Category: Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation | Page 4

Ask Mariposa: Over-Communicate to Manage Change

Steven asked:

We want to incorporate more creative thinking into our company’s processes, but are concerned that upsetting the way our company has worked for years could have adverse consequences – what are some ways to make this a smoother transition?

Eric Nitzberg, Senior Leadership Consultant responded:

The short answer: over-communicate. When you are managing change, it’s critical to make sure that everyone knows what’s going on, and that as far as possible, they have a voice in it. This means engaging people in helping craft the new direction, and giving them information repeatedly and through multiple channels. Also, don’t underestimate the power of talking one-on-one with key stakeholders who will be critical to the success of the change. Let them know about the new direction, and get their best ideas and personal investment. They will become evangelists within the company.

Share your thoughts on this response in the comments section below, and ask us anything here: http://blog.mariposaleadership.com/ask-mariposa/

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September 11th, 2012|Categories: Ask Mariposa, Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation, HR / Talent Management, Influencing Skills|Tags: answer, ask mariposa, change management, creativity, HR Leadership, leadership, questions, transition|

Ask Mariposa: What is Design Thinking?

Bethany asked:

Design thinking seems to be central to generating new ideas and creating a more innovative environment – but what exactly is it, and how can I apply it to my corporation?

Sue Bethanis, CEO responded:

The DT model is 1. customer empathy, 2. brainstorming, 3. prototyping, and 4. implementing. This can be applied to many problems in a corporation, but primarily we want to use it when we are solving problems related to internal or external customers. 1. Great product designers, for example, use keen observation skills to really understand customers in their environments. Similarly, any problem we are trying to solve, it’s important that we see like an anthropologist. 2. Brainstorming can be applied to any problem as well; great design thinkers generate scads of ideas to get to a couple of good ones, 3. Then, they prototype and test; and then iterate some more in designing a product, service or an experience. 4. Finally ideas are only as good as their application, so taking a prototype to implementation requires a good relationship with your users/customers, and getting feedback. Good luck!

Share your thoughts on this response in the comments section below, and ask us anything here: http://blog.mariposaleadership.com/ask-mariposa/

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September 4th, 2012|Categories: Ask Mariposa, Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation, HR / Talent Management|Tags: ask mariposa, creativity, design thinking, HR Leadership, Mariposa Leadership, sue bethanis|

August Wise Talk Recap with Sue

Click here for the full audio recording on Breakthrough Creativity with @JoshLinkner and @SueBethanis.

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August 21st, 2012|Categories: Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation, Wise Talk|Tags: sue bethanis, wise talk|

On "5 Ways to Kill a Brainstorm"

This post summarizes an article written by our August Wise Talk guest, Josh Linkner. This article is titled “5 Way to Kill a Brainstorming Session” and was published on October 5th, 2011. It can be found here.

As we move through each “way” to kill a brainstorming session, please post your thoughts/comments/reflections on Linkner’s process in the comments section below.

Linkner starts by remarking that the corporate culture around brainstorming is one of “shooting

[ideas] down as fast as they come.” He then goes on to outline the five fastest and easiest ways to kill a brainstorming session, and therefore the creativity and culture of innovation within a team or corporation.

This five ways are:

1. Passing judgement or commenting.

2. Tidying up or compartmentalizing a comment out loud.

3. Thinking ahead – how would we execute it, what are the other factors that contribute to its possible success, etc.

4. Worrying.

5. Wandering away from the topics strictly at hand being discussed at that moment.

Do you recognize any of these behaviors in your team? How or when have these behaviors occurred, and in what way did they manifest?

If so, share with our community on how you either combat or work through these behaviors to keep the team dynamic active and healthy, as well as creative.

Still unsure how to move forward? Share these thoughts and concerns on coaching and leadership specifically by posting an Ask Mariposa question.

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August 20th, 2012|Categories: Articles We Like, Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation, Wise Talk|Tags: brainstorming, coaching, Josh Linkner, leadership, Mariposa Leadership, wise talk|

Wise Talk Announcement: Today with Josh Linkner

Join us on our next Wise Talk on Monday, August 20 from 1-2pm PT (TODAY) as Sue talks with tech entrepreneur and bestselling author Josh Linkner on how to drive breakthrough creativity in business and individual success.

Josh Linkner is a successful four-time tech entrepreneur and the founder, chairman and former CEO of the largest interactive promotion agency in the world, ePrize. He is a New York Times bestselling author of two books, with his most recent book, Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity, named one of the top 10 business books of 2011.

Recently, Josh launched his fifth company, the venture capital firm Detroit Venture Partners. Josh is also Adjunct Professor of Applied Creativity at the University of Michigan. He has been honored as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, the Detroit News Michiganian of the Year, and is a President Barack Obama Champion of Change award recipient. Josh is a regular columnist for Fast Company and Inc. Magazine, and his work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, and The New York Times. Josh earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising from the University of Florida. He is an accomplished and well-respected jazz musician, regularly performing in jazz clubs throughout the United States and Canada.

Please RSVP asap to allison@mariposaleadership.com to reserve your spot.

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August 20th, 2012|Categories: Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation, News, Wise Talk|Tags: Josh Linkner, Mariposa Leadership, news, press, wise talk|

Q&A with Javy Galindo on the Power of Thinking Differently

Listen to these audio snippets of last month’s July 25th Wise Talk, where professional creativity speaker and thinker, Javy Galindo, answers when Mariposa Leadership’s CEO, Sue Bethanis, asks. Topics are on various aspects of creativity and specifically, creativity in business.

Listen here for Galindo’s elegant juxtaposition of the entrepreneur and the artist, and the ways in which each of them are creative, as well as why it is applicable to business, and life.

listen to ‘Wise Talk Javy Galindo on Creativty’ on Audioboo

Listen here for discussion on relationship building and working in groups, and how this to connects to creativity in the workplace.

listen to ‘Wise Talk Javy Galindo on Working w/ Groups’ on Audioboo

Click here to hear the whole discussion between Javy Galindo and Mariposa Leeadership’s CEO, Sue Bethanis.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container] MORE

August 9th, 2012|Categories: Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation, Wise Talk|Tags: brainstorming, coaching, creativity, creativity in business, discussion, innovation, javy galindo, Mariposa Leadership, sue bethanis, wise talk|

Book Review: Disciplined Dreaming

Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity
By: Josh Linkner

Head: (4.5 of 5)
Heart: (4.5 of 5)
Leadership Applicability: (4.5 of 5)

Josh Linkner’s book, Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity is best described as a business approach to creativity. In a time where a corporation’s life span is dependent upon its ability to innovate and grow in rapidly moving markets, Linkner’s book presents a refreshingly simple method by which to imbed creativity into even the most traditional business environments.

Linkner understands that creativity in the workplace is “easier said than done,” and explains clearly how to use his book for either large organizational changes within a company, or smaller more incremental steps within a department or team.

By the end of this book, you will learn ways to generate profitable new ideas quickly and easily, empower employees to tap more fully into their own creative energy, and to use creativity to sustain a competitive advantage in the long run. Buy it.

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August 4th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews, Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation|Tags: creativity, creativity in business, design thinking, Josh Linkner|

The Breakthrough! Model Explained

What wicked problem do you want to solve? An operational efficiency? A new iteration of an old product? A totally different offering that will hit home with your customers? How about a new revenues stream? These sometimes intractable problems need a breakthrough approach to be solved. Breakthrough! is a model and program designed by Mariposa Leadership’s own CEO, Sue Bethanis, to incorporate the latest most cutting-edge thinking.

Breakthrough! is a fresh model for fostering creativity, empathy, brainstorming, and problem solving in a corporate environment. The Breakthrough! model provides a specific method which can help leaders address customer needs and issues in a more efficient and creative way. Leaders will not only understand the customer more deeply, but will also have an arsenal of tools to use by which to expand upon that newfound understanding.

The key to applying the Breakthrough! model is to let go of the traditional incremental mindset that may stifle creativity. Through Breakthrough! (Empathy –> Brainstorm –> Prototype –> Test –> Implement), corporate leaders learn to balance and combine analytic thinking with intuitive, creative thinking so to maximize innovation and problem solving.

The aim of the Breakthrough! model is to provide the knowledge to create a starting point from which true innovation can grow and flourish to benefit any company in terms of problem solving, strategy, and idea generation.

Post your thoughts and questions in the comments section below!

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July 20th, 2012|Categories: Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation, HR / Talent Management, News|Tags: breakthrough!, business, creativity, design thinking, design thinking model, HR Leadership, innovation|

Wise Talk 7/25/12 with Javy Galindo

Hello Friends!

Please join creativity speaker and author Javy Galindo and Mariposa Founder and CEO Sue Bethanis on Wise Talk next Wednesday, July 25th, from 4-5 pm PT. Listen in as Sue talks with Javy about the process of thinking differently and how to develop skills to bring your idea to reality.

Please RSVP asap to allison@mariposaleadership.com to reserve your spot. We are expecting a full house!

Cheers,

Allison Adams
Business Operations

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July 18th, 2012|Categories: Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation, News, Wise Talk|Tags: creativity, innovation, javy galindo, sue bethanis, thinking, wise talk|