Chief Learning Officer - January 2008 - (Page 41)

Stage 2: Create Ideas: Participants use a question bank of “create” questions that brings them through a series of divergent exercises concluded by a convergent exercise to hone in on top ideas that will be used in the next stage for evaluation. Stage 3: Evaluate Solutions: Participants use a question bank of “evaluate” questions that brings them through a series of divergent exercises concluded by a convergent exercise to hone in on top solutions that will be used in the next stage for activation. Stage 4: Activate Plans: Participants use a question bank of “activate” questions that brings them through a series of divergent exercises concluded by a convergent exercise to hone in on top actions needed to achieve the overall goal. At the end of a workshop such as this, participants leave with actionable ideas, as well as new tools that can be used for innovation ideation in their own jobs. The goal, challenge or problem that is used in the workshop can come from the organization’s innovation focus areas or strategies. It can be product, service, process, business model or market based. The output of the workshop can flow into the organization’s existing innovation or stage-gate process. Throughout the innovation skill set description, as well as the innovation process description, questions are key. Whether one is playing an investigative, creative, evaluative or activator role in the innovation process, the questions that are used to explore the stage are critical to the result. In fact, questions have long been known as the enablers of innovation. Albert Einstein said, “To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.” The ability to “questionate” is a key skill for innovation. To “questionate” is to create, use and improve question banks. Question banks are organized collections of thought-provoking questions on a particular topic or focus area for the purpose of innovative application. Question banks capture the thought process, or intellectual capital, of many, for use by many. With action learning, such as an innovation workshop, measures that quantify the contribution of the learning organization to innovation can be easily attained and communicated. To make it easy and client-driven, ensure return on investment or a comparable, meaningful measure is used in the evaluation criteria. Follow up after the innovation workshop and build success stories that can be communicated. Most senior leaders understand the value of innovation and the culture and the skills associated with it. Middle managers typically understand it as well, but are challenged with prioritizing and operationalizing it in the context of day-to-day responsibilities. First-line managers, who direct the bulk of the workforce, are tightly caught between operational and tactical responsibilities and the need to allow time for workers to grow their skills, let alone innovate. How might the learning organization provide training, collaboration or experiential learning solutions to break through the time crunch experienced by front-line employees and supervisors? webinar Real Time Learning Join in-depth discussions on the latest methods to aid enterprise learning and strategies of leading companies. One hour long FREE webinars developed by the editors of Chief Learning Officer magazine feature the learning industry’s most influential and respected thought leaders. Nature and Nurture While the ageless debate continues around nature or nurture, the discussion will be made somewhat irrelevant by the fact that it has been shown that certain innovation skill sets can, in fact, be taught. The sooner a company takes advantage of its own internal innovative talent through development and proper job assignments, the sooner new products, services and business models can be brought to market. The learning organization is in a unique position to understand the organization’s innovation strategies and processes, and enable the skills and knowledge needed to move the organization’s innovation agenda forward. Corinne Miller is chief innovation integrator for SolutionPeople and the former director of Motorola University. She can be reached at editor@clomedia.com. To register for upcoming programs, go to www.CLOmedia.com/ events/webinars http://www.CLOmedia.com/events/webinars http://www.CLOmedia.com/events/webinars

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Chief Learning Officer - January 2008

Chief Learning Officer - January 2008 Editor’s Letter Table of Contents Imperatives Selling up, Selling Down Strategies Take Five Environment Sips of Knowledge at E. & J. Gallo Winery CLO Profile Productivity UST Global: Opening Employees’ Eyes to New Learning Tactics Applying CRM Concepts to E-Learning Human Capital Capital One: Experiences in Innovation Learning Solutions Macy’s: Using Feedback to Develop One Leader at a Time Case Study Business Intelligence Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources In Conclusion

Chief Learning Officer - January 2008

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