sign up information is available at www.InnovationEngineering.info

For details on special Institute packages where your team can have a PRIVATE coach to work with you in the evenings of the Leadership Institute contact Corie Roudebush Spialek at 513.271-9911.

Background on Innovation Engineering 13 Virtues Postings: Ben Franklin identified a set of 13 virtues for living. He found that working on all of them at one time was too difficult. To address this he created a plan where he worked on each virtue once a week. In 52 weeks he could complete four cycles of the 13 virtues. In the same manner, each week I post a writing on one of the 13 Virtues of Innovation Engineering. The goal is to provide practical ideas for helping you take action this week – every week – on thinking smarter and more innovatively about your life and career.

As I type this on New Years Day 2011 I realize that the learning I’ve experienced during 2010 might well be the most ever.   The learning of 2010 actually started in the fall of 2009 when I took a sabbatical and lived on the campus of the University of Maine and taught three Innovation Engineering courses.  There is nothing like higher education to heighten your learning.

Starting at Sugarloaf Ski Resort in January and ending at The National Wildlife Federation outside Washington DC in December – the Ranch team and I delivered a dozen Innovation Engineering Leadership Institutes.   Each month was another Fail FAST Fail CHEAP cycle of learning – as we continuously modified and improved the way we taught the content.   We will be holding Webinars during the first few months of the year that detail the new learning and tools.

From this experience – I’ve learned three things:

1. Teaching is EASY – getting students to LEARN is NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE! Everything we are teaching is simple in concept.  However, it is hard in application.   This year I’ve found that teaching undergraduate college students – is actually easier than teaching executives.  With executives there are lots of “assumptions” that are made that get in the way of learning.   We’ve found that the more we deconstruct the learning into step-by-step tools or “recipes” the easier it is for executives to learn new behaviors.

2. The Importance of fully IMMERSING your WHOLE BRAIN There is simply no value in “big dreamers” or “detail people.”  To be wildly successful you need to work the Dream and the Details simultaneously.   This year I learned that to win – you must really want it.  You must really immerse your whole brain – sweating the details, understanding the feelings of those involved, the science and technology and the bigger picture vision.  The days when a manager can micro-manage from “on far” are gone.  The days of handing tasks from silo to silo are gone.   The complexity of managing the product, promise and profit require a renaissance style of holistic thinking.

This learning reinforces the most important part of the Innovation Enginering system.  Someone has to “own” the idea.  Someone has to have a passion for making it work.  Without passion – driving, never ending passion there will be no success. Without passion there will be no willingness to fully immerse the brain in all aspects.  The consequence of this is that today’s managers need to “step back” and allow their staff to take full responsibility for innovations.

3.   We Need to Change Faster! The situation is urgent. The world is changing fast – we need to adapt and change as fast or faster.  Doing nothing is not a viable option   Sadly – 60 to 85% are not even willing to change.  I can’t do anything for them.   Fortunately there are 15 to 40% who  are “willing” to change.  But very few of them are “able” to change.  They don’t know what to do.  This group the “willing” but not currently “able” is the purpose of my life for the next 25 years.  The best way I know to accelerate change – is to empower the people working with and for you – i.e. go back to number 2 above – someone has to “own” the changes – and have a sense of urgency to make the changes happen faster!

This Week’s HOMEWORK Assignment – Your homework is to step back think — What have you learned in the past 6 months – past year?  What did you learn at Innovation Engineering and have applied?  What did you learn and have not yet applied?  What’s keeping you from changing?  How can you “change faster” – “learn faster?”

Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute Dates

Doug is taking the month of January off to work on a book about Innovation Engineering.   When he’s back – his blog postings will take a new format – with space for you to add comments and discussions.

The dates for Innovation Engineering 2011 Edition – public programs include:

Sign up information is available at www.InnovationEngineering.info

For details on special Institute packages where your team can have a PRIVATE coach to work with you in the evenings of the Leadership Institute contact Corie Roudebush Spialek at 513-271-9911.

Background on Innovation Engineering 13 Virtues Postings: Ben Franklin identified a set of 13 virtues for living. He found that working on all of them at one time was too difficult.  To address this he created a plan where he worked on each virtue once a week.  In 52 weeks he could complete four cycles of the 13 virtues.  In the same manner,  each week    I post a writing on one of the 13 Virtues of Innovation Engineering.  The goal is to provide practical ideas for helping you take action this week – every week – on thinking smarter and more innovatively about your life and career.

Today’s Innovation Engineering is easier than ever to teach, learn and apply. And the reason is not: 1) smarter teachers or 2) smarter students or 3) smarter coaches in the evenings. The reason is that we have continuously improved the system of learning. We’ve found smarter ways to teach the core concepts.

Just after the first of the year – we will be doing a series of webinars on the improvements.

The improvement in teaching systems really came to life recently as we taught the first class of Innovation Engineering Black Belts. As we were working with a more experienced and “willing” group we were able to try new methods of teaching. From this we discovered new methods that will be incorporated into next year’s Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute.

And friends, that’s what it’s all about – continuous learning.

This Week’s HOMEWORK Assignment – Your homework is to step back look at your “systems”.

1. Mindmap the Never Ending Problems and Frustrations: Take a sheet of paper and in the middle of the sheet write “My problems and frustrations that haven’t changed in a YEAR.” Then Mindmap out from the center. On the first spokes from the center list all those things that are recurring problems that haven’t changed in a year. They can be little problems that happen frequently – or big fears that don’t happen often but you are concerned that they could…for example: losing a primary customer.

2. Identify the Bigger System and it’s parts: In the second spoke out from the problem identify what’s the “Bigger System” that it’s a part of. What are the root causes of system failure? What causes the system to have variation in performance?

3. New Years Resolution Action Plan: Step back and look at the bigger system. Think what can you do – to “dissolve” the problem or frustration. Then create a 30 Day “New Years Resolution” action plan to improve your system.

Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute Dates

Doug is taking the month of January off to work on a book about Innovation Engineering.

The dates for Innovation Engineering 2011 Edition – public programs include:

Sign up information is available at www.InnovationEngineering.info

For details on special Institute packages where your team can have a PRIVATE coach to work with you in the evenings of the Leadership Institute contact Corie Roudebush Spialek at (513) 271-9911.

Background on Innovation Engineering 13 Virtues Postings: Ben Franklin identified a set of 13 virtues for living. He found that working on all of them at one time was too difficult. To address this he created a plan where he worked on each virtue once a week. In 52 weeks he could complete four cycles of the 13 virtues. In the same manner, each week I post a writing on one of the 13 Virtues of Innovation Engineering. The goal is to provide practical ideas for helping you take action this week – every week – on thinking smarter and more innovatively about your life and career.

This week our focus is on taking action on the “ideal solution to your process change” or “the Ideal new product or service.” The “idea” is also called doing the right things in the right ways.

I’ve found that when myself or my clients focus on pursuing the “ideal” great progress is made. The ideal is the solution you would pursue if you had no history of combat, politics to confront or feasibility issues to challenge you.

The “ideal” inspires energy and vitality that brings out the best in people.

This Week’s HOMEWORK Assignment – Your homework is to step back and identify what is the “ideal” and to develop a 30 day Fail FAST Fail CHEAP action plan to learn how to make the ideal real.

1. Step Back and Think about a “Do Over”: If you were to start the business all over again. What would you do differently? The “do over” could be a production process, a product offering, a service offering, a sales or distribution system. For inspiration – explore how your newest competitors are thinking. How are they thinking about what they sell, how they produce it and how they package their business model. Spend three days working on this – for 30 minutes each morning – on your drive to work – or as you have your first cup of coffee. Use Mind Mapping to diagram your thinking. In the middle of your sheet write “What I’d do differently if starting fresh”. 
2. Quantify the Balance Sheet for the “Ideal”: After three days – do the math on what could be the value – in sales, profits and or productivity if you were to make the change. Estimate the full balance sheet – the revenue potential as well as the costs. Repeat the calculations until you identify an “ideal” with a great “balance sheet”.
3. Develop Fail FAST Fail CHEAP 30 Day Action Plan: Working with your team – identify the Death Threats standing in the way of the Ideal. Then create a 30 Day Action plan to explore feasibility of taking action on the Ideal today.

Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute Dates

Arkansas November 15-17, 2010
Washington DC. December 13-15, 2010 – SOLD OUT
Vermont February 14-16, 2011

Sign up information is available at www.InnovationEngineering.info

For details on special Institute packages where your team can have a PRIVATE coach to work with you in the evenings of the Leadership Institute contact Corie Roudebush Spialek at 513-271-9911.

Background on Innovation Engineering 13 Virtues Postings: Ben Franklin identified a set of 13 virtues for living. He found that working on all of them at one time was too difficult. To address this he created a plan where he worked on each virtue once a week. In 52 weeks he could complete four cycles of the 13 virtues. In the same manner, each week I post a writing on one of the 13 Virtues of Innovation Engineering. The goal is to provide practical ideas for helping you take action this week – every week – on thinking smarter and more innovatively about your life and career.