Ideation Podcast

In this episode of the Ideation Podcast, Bryan & Shannon Miles, Co-Chairs and Co-Founders of BELAY, share their remarkable story of moving on an idea during an economic downturn and building one of the most successful premium staffing companies in the industry. Topics in this podcast include taking calculated risks, pivoting and iterating at key moments, building virtual workforce and cultures that thrive, marriage and business, understanding cash flow, transitioning from running a company to owning it, and emerging skills needed for entrepreneurs to thrive in our new world. 

In this episode of the Ideation Podcast, innovation consultant Vijay Kumar discusses how organizations and individuals can apply design thinking when developing creative solutions to problems. Here are the show notes from this episode:

How to Overcome the Obstacles of Executing Human-Centered Design 

Avoid Blind Spots

Organizations must be careful not to develop narrowed-thinking when creating innovations to solve problems.

Building Innovations for People

Rather than focusing on the problem, innovators should have a clear understanding of the end user.

Practice Empathy

Innovators have a high level of empathy in order to understand how and why a customer will use a product or service. Develop a clear understanding of the end user and avoid making decisions based on assumptions.

Think of Innovation’s Environment  

Take a step back and ask who will use the product or service and in what context. Understanding the entire context and environment in which a product or service exists is key to developing a successful innovation.

Breeding a Culture of Innovation at Your Workplace

“Cultivating an innovative culture is the most difficult challenge any organization faces and the biggest challenge to being successful in your innovation.” says Kumar.

Empower the Individual

Empowering individuals to be champions of innovative actions will help organizations succeed as a whole. Kumar uses Proctor and Gamble as one example of a company that embodies empowerment.

Make Innovation a Team Effort

Organizations should practice teamwork and approach innovative thinking as a collaborative effort. Try making your project a multidisciplinary effort, connecting individuals across departments. Innovation is often sparked when seemingly unrelated ideas intersect.

Integrate Processes

Because individuals have unique processes to approaching an issue, it is important  to develop a process that all members can agree to. Collaborative discussions that facilitate open mindedness can help companies integrate individuals into a cohesive team.

Measuring Success - 10 Types of Innovation

Kumar says that there is no single measure to an organization’s success. Organizations should review and measure innovations based on qualitative data rather than just focusing on quantitative measurements. Using the 10 types of innovations as a framework, organizations can map how successful the company has been in each area of innovation.

Resources for Further Discovery

The Design of Business by Roger Martin

The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley

Claudia Kotchka

“101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organization.

ABOUT VIJAY KUMAR

Vijay Kumar is a professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute of Design in Chicago. He is an innovation consultant, coach, and adviser to global organizations for the use of structured methods for conceiving reliable human-centered innovations and turning them into strategic plans for organizations. Kumar has dedicated his entire career to the study of strategic design planning and methods. His interest in design thinking was sparked by interactions with famous American designers Charles and Ray Earn. While attending design school in India, Kumar was fascinated by the way the designers approached innovation, realizing how the human mind makes connections for creatively solving complex problems.  Kumar has consulted to global organizations such as Autodesk, McDonald’s, Motorola, Pfizer, P&G, SC Johnson, Shell, Steelcase, T-Mobile, Target, Texas Instruments, and Zurich Financials among others. Kumar is the author of the book, “101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organization.”  He is an Honorary Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council. 

Seth Godin discusses on the Ideation Podcast how entrepreneurs and idea makers can better discover their purpose and life mission. Topics discussed in this episode include:

Creating a Mission for Your Life - Seth shares his personal journey that led him to discover his purpose.

Habits for Success - Seth explains the pitfalls of looking for a formula for success.

Practical Applications for Cultivating an Idea Mindset  - Seth lists important steps to putting ideas into action, which he covers in depth within his 4 week intensive online workshop, Alt MBA

1. How to have a perspective that is different from everyone else.
2. How to make the right decisions with practice.
3. How to persuade other people to support your ideas.

Staying True to Your Mission – Amidst Opportunity - Seth offers tips for entrepreneurs and idea makers to stay on the right path. He explains:

• Why principles are a key factor in continued success.
• “...we do our best If we know other people are watching us...And if we can just apply that principle from the first day to the last it so much easier to be consistent in what you stand for.”
• The value of learning to be different, creating your reputation, remaining consistent with your principles, and setting boundaries of what you will and will not do.

Inspiration for Pursuing a Life that Matters - Seth mentions the most important lessons that he has learned from the individuals who have inspired him the most. His list of influencers include:

Susan Piver  a writer, teacher and founder of the international mindfulness community, The Open Heart Project.

Lewis Hyde  a professor and author of The Gift.

Catherine Hoke “Cat”  the Founder of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP), a nonprofit organization that serves men throughout the Texas prison system.

John Wood - the founder of Room to Read, a global non-profit organization focused on literacy and gender equality in education. Room to Read raised a quarter of a billion dollars to build schools around the world.

Looking Ahead to the Future of Social Innovation - Seth offers his perspective on the current state of society and how it will shape the future. He weighs in on the issue of global warming and the implications it will have for us in the near future.  He also discusses how innovation in self -driving automobiles will soon change our transportation system and how artificial intelligence will usher in new possibilities, and maybe even bad outcomes in the very near future. Seth references  The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, a science fiction novel he recently read, saying “it blew me away.”

Tips to Encourage the Hustling Idea Maker - Seth provides final thoughts for those working hard to put their ideas to action, imploring idea makers to make connections now. Successfully sharing your ideas and innovations is understanding that there is much greater value in reaching a small audience than casting a wide net. He says that the key is earning the trust of a small group, and if they believe in your ideas, they will share them with their audiences. If they don’t, keep working to create something better. He says that success is achieved when you can “connect  people with something that they will connect other people with.”