Making Stone Soup

How to Really Make Collaborative

Innovation Happen

Jeff DeGraff, University of Michigan

Good News Bad News

Feel good comeback story Still poster child for urban blight

Rapid job growth High unemployment

30% of all US trade is with Canada Political in-fighting over access

95% of all fresh surface water in US Riparian rights and water scarcity

Viable high tech industries Lack of qualified in-State

applicants

Metropolitan areas to build on Disconnected from other areas

Among the most beautiful states in

US

Positive brand image lacking

What is the most

innovative

organization in your

book? Why?

1. Apple

2. Google

3. Microsoft

4. IBM

5. Toyota Motor

6. Amazon.com

7. LG Electronics

8. BYD

9. General Electric

10. Sony

11. Samsung Electronics

12. Intel

13. Ford Motor

14. Research In Motion

15. Volkswagen

16. Hewlett-Packard

17. Tata Group

18. BMW

19. Coca-Cola

20. Nintendo

21. Wal-Mart Stores

22. Hyundai Motor

23. Nokia

24. Virgin Group

25. Procter & Gamble

2010 1st Time Over ½ Not US

0 20 40 60 80 100

New products & services for

existing customers

New proudcts & services to

expand new customers

New to world products

Cost reductions to existing

products & services

Minor changes to existing

products & services

Priorities

Priorities

32

28

26

25

21

21

18

18

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Lengthy Development Times

Lack of Coordination

Risk-Averse Culture

Limited Customer Insight

Poor Idea Selection

Inadequate Measurement Tools

Dearth of Ideas

Marketing or Communication…

Barriers to Innovation

The most

innovative

company from

1996-2001

What if the key to

innovation in your

organization doesn’t entail STARTING

something NEW but

STOPPING something

OLD?

What would you STOP?

Leaders Visionary dreamers Clever

Optimistic

Enthusiastic

Quick on their feet

Expressive

Big-picture thinkers

Workplace Stimulating projects Flexible hours

Free from everyday constraints

New initiatives

Independent work streams

Diverse workforce

Leaders

Pragmatic

Methodical

Scientific or technical

By the book

Problem solver

Objective

Persistent

Workplace

Clear roles and

responsibilities

Logical objectives

Processes

Standards and

regulations

Ordered and structured

work

Leaders Sees potential

Builds commitment

Trustworthy Caring

Patient listeners

Participative

Respects differences Empowering

Workplace Family atmosphere

Collaborative workplace

Shared values and vision Integrates personal

goals

Informal

Teaching and coaching

Leaders Goal and action

oriented Impatient

Assertive

Driven

Decisive Challenging

Competitive

Workplace Competitive

High pressure and impact

Fast moving and high energy

Image enhancing deal making

Quantifiable results

Winners and losers

Values

Vision

Processes

Goals

The seeds of our undoing are sewn at the pinnacle of

our success.

―Joseph Schumpeter

2. Collaborate Middling Position

Perpetuate

1. Create Forward Position

Hedge

3. Control Aft Position

Optimize

2. Compete Middling Position

Perpetuate

Crisis Outstanding

Normal

20/80 20/80 80/20

Sources of Innovation

Communities, systems

and events

Shared Values

Culture, competency

and value propositions

Symbiotic participants

Leaders, inventors,

adaptors, connectors,

and financiers Collaborative Innovation

Events

Systems

Communities

The aim of Innovatrium is to

be to the business practice

of innovation what the

Juilliard School is to music,

bringing together master

artists, teachers and students

in a collaborative effort to

create new ideas, skills and

practices through a “see one,

do one, teach one” approach.

Creativity is just connecting

things. When you ask creative people how they did

something, they feel a little

guilty because they didn't

really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious

to them after a while. That's

because they were able to

connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things.

The DeGraff Hypothesis: The amount of innovation a

company produces is inversely related to the number

of PowerPoint slides or elaborate process diagrams it

makes about innovation.

www.jeffdegraff.com

www.innovatrium.org