Innovative Brain Food from New & Improved

What does it take?

 

What does it take to build a culture of sustainable innovation at home, at your organization or  in your community (wouldn't it be great to create it at all three)?

Recently, Bob Eckert, CEO of New & Improved gave a keynote address at the Back End of Innovation (BEI) Conference where he invited attendees to build sustainable innovation systems, teams and culture.  Bob focused on the organization, however, the thinking is the same for home and community efforts as well.  He discussed:

• What's necessary for building a culture of innnovation?
• What are the mistakes, smart moves, obsessions?
• How do you create the right pathways to institutionalize innovation?
• What is the most critical element to innovation?

Here's a short interview with Bob where he provides some insights into the answers to these key questions.

We will be sharing more in-depth learning, videos and insights from the BEI Conference in the coming weeks – hopefully just in time to foster some of your strategy development for 2013.  

What you can do right now is to explore, challenge and share your thinking by joining our discussion.  The best ideas are born out of healthy debate and diversity of thought.  What do you have to add?

Send us your ideas/questions/compliments via our comment box.

 

 

 

What is the ROI on Fun?

 

What?! Did New & Improved sell ad space to L.L.Bean?

Nope, it's just a group of us from New & Improved on a hike near our Adirondack headquarters.  While we were not at our desks, or actively engaged with a client doing Innovative Organization Development, we were learning, connecting, discussing business and making sure we could serve our company and our clients well.

This last week, StefanUhrlandt, a Director of Research & Development at Johnson & Johnson and Bob Eckert, CEO at New & Improved, spoke at the “Back End of Innovation Conference” on “Creating a Sustainable Innovation Culture.”

Stefan’s organization mirrors our own in its regard for this “soft time” to support an innovation culture. Once a week, there is an afternoon jog for any employee that wants to join. Stefan said “Sure, we talk about family and our out of work lives, but we also talk about challenges at work that we need to solve as well.” Stefan’s facility has also made sure that there are comfortable places to hang out and have a cup of coffee with a co-worker, and it makes a difference.

Even at the conference, the New & Improved gang was seen as the “fun” group based on our raffling “Innovation Elixir” and “Brain Brush’n Fluid” and Jonathan Vehar's facilitation style.  Natalie Jenkins and Newell Eaton found a fun way for people to have a discussion about “dangerous obsessions” for innovation efforts. And the research is clear. A fun, dynamic work culture produces more creative solutions to the challenges it faces.

We invite you to have some fun with your coworkers.  Sure, there are obstacles to overcome.  It may cost a little money, it will take you away from your desk, your coworkers may be in different location.

Don't let these issues stop you, change them into questions:

1.  How might a group activity be funded?  What might be all the low cost and/or free activities we could have?   

2. How might we find a day, an afternoon, an hour to have some fun?

3.  How might we gather all the people in our group?

A few ideas that come to our minds:

Words with Friends team competition for those in different locations.

Baggo or bocce ball tournament in the hallway.

Gather a group at a cabin in the Adirondacks.  This is what we did and it was great!

Tell us what you did.  Even better take a picture or send us a video and show us what fun you had.  You can send them to info@newandimproved.com.

Is it worth it?  Not sure what the ROI is on this type of activity? Perhaps it will be like the Mastercard commercials: 

bocce ball set $49

trophy for winning team $5

laughed at work today... priceless