I didn’t have to think hard about the types of innovation that I am seeing around me daily. Everything is clicking for me now, everything makes me think – who thought of that, was it their first idea, were they challenged and told it wasn’t logical? Some things that have been sticking out the most are commercials. You definitely have to be very creative and innovative to make that work. Some that have really stood out to me (as in – who on earth would think of something like that? Or as in – weird, but it definitely works…) were the California Cheese commercials – the ones where the cows are talking, mostly ripping on Wisconsin winters. I can’t say though, that I check my cheese to see if it’s from California or not, but it does get me thinking about the fate of Wisconsin retaining its cheesehead title. Another one is the Mac vs. PC commercials – those really get me thinking (after giggling at the humor).
This brings me to the next topic of innovation in relation to commercials – the use of music. I can’t tell you how many songs I’ve downloaded just because I heard it in a commercial (Mazda’s “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom”; E-Toys Hawaiian “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”; DeBeer’s Diamonds “How Can I Tell You”). Some artists are choosing to debut their music first through ads, exposing listeners at every possible moment through commercials. Here is an interesting article about it, and yes, I’ll admit it – I’ve downloaded the majority of these songs, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/how-to-get-ahead-in-music-make-an-ad-516535.html. (iTunes is another wonderful and innovative invention, isn’t it?).
Cows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TN9lCZlGNQ
PC vs Mac
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQb_Q8WRL_g
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Cognitive-Style Inventory Interpretation what?
I’ve made it through a few classes and so far so good. I’m learning a lot in a hands-on approach and can’t believe how much I’m enjoying it. Am I supposed to enjoy school? I’m definitely feeling more confident in myself.
Everyday now I think about and see innovative ideas all around me, think about them in more detail and wonder how that idea got to the point it’s at now? Was it the 1st idea, the 2nd? Did someone else pick up on that idea and enhance/improve it from there? Did someone think they were crazy (like human cloning – who would have ever thought that possible)? Laptops are getting to be paper thin and researchers are closer to creating artificial life (how on earth does anyone not meet resistance down THAT road?). http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=d8r4h0q00&show_article=1
I definitely enjoyed the Cognitive-Style Inventory Interpretation exercise. At first I put final numbers in the wrong spot and couldn’t believe I was more Systematic than Intuitive until I realized my mistake. I definitely agreed that I felt more Intuitive (ha ha, get it?...Nevermind LOL). But I wasn’t sure if I agreed that I was the Integrated style. I wasn’t sure if I was the type of person that continued looking for problems. I’m looking forward to learning more about myself in class to determine if this is truly accurate or not. (If you're interested in learning more about the exercise, post some comments & I'll figure something out).
Everyday now I think about and see innovative ideas all around me, think about them in more detail and wonder how that idea got to the point it’s at now? Was it the 1st idea, the 2nd? Did someone else pick up on that idea and enhance/improve it from there? Did someone think they were crazy (like human cloning – who would have ever thought that possible)? Laptops are getting to be paper thin and researchers are closer to creating artificial life (how on earth does anyone not meet resistance down THAT road?). http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=d8r4h0q00&show_article=1
I definitely enjoyed the Cognitive-Style Inventory Interpretation exercise. At first I put final numbers in the wrong spot and couldn’t believe I was more Systematic than Intuitive until I realized my mistake. I definitely agreed that I felt more Intuitive (ha ha, get it?...Nevermind LOL). But I wasn’t sure if I agreed that I was the Integrated style. I wasn’t sure if I was the type of person that continued looking for problems. I’m looking forward to learning more about myself in class to determine if this is truly accurate or not. (If you're interested in learning more about the exercise, post some comments & I'll figure something out).
Friday, January 18, 2008
Barriers
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Workplace Innovation class, especially when informed that it was brand new. The Whack on the Side of the Head, Go Innovate textbooks and the exercises being used were fun and interesting, right up my alley!
In my past jobs, I might not always have been considered innovative. Mostly because I never spoke up or was too afraid of rejection or afraid of “breaking the rules”. It wasn’t until my experience working with a local medical clinic that I finally learned to speak up and that I actually may have had some good ideas. In that job, and the job that followed with a local insurance company – my supervisors/managers would tell me that it was the reason they hired me (can you even imagine that?), to bring new ideas to the table. I think being innovative isn’t just about being creative, but also about being confident and not afraid to try out/speak out/promote new ideas.
A workplace example from the insurance company - I came up with a great idea that would save time and boost production. I brought it to my team "elder" and was told that it just wasn’t what was done, that we needed to stick by the old way, stick by the clearly defined rules and procedures. Instead of taking rejection, I tried it. I had recently read in my Oprah magazine (don’t laugh, I LOVE that magazine! http://www2.oprah.com/index.jhtml) that it’s easier to "ask for forgiveness then to ask for permission" and that made a lot of sense to me – maybe especially because I was a bit intimated by my manager.
She scared me.
I put my idea into production and explained how it would work to the other department involved; they were pleased and excited that they would no longer have to do as much extra work (cutting out the middle man, so to speak) and were thrilled that it cancelled out some of the redundancies of the original procedure. When I presented it to my teammates, they gasped in utmost horror at what I had done and immediately asked me if I had asked the manager about it and made comments that they would never use it, it would never be approved. I finally worked up the courage to talk to my manager (trembling in fright) and she told me that it was a great idea, that we would change our policies and procedures to accommodate this new idea and it would be the new way (angels singing up above, can you hear them?), she told me that this was the reason they had hired me and that you have to make your own judgments about when to bend the rules/procedures!. Pretty exciting.
So far, the Workplace Innovation classroom activities and discussions have been very interesting. I’m a hands-on type of learner and to be able to write out the Personal Impact Questionnaire helped me consider more the breakdown of the insurance industry and to better understand the ideas and direction they’re heading in. I never thought about it that way. I definitely enjoyed the Inventory of Barriers exercise. One interesting thing I discovered about myself was when my classmate looked at my graph and said “yours is pretty even”. When I looked at his, he had many hills and valleys. It was true – mine was pretty even across the board, everything was between 15 and 20.
I didn’t quite understand one of my higher points – C = barriers related to use of the abstract, I’ll need to do more research about that; but I did agree with my other high point – D = barriers related to use of systematic analysis. I know that’s something I need to work on as well.
In my past jobs, I might not always have been considered innovative. Mostly because I never spoke up or was too afraid of rejection or afraid of “breaking the rules”. It wasn’t until my experience working with a local medical clinic that I finally learned to speak up and that I actually may have had some good ideas. In that job, and the job that followed with a local insurance company – my supervisors/managers would tell me that it was the reason they hired me (can you even imagine that?), to bring new ideas to the table. I think being innovative isn’t just about being creative, but also about being confident and not afraid to try out/speak out/promote new ideas.
A workplace example from the insurance company - I came up with a great idea that would save time and boost production. I brought it to my team "elder" and was told that it just wasn’t what was done, that we needed to stick by the old way, stick by the clearly defined rules and procedures. Instead of taking rejection, I tried it. I had recently read in my Oprah magazine (don’t laugh, I LOVE that magazine! http://www2.oprah.com/index.jhtml) that it’s easier to "ask for forgiveness then to ask for permission" and that made a lot of sense to me – maybe especially because I was a bit intimated by my manager.
She scared me.
I put my idea into production and explained how it would work to the other department involved; they were pleased and excited that they would no longer have to do as much extra work (cutting out the middle man, so to speak) and were thrilled that it cancelled out some of the redundancies of the original procedure. When I presented it to my teammates, they gasped in utmost horror at what I had done and immediately asked me if I had asked the manager about it and made comments that they would never use it, it would never be approved. I finally worked up the courage to talk to my manager (trembling in fright) and she told me that it was a great idea, that we would change our policies and procedures to accommodate this new idea and it would be the new way (angels singing up above, can you hear them?), she told me that this was the reason they had hired me and that you have to make your own judgments about when to bend the rules/procedures!. Pretty exciting.
So far, the Workplace Innovation classroom activities and discussions have been very interesting. I’m a hands-on type of learner and to be able to write out the Personal Impact Questionnaire helped me consider more the breakdown of the insurance industry and to better understand the ideas and direction they’re heading in. I never thought about it that way. I definitely enjoyed the Inventory of Barriers exercise. One interesting thing I discovered about myself was when my classmate looked at my graph and said “yours is pretty even”. When I looked at his, he had many hills and valleys. It was true – mine was pretty even across the board, everything was between 15 and 20.
I didn’t quite understand one of my higher points – C = barriers related to use of the abstract, I’ll need to do more research about that; but I did agree with my other high point – D = barriers related to use of systematic analysis. I know that’s something I need to work on as well.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
RED
I’ve definitely started thinking about innovative companies/ideas since taking this class. One that comes to mind is (PRODUCT) Red created primarily by Bono. When I first heard of it, I thought it was a good idea for a good cause, but since then it’s really taken off. Major companies have incorporated it into their products. I even have a (RED) cell phone and have purchased (RED) tee shirts and Hallmark cards. Every day they come up with new products/companies to add to with portions of the revenue going to help women and children in Africa with HIV/AIDS. What an amazing idea! http://www.joinred.com/
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
More Workplace Innovation
Thought I'd post these leadership interview answers and ideas from a class project, they may help you as they've helped me!
What does the term innovation mean to you?
"To improve on our already set procedures without negatively impacting our projected goals."
"Innovation means to me exactly what it is...new ideas and creating new methods or procedures...Being able to think outside the box to make it work."
"Creation of a new direction or solution that is not obvious to a casual observer; or even an informed one. Innovation can take a product or process to a new level of productivity or value; in a manner not readily seen."
"Innovation means the implementation of new ideas, preferably towards best practices and world class results. It means new products, services, and processes. It means new technologies and skills, constant training, and open-mindedness."
"The term innovation to me would mean to think of a process to improve our customer service above and beyond what we usually do. Or to think of a process to improve anything we do. For example, the way we have to prep products. If there is a faster or better way to do something, then I would want to implement this process."
"To me innovation means to be forward thinking. To constantly work and think out-of-the-box. To be creative."
What are the expectations of your employees regarding being "innovative on the job?"
"To do whatever it takes to keep the client happy and loyal. That means coming up with intellegent ways of setting us apart from our competition. To me it's a simple matter of having pride in what you do."
"Associates are encouraged to be innovative--we want them to think of new ideas, better processes. We also have let our associates know that if they do have a new idea, that they can bring it to their leader at any step of the engineering and we will help them. We will ask the questions that they may not have thought of. And we also let them know that just because an idea doesn't work, doesn't mean it wasn't a good idea. Not all good ideas can work in every instance."
"Always looking for ways to improve productivity or profitability beyond what is readily apparent. Bringing forth solutions in a partnership pattern."
"Mixed. The company has made great strides innovating its products for its customers, but has delayed when innovating for its employees, especially when it comes to new programs, practices, and technologies. Throughout my career it has become more and more apparent that a company will be reluctant to change unless there is a great business need to innovate. A company's leadership can be prompted to make rapid and massive change if the top or bottom line will be impacted."
"Putting up cheat sheets. Cleaning an hour before we close so that they can just put all the products in the cooler and then leave. Finding the fastest way to clean and slice."
" expect my employees to be innovative on the job by constantly looking around them and being aware of what others are doing. They should be doing more than just what is their normal duties. They should be thinking about how they can do their job better and faster, so they in turn can learn more and develop themselves. I also expect them to be involved in their communities and to network with their peers in other organizations so they know if we should change things within our company. They should be involved in professional organizations so they can meet and learn to network with others. Employees should question processes and procedures and ask "why". The worst thing a company can do is to continue doing things the same way just 'because we always do it that way'."
What are some examples of innovative ideas that you have seen people in your company have generated?
"One example is learning from an error that was made. A customer left something behind, it cost us extra time to turn around to ensure it's return. Now we've implemented a checklist before the employee arrives and leaves."
"We have implemented several system enhancements due to good ideas from our associates."
"Creation of a new regulatory framework allowing us to establish a new set of government approved operating and design criteria that would allow us to lower our fuel costs 10%."
"The company has launched new products that have revolutionized our industry. My team has implemented world class tools to improve processes and management of employees' compensation."
"I have seen people take manual processes and put them on computer software to speed up the tasks and to eliminate manual errors. I have had employees combine tasks and eliminate tasks to free up their time to learn more and cross-train in other areas. I am always impressed when employees learn the job they were hired for and then show a willingness to help others and learn other work so they can promote themselves within the company."
What does the term innovation mean to you?
"To improve on our already set procedures without negatively impacting our projected goals."
"Innovation means to me exactly what it is...new ideas and creating new methods or procedures...Being able to think outside the box to make it work."
"Creation of a new direction or solution that is not obvious to a casual observer; or even an informed one. Innovation can take a product or process to a new level of productivity or value; in a manner not readily seen."
"Innovation means the implementation of new ideas, preferably towards best practices and world class results. It means new products, services, and processes. It means new technologies and skills, constant training, and open-mindedness."
"The term innovation to me would mean to think of a process to improve our customer service above and beyond what we usually do. Or to think of a process to improve anything we do. For example, the way we have to prep products. If there is a faster or better way to do something, then I would want to implement this process."
"To me innovation means to be forward thinking. To constantly work and think out-of-the-box. To be creative."
What are the expectations of your employees regarding being "innovative on the job?"
"To do whatever it takes to keep the client happy and loyal. That means coming up with intellegent ways of setting us apart from our competition. To me it's a simple matter of having pride in what you do."
"Associates are encouraged to be innovative--we want them to think of new ideas, better processes. We also have let our associates know that if they do have a new idea, that they can bring it to their leader at any step of the engineering and we will help them. We will ask the questions that they may not have thought of. And we also let them know that just because an idea doesn't work, doesn't mean it wasn't a good idea. Not all good ideas can work in every instance."
"Always looking for ways to improve productivity or profitability beyond what is readily apparent. Bringing forth solutions in a partnership pattern."
"Mixed. The company has made great strides innovating its products for its customers, but has delayed when innovating for its employees, especially when it comes to new programs, practices, and technologies. Throughout my career it has become more and more apparent that a company will be reluctant to change unless there is a great business need to innovate. A company's leadership can be prompted to make rapid and massive change if the top or bottom line will be impacted."
"Putting up cheat sheets. Cleaning an hour before we close so that they can just put all the products in the cooler and then leave. Finding the fastest way to clean and slice."
" expect my employees to be innovative on the job by constantly looking around them and being aware of what others are doing. They should be doing more than just what is their normal duties. They should be thinking about how they can do their job better and faster, so they in turn can learn more and develop themselves. I also expect them to be involved in their communities and to network with their peers in other organizations so they know if we should change things within our company. They should be involved in professional organizations so they can meet and learn to network with others. Employees should question processes and procedures and ask "why". The worst thing a company can do is to continue doing things the same way just 'because we always do it that way'."
What are some examples of innovative ideas that you have seen people in your company have generated?
"One example is learning from an error that was made. A customer left something behind, it cost us extra time to turn around to ensure it's return. Now we've implemented a checklist before the employee arrives and leaves."
"We have implemented several system enhancements due to good ideas from our associates."
"Creation of a new regulatory framework allowing us to establish a new set of government approved operating and design criteria that would allow us to lower our fuel costs 10%."
"The company has launched new products that have revolutionized our industry. My team has implemented world class tools to improve processes and management of employees' compensation."
"I have seen people take manual processes and put them on computer software to speed up the tasks and to eliminate manual errors. I have had employees combine tasks and eliminate tasks to free up their time to learn more and cross-train in other areas. I am always impressed when employees learn the job they were hired for and then show a willingness to help others and learn other work so they can promote themselves within the company."
Innovation in the Workplace
One workplace innovation instance, that comes to mind, was while working for a local medical clinic billing office, an idea I came up with. I couldn’t understand why no one had thought of it before. When customers called in to discuss their bills, they would ask what the insurance paid/discounted/didn’t pay. Also, a lot of money wasn’t being posted correctly to patient’s accounts. For instance if the patient came in and paid a $40 copay, but insurance ended up paying their bill in full – money was sitting in their account and no one knew where it was supposed to be posted to. It was the standard to file received EOBs instead of scanning them into the system. So to be proactive, if a patient requested a review of their claims/bill, instead of asking the patient to send in their EOB or calling the insurance company for a copy (which seemed to be easier then actually requesting a copy from our own company archives) – I began to go online and found several insurance company websites that a medical billing company could enroll in by using their tax ID number to view patient’s EOBs. Not only did this save on time, but also on paper. (I truly believe in being paperless as much as possible.) At first, my idea was met by resistance by older co-workers who weren’t as comfortable with utilizing the internet, but then as they realized how much easier it was – it became a normal job function.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Our first blog
Hello!
As part of our final project for our Workplace Innovation project, Dan, Brian and I have decided to try blogging. We figured it would help us get our ideas out of our heads, give us a place besides the Discussion board to bounce ideas off of (maybe others out there will offer some input) and just generally be our thinkpad for creative and innovative inspiration.
Enjoy!
As part of our final project for our Workplace Innovation project, Dan, Brian and I have decided to try blogging. We figured it would help us get our ideas out of our heads, give us a place besides the Discussion board to bounce ideas off of (maybe others out there will offer some input) and just generally be our thinkpad for creative and innovative inspiration.
Enjoy!
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