The myth in the world of business these days is that if you want great innovation in your business you need to look at what is going on in Silicon Valley. Not so!
Many universities have started to do research and decode the secrets of innovation but most tie their research to technology. At Coles we focus on the basic ingredient which is people and the human brain that generates the ideas towards innovation. We research and teach how to reach the full potential of employees towards achieving value-driven innovation.
To this end we offer Boot Camp type workshops designed to help your company demystify innovation and make it part of the everyday behavior of your employees so that your company and your customers can benefit from the value of new possibilities. And remember: Money, over time, always follows value!
We have done this type of work for many companies and some of the most recent ones are Printpack, Verizon Telematics, Scientific Games, Delta Air Lines, Presenius Medical Care, Northside Bank of Georgia, Assurant Solutions, Mohawk Flooring and several others.
We have also done workshops for utility companies like BellSouth, TVA, and NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) as part of their educational programs and hospitality organizations like Holiday Inn, Ritz- Carlton and NH
The workshop is designed to give more than the creative problem solving process and the tools of that process. It is also focused on reaching deep inside the individual in order to allow everyone to externalize and get in touch with his/ hers analytical and creative thinking skills.
The workshop will cover:
Innovation and Creative Problem-Solving
- Directional versus inter-sectional thinking
- The ABCs of innovation
- Managed versus serendipitous innovation
- The 3 powerful steps to innovation
- Using the two types of creative thinking that lead to innovation
Overcoming obstacles to creative thinking
- What blocks our creativity?
- Tools you can use to discover opportunities
- Brainstorming for profits and value
Creative Problem Solving (CPS)
- The basic steps of CPS
- How to apply CPS for out of the box thinking
- Engaging others to want to work with you
We demonstrate how to use learning styles that allow for more harmonious relationships in teams, team interaction, collaboration, group work and creative thinking, time compression and performance, learning how to demystify innovation, using one’s creative powers etc.
Leveraging Individual Preferences to Support innovation
Building innovation teams
- “FourSight” inventory: a tool for innovators
- Exploring the preference problem-solving style
- Is your style to be a Clarifier? Ideator? Developer? Implementer? Or some combination of all
Above all, we drive to the point where one can understand how to deliver more value to the customer and increase the benefit to the company.
Identifying & overcoming the challenges that lead to innovation
- How to make sure you are addressing the right challenge
- Fact finding that leads you to the right challenge
- “Decomposing” your challenge into its components
- Five phrases that help you to restate the challenge and own it
- Reaching consensus on what the challenge is
- Case studies and practicing what you learned
Tools, Techniques, and Applications for Creative Thinking
Idea tools
- Preparing your team for money-making brainstorming
- Rules to open brainstorming and team preparation
- Choosing the right brainstorming tools for your challenge
- Practicing and applying the tools
Picking through the mess to find the gold
- The four rules of idea selection
- What criteria would you use to select the best ideas?
- Four ways to narrow down the field of possibilities
- How to cluster and restate ideas
- Getting to the gold
- Dealing with dominant personalities
Applications and Logistics for Productive Thinking Sessions
Specific everyday applications
- Two-sided project management: How to get “the client” involved
- Building collaborative teams: How to get everyone to move in the same direction
- Positioning a product or a service: How to manage your consumers’ mindset
- New product development: How to develop at least fifty ideas in a day
The logistics of an ideation session
- Who comes to your session?
- Where to hold your sessions
- Having fun for greater profits
- Five rules you cannot violate
- Engaging everyone who participates
- Developing an agenda
For each module, skills and knowledge will be conveyed in three ways.
First, concepts will be introduced through an interactive presentation.
Second, examples will be used to highlight the power and application of these techniques.
Third, the participants will practice in the classroom and be encouraged to discuss how to apply these skills in their jobs.
We offer a 2-day program that is powerful and delivers applications-driven results.
We also have a one-day program sacrificing some of the material the 2-day program offers and it is more focused on the process.
The best plan would be for you and us to outline the objectives and plan around those objectives. We can be of great help for that because we have done it many times for numerous companies.
The investment to our programs is designed to make them very affordable.
One day workshop $4,000; Two day $6,500
We look forward to discussing the best options for your needs.