Welcome to the Step by Step Guide for turning the Power Innovation Formula into Transformational Action  

  On the following pages we shall unpack each step in the Power Innovation Formula so you can start with a fuzzy situation or complex problem, opportunity or challenge you are facing and work through until you get an action plan that will transform the situation into tangible results. Please consider early on getting the others impacted in some way with the decisions you will be making so they will find it easier to accept the solution much more readily.  Consider printing this pdf guide so you can write on it and refer back to it as you walk through each step or stage.  Let’s get started!   

1 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

Fact Finding  Write down in your own words what you see currently as the situation, problem, challenge or opportunity you are facing. The situation is:     

 1. Establish the FACTS -- Collect on a flip chart, post it notes, on a whiteboard or mind map 

the answers to each of these questions. Give yourself plenty of time, especially if working with a team, for each person to be able to contribute to each answer. (If the group is large enough, have teams of three or four work simultaneously on each question except the last, then rotate the group in 5 minute intervals to another question until everyone has had the opportunity to see each other’s contributions and then answer the last question together. 

Wisdom Asking Questions: 

a. What do we know or think we know about the situation? b. What don’t we know we wish we did? c. If we were to solve this situation, what would we have we don’t have now? d. What would be the ideal final result? (Customers, Stakeholders, Family) e. What have we tried already? f. What are the contradictions/conflicts the facts present, if any? g. What assumptions have we made, perhaps unnecessarily? h. What are the most interesting facts and revelations based upon the Fact Finding? 

The most interesting facts and revelations are:

2 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

Problem Defining Restate the initial situation that emerged from the Fact Finding. How do you see the situation now?

2. Define the PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY/CHALLENGE (PROBOPPCHA) 

a. Turn statement into a question starting with “How might we............?” or “ In 

what ways could we..........?” 

 

 

b. Ask yourself or preferably the team “Why is it important that we fix this?”(perhaps more than once until you get a sense of the importance of the issue.) 

 

 

 

 

 

   

3 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

c. Ask yourself or preferably the team “What is stopping us from resolving this 

issue?”(perhaps more than once until you get a sense of the inhibitors/restrictions) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

d. Restate the new definition of the situation as an opportunity or challenge. (Put it in the form of a question which begins with, “How might we............?” or “ In what ways could we..........?” (Write down some alternative perspectives of the question if this might help clarify what the proboppcha is) 

  

   

4 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

 

Idea Generation

  3. Generate IDEAS/OPTIONS 

a. Hold a “blue sky” or “green light” session where anything goes, and shoot for 1

25+ ideas that might move us towards answering the question above. b. Do this in a fixed time frame to generate idea fluency . 

2

c. Mind mapping and post it notes work well for quickly generating loads of ideas without judgement. (Go to following page for more space to write down or collect ideas and options) 

   

1 “blue sky” or “green light” session – this is divergence thinking – when held properly, all participants can say anything they want about the situation in form of ideas to resolve the proboppcha. No one can criticize or judge any suggestion. Everything is accepted as being of value and therefore captured somewhere for evaluation later. (usually on post it notes or in a mind map) 2 Idea fluency – this means that once someone says something that is not being judged, it will spark ideas in other people as well which flows from the first idea. Mention “green” for instance, and right away one person may say “tree” another “grass” another “money”.

5 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

Options I have (At least 25) --  Use a Mind Map if this would help your creativity! 

6 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

Solution Gathering 4. Gather SOLUTIONS and identify RISKS 

a. Use Convergent Thinking to narrow down the choices. One way if consensus is 3

needed and you have the time, get each person to select their top three and see which ideas get the most votes. 

b. You can also use the Decision Making Grid on pages 13 and 14 as a way of selecting the best solution, and some risk assessment tools to further narrow down the choices. 

   

3 Convergent Thinking is defined as the process of finding the best solution to a problem, first coined by Joy Paul Guilford according to Wikipedia.

7 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

 

Acceptance Gaining

5. Get ACCEPTANCE and agree ACTION plan for the way forward  a) Use your influencing, decision making and consensus gaining skills and processes 

to ensure stakeholders are on board and supporting the chosen solution and plan.  b. Consider using the One Page Planning Tool: 

 Our Vision 

   

8 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

 

9 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

  

MY CURRENT SITUATION AS OF ...................................... 

Threats – What external factors would deter from achieving the Vision?       Opportunities – What external factors would propel towards the Vision?        Weaknesses –  What internal factors would hinder our performance to complete the Vision?       Strengths – What strengths do we have that we could use to achieve the Vision?             

 

   

10 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

MY GOALS / OBJECTIVES   

 Name 

  

 

      ⇒ LONG TERM ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●    ⇒ MEDIUM TERM ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●    ⇒ SHORT TERM ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●   

    

11 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

ONE PAGE PLANNER ACTION PLAN 3. OPTIONS        1. VISION A  B  C  D  E  F  G  

4. OBJECTIVES (S.M.A.R.T.)     LONG       TERM     MEDIUM     TERM      SHORT   TERM   2. STATUS QUO    5. PLAN OF ACTION Threats      WHAT                    Opportunities      WHO                    Weaknesses      WHEN                    Strengths      WHERE                          HOW       

(Additional Blank Planner for General Use) 

    

12 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

ONE PAGE PLANNER ACTION PLAN 3. OPTIONS        1. VISION  A  B  C  D  E  F  ____________________________________  G 

4. OBJECTIVES (S.M.A.R.T.)     LONG       TERM     MEDIUM     TERM      SHORT   TERM   2. STATUS QUO    5. PLAN OF ACTION Threats      WHAT                    Opportunities      WHO                    Weaknesses      WHEN                    Strengths      WHERE                          HOW       

Decision Making Grid for Narrowing Options and Finding a Solution

   

  Step 1: Characteristics or Attributes needed/wanted in column 1 Step 2: Decide and mark either Absolute or Desirable in column 2 Step 3: Put names of options in next columns Step 4: If an option has a X in an Absolute area, eliminate it as a solution; in the Desirable area, rate on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being highest Step 5: Nominate the best solution or do a Risk Factor Analysis (See Next Page)  

    

13 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

Ideal Final Result Characteristics 

Criteria:   Absolute (A) or Desirable (D) 

Option  A 

Option  B 

Option C 

Things as they   are now 

a. Stakeholders Satisfied 

           

                                 b. Timing                                            c. Costs                                            d. Other                                 Total Points           

 

OUR CHOSEN COURSE OF SOLUTION:/DECISION (State it here)

  Managing the Risks – Risk Analysis Possible adverse consequences of the chosen solution/decision: 

Probability – Assign a rating to ‘Probability’ 1 = Not likely to happen 5 = Very likely to happen Seriousness – Assign a rating to ‘Seriousness’  1 = Nuisance 5 = Seriously impairs effectiveness in the organization Factor – Factor is Probability multiplied by Seriousness 

Notes 

4 Prevention / contingency plans are formulated to deal with situations where risk is particularly high. In extreme cases the factor may be so high that the solution is rejected and alternatives sought. 

14 Adapted from Dale Carnegie and Min Basadur models, from his book, The Power of Innovation and Darrell Mann’s “Systematic Innovation”

Adverse consequence  P  S  F  Prevention / contingency plan  4