1. Sparking Ideas In Your Own Organization
Innovation Workshop
Nancy Francis and Susan Robertson
May 15, 2008

2. Workshop Purpose
• To learn about “Creativity and
Idea Generating Techniques –
The Creative Process.”
• To participate in interactive
activities.
• To share take-home tool.

3. Group Introductions
• Introduce yourself to the person
to your left and the person to
your right.
–Shake hands.
–Tell them your name.
–Share a piece of advice your
mother gave you.

4. Ideas To Go Background
• Leaders in innovation for 30 years.
• Over 5,000 facilitated innovation sessions
for Fortune 500 companies on an amazing
array of topics.
• Fourteen highly experienced Facilitators
and a stellar staff of professional writers
and artists, word processing specialists,
plus creative and IT support staff.
• State-of-the-art facilities in three locations
(plus the ability to provoke great thinking
anywhere). 5

5. Relevant Experience
• Ideas To Go has worked with a wide variety of food
companies including:

6. Agenda
• Creative Process Overview.
• Breaking Through Creative Blocks.
• Tools for Creative/
Breakthrough Thinking.

7. Creative Process Overview

8. Integrated Creative Problem Solving Model
Diverging /
Creative style preference Converging
Habits/Paradigms/Blocks Process steps
Distractions Tools and techniques
Person Process Team composition
Environment
Group comfort level/trust Communication skills
Level of risk-taking Physical surroundings
Attitude/mindset Rewards

9. The Creative Problem-Solving Model
– Divergent thinking –
exploring all the
possibilities. Diverge
– Convergent thinking – Converge
identifying and honing
those ideas with the
most promise.
10

10. Elements of Creative Production
E. Paul Torrance
• Fluency – Many ideas.
• Flexibility – Different kinds of ideas.
• Originality – Unusual ideas.
• Elaboration – Adding on to basic ideas; twisting
or turning ideas to make them
better.

11. The Four Stages of the Creative Process
1. Search for New Opportunities.
2. Redefine the Problem/Opportunity.
3. Generate New Ideas/Solutions.
4. Plan for Action.
Use Divergent and Convergent Thinking in
All Stages.

12. Breaking Through
Creative Blocks

13. Create a Context
in Which
Ideas are Valued

14. Reactions to New Ideas
++++ ------
++++ ------
++++
------
Yes, But…
•We already tried that.
•It will take too long.
•It will cost too much.
•“George” won’t like it.

15. Some Results of “Yes Butting”
• The idea dies.
• People stop contributing.
• Ideas get “safer” - less “new.”
• People argue.

16. No, Yes But

17. Replace “Yes But…”
with Forness® Response

18. Forness® Response Thinking
WHAT YOU’RE FOR WHAT YOU WISH FOR
What’s good I wish . . .
What’s useful How to . . .
What’s valuable How might we . . .
What’s the potential

19. Abracadabra You Have a New Job!
Generate Possibilities
for New Bathroom
Fixture Products

20. The Fur Lined Sink

21. Forness® Response
WHAT YOU’RE FOR WHAT YOU WISH FOR

22. Benefits of Forness® Thinking
! ++++
++++
! 1. Keeps the good alive.
• Dropped items won’t break.
• Won’t show dirt.
• Dries without spotting.
2. Pushes towards actionable solutions.
• I wish for faux fur.
• I wish for the ability to change to match décor.
• I wish for fur-covered pipes for instant warm water.
3. Creates a safe environment.
4. Encourages teamwork and ownership.
5. Saves time.

23. Blocks to Creativity
and Change

24. Typical Process
(Jump to Solution)
F Broad Area
F
F Opportunity
F
F F
FF F
F
Solution

25. Opportunity Expansion
FF F F
F F F
F F F F
FF FF
Opportunity Opportunity F F F
F
F Broad Area F F
F F
F Opportunity OpportunityOpportunity
F F
F F F F
FF F F F F
F F F F
Possibilities
Possibilities Possibilities
Solution

26. ASSUMPTION BUSTING
(Or, when is knowledge and experience a hindrance?)
Area - Think of new ideas for
grocery store salad dressing.
• Immediate assumptions, based on knowledge
and experience:
– Goes on lettuce.
– Liquid.
– In a bottle.
– Refrigerated.
– Eaten from a bowl or plate.
– Eaten with a fork.
• Assumption Busting:
– What if that’s not true?

27. • Take one of the
assumptions and assume
it’s not true.
• Now, think of new areas
of opportunity for salad
dressing.

28. Assumption Busting
• List facts, assumptions, givens, truths about
your topic.
• Now role play as your customers,
management, other constituents and list their
assumptions.
• For each, ask “What if that’s not the case?”
What possibilities might that present?

29. Tools for
Creative/Breakthrough
Thinking

30. Types of Thinking
Excursion Theory
Fantasy
Approximate Forness®
thinking
Logical /
Analytical
Old New/Innovative
Types of Ideas

31. Making Ideas Come to You at Will:
6 Simple Steps
1. Introduce the topic.
2. Forget the topic.
3. Go somewhere for stimulus.
4. Force fit stimulus to topic.
5. Incubate.
6. Create a new idea.

32. Excursion Practice: Wishes
• Individual Practice:
–How to improve the customer
experience.

33. Selected Target Area
• Generate ideas for new ways to
increase value without discount.
• Remember – Ideas can be for:
–Your company.
–Your suppliers.
–Your employees.
–Your customers.

34. Excursion Practice: Drawing From
Other Industries
• Work with a partner:
– Share with your partner a non-food company
that you are personally loyal to and list the
reasons why you are loyal to that company.
– Swap roles.
– Use the reasons for loyalty to help you
generate ideas for improving the customer
experience in a restaurant.

35. Excursion Practice: “Get Fired” Ideas
• Small Group Practice (each table):
– Come up with your “Get Fired” idea.
• Sell food at a loss.
• Add additional ingredients - place insects in the
meal before serving it.
• Handout instructions to each guest on how to deal
with food poisoning.
– Swap your get fired ideas with someone at
your table.
– Use Forness® thinking to generate “Get
Hired” ideas.

36. Good luck with your
creative thinking!
Nancy Francis Susan Robertson
612-331-0223 407-221-4592
nfrancis@ideastogo.com srobertson@ideastogo.com