Terri Lonier

The Craft of Innovation

Articles

By Terri Lonier

The Price of Preparation

Test grid with pencil

It’s 8:30 on a just-turned-Spring morning and a former colleague is about to take part in one of the most stressful experiences of his life. He’s sitting in a spacious vanilla-colored classroom in downtown Chicago, armed with four pencils, a bottle of water, a small pencil sharpener, and no other electronic devices. He’s nervous but excited. The moment has arrived.

My colleague is taking the Law School Admissions Test or LSAT. This half-day intensive exam assesses reading comprehension and logical reasoning, and it is an integral part of law school admission in the United States. These LSAT scores will determine the caliber of law school he will attend — and by extension, will also influence future professional and life opportunities. The stakes are high, but he’s ready. He’s been preparing for more than half a year.

Learning How to Learn

An entire industry has grown up around test preparation. There are scores of books, consultants, and online test prep courses. My colleague has used these as a foundation, but his aim is high and he knew it would take more. So over the past six months, during the grey and dreary Chicago winter, he’s been getting stronger — in mind, body, and spirit. Yes, he took practice tests, in fact, more than 40 of the full three-hour exams and another 20 of timed section drills. He explains that it’s not only about getting familiar with the subject, but also knowing how to perform on the test, particularly regarding the time constraints. “You have to learn how to do things very quickly, but also accurately,” he says. “There’s no memorization,” he adds. It’s about reasoning skills.”

Beyond Mental Preparation

The mental preparation was only part of his rigorous training, however. He also started getting more fit by working out at the gym more regularly, paying closer attention to his diet, and getting more sleep. Each day, staying focused on the goal.

While the physical preparation was key, another element was the mindset. “I wanted to be prepared to handle the nerves, and really deliver what the exam asks — to make reasoned, logical decisions under extremely tight time constraints,” he says. Now, with the testing complete, the waiting begins. In a few weeks he’ll know his scores and then face new decisions about how to proceed.

Chances are you’re not taking an LSAT anytime soon. But you likely are facing some major project deadline or important decision in the next six months. Let my colleague’s discipline inspire you. How are you preparing for that moment in mind, body, and spirit?

Your challenge this week: Review the major decisions or events that you will undertake in the next six months. How can you best prepare to face them?

By Terri Lonier

Innovation and Constraints

boundary line

Innovation thrives on constraints. Ideas that are bounded can flourish. Creativity blossoms when parameters are defined.

When I share this thinking with innovation clients, they often shake their heads and say, No, Terri, you don’t understand. We’d be fine if only we had… more budget, more time, more people, more support. 

But unlimited resources can be the death of new ideas. When anything is possible, where to begin? We could do this. Or that. Or maybe even that. A wide-open playing field can be terrifying — and stifling.

Constraints Provide Clarity

A painter is bounded by the size of a canvas. A playwright has a three-act structure. A musician has 12 notes. While these parameters can be adapted for artistic license, creative professionals understand that these restrictions provide an important launchpad for expression.

When designers take on a project for a client, the first order of business is to prepare a creative brief. This document captures the goals and boundaries of the project. For example, a client says they need a website. OK, the designer replies, let’s talk about the parameters. What will be its intended result? Who are the targeted visitors? Will you be the only one contributing content? Who will be managing it? Does it need to fit in with existing brand identity? Will you be doing e-commerce from this site? What budget has been allocated to this project? Have you established a timeline? All these questions, and many more, take an amorphous idea — we need a website — and transform it into a project that can be planned and executed.

Boundaries Fuel Innovation

Similarly, innovation projects that begin with wide-open brainstorming — let’s get everyone in the room and see what emerges — can bring frustration and disappointing results. In contrast, approaches such as Outcome-Driven Innovation focus on customer value creation and clearly defined measurable results. Asking “What do you want this to do for you?” has become one of my most important early questions when working with clients. It signals: Let’s get clear on what you want to achieve, and what the boundaries are. Then we can creatively move forward.

The next time you find yourself lamenting the fact that you don’t have a resource — whether time, money, staff, support, or something else — reframe the situation by thinking like a creative professional. How can this balance of innovation and constraints spur you to be more creative?

My challenge for you this week: Review the limitations you perceive in your work in a new light. Wear the hat of an artist or designer and gain inspiration from constraints.

By Terri Lonier

Regret Minimization Strategy

silhouette of signposts implying making decisions

How did Jeff Bezos make one of the most important decisions in his life? His approach can be adopted by innovators in every field.

In the early 1990s Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, recognized the potential of the emerging tech development called the Internet. At the time, he was working at a New York City quantitative hedge fund, a type that uses algorithms and data-intensive methods for making trading decisions. It was a stable and lucrative position, with hefty annual bonuses. But Bezos had an idea for starting a company that would sell books online. He was looking for a framework that would help him decide which path to pursue. Should he stay or go?

20/20 Hindsight

In retrospect, we can all say his decision to leave and start an internet company was a great one. Look at what Amazon has become and how Bezos is now the wealthiest person in the world. Rewinding the clock, however, makes us realize that the decision was not so clear back then. How did Bezos — a self-described nerd who based his entire career success on quantitative data — decide to make the move?

Bezos developed a framework he calls his “Regret Minimization Strategy.” He looked ahead to age 80 and focused on minimizing the number of regrets he would have. “I knew that I was not going to regret having tried to participate in this thing called the Internet, which I thought was going to be a really big deal. And if I failed, I wouldn’t regret that,” he says. “But I knew the one thing I might regret is never having tried. I knew that would haunt me, every day.” 

Making Decisions Easier

Framed in this way, Bezos explains, “it was an incredibly easy decision” because it took him out of the “daily pieces of confusion,” such as walking away from his annual bonus that year. “If you think about the long term, you can make really good life decisions” in this way, he adds. (You can watch Bezos explain this strategy in a classic two-minute YouTube videothat also includes his trademark laugh.)

I learned about Bezos’ framework many years ago, and it has guided several big life decisions for me, including returning to school to get a PhD in my 40s, taking several high-profile academic positions, and relaunching my consulting firm. Regrets minimized.

My challenge for you this week: Review the big decisions you might be facing and consider how the Regret Minimization Strategy may work for you.

By Terri Lonier

The Best Way to Generate New Ideas

collection of woodworking tools

In working with hundreds of CEOs, entrepreneurs, corporate innovators, and creative professionals over the years, I’ve discovered a single process that works best for generating new ideas for products, services, or companies. No, it’s not plastering a wall with Post-It notes. Nor is it a general brainstorming session, where every crazy idea is pitched in hopes that it will inspire some genius insight.

[Read more…] about The Best Way to Generate New Ideas

By Terri Lonier

Meet the Creative Canvas

Creative Canvas 3.0

Do you have a creative project idea and are overwhelmed at where to start?
The Creative Canvas is for you.

The Creative Canvas is an idea exploration and planning tool for creative projects. I first developed the Creative Canvas in 2017 to help artists, designers, and other creative professionals gain clarity on their work, and to guide them in transforming their ideas into reality.

The Creative Canvas is based on two other popular business management templates, the Business Model Canvas (BMC) and the Lean Canvas. Both are now a standard part of every startup’s toolkit. In fact, if you visit any coworking or entrepreneurial incubator space, chances are high that you’ll see a business model canvas tacked to some wall or drawn on a whiteboard. These canvases are also used as strategic tools in nonprofits as well as at major corporations around the world.

Why a different canvas was needed

In working with art and design students, creative professionals, and others who did not have business training, I realized that a new canvas was needed. In particular, I noted three reasons:

  1. Creative projects are not always entrepreneurial products or services.
    Often these projects are centered on personal expression or social good. While they may have entrepreneurial elements, these initiatives often require thinking and planning that go beyond business considerations.
     
  2. Individuals in creative disciplines often develop projects with success measured in ways that differ from a company.
    While a company is generally focused on revenue and profits, creative projects may have different metrics. These could be as diverse as building a brand or reputation, tracking attendance or reach, charting community and social impact, or even measuring how much fun the project was to do.
     
  3. Business terminology can be confusing and intimidating to those in non-business fields.
    I wanted to demystify the language that often surrounds strategic business tools and to provide access to these powerful planning methods to a much wider audience.

Introducing the Creative Canvas, version 3.0

The Creative Canvas has been tested with hundreds of students and professionals, ranging from art and design students in studio classes and workshops, MBA students in entrepreneurship programs, and my executive consulting clients in the field. I am pleased to share with you the most recent version, the Creative Canvas 3.0. The new version reflects key refinements that address the context and competitive landscape of a project, as well as specific metrics that indicate progress toward a project’s goals.

As before, a full tutorial on how to use the Creative Canvas is included on the back of the sheet. (It is a two-page PDF download.) The file can be printed at any size, but 11×17-inch tabloid format seems to work best.

Available to share freely

I invite you to download the Creative Canvas and join the growing number of individuals who have developed their creative project from idea to successful completion using this tool. The Creative Canvas remains licensed under Creative Commons, so it is available to share freely. It’s been very satisfying to see the many projects that have arisen from using the Creative Canvas, and I look forward to hearing about yours. Thanks for spreading the word.

Make something happen,

Terri

By Terri Lonier

Innovation Teams: Homeowners, Tenants, or Arsonists?

Matchstick house on fire

Look around your workplace. Chances are, more than half of the employees are putting in time, either with a “meh” feeling about work or they’re actively disengaged. This can have an immense impact on an organization, particularly one that is trying to launch an innovation project or build an entrepreneurial culture. It’s important to select entrepreneurial mindsets for an innovation team.

Gallup’s most recent State of the American Workplace report reveals that of the 100 million full-time employees in the United States, only a third are what Gallup calls engaged at work. At the other end of the spectrum, 16% are actively disengaged. The 51% in between are at work but likely not fully present.

Do they own, rent, or destroy?

I think of these three groups as homeowners, tenants, and arsonists. Fully engaged employees are homeowners. They take initiative, feel a pride of ownership, and if something is amiss they will address the issue immediately. They have mentally bought into your efforts and will actively support your entrepreneurial goals. Their proactive, positive outlook can help you build momentum across your innovation team and your organization.

In contrast, the vast middle are tenants. They adopt a transitional attitude. If that pipe leaks or the microwave breaks, it serves their self-interest to address it. Similarly, if your innovation project can positively affect them, they’re on board. But don’t count on them being strong advocates if it doesn’t serve their own purposes.

Scariest of all are the arsonists. They are intentional, deliberate, and malicious. They will burn your house down or sabotage your project. New research shows one employee can negatively impact an entire team. This contagion can offset all the planning, focus, and resources you’ve allocated to making your efforts succeed.

Innovation team impact

As a consultant and strategic advisor, I’ve witnessed all three of these mindsets in action, in organizations large and small. Some projects soar while others stumble, due in large part to the level and quality of workplace attitudes and entrepreneurial mindsets.

In the weeks ahead I’ll be sharing more insights about building an entrepreneurial team and establishing momentum for your innovation initiative. If your project is languishing, you may need more individuals with a homeowner mindset to support you.

Your challenge this week: Review your current organizational landscape and make a list of the 6-8 individuals who are most important to your innovation initiative. Determine who is a homeowner, tenant, or arsonist, and how individually and collectively they contribute. Armed with this knowledge, make changes to increase your chances of positive results.

Make something happen,

Terri

P.S. I was pleased to be Sean Ammirati’s guest on Episode 3 of his Agile Giants podcast recently. We discussed best practices and biggest fails of Innovation Labs, my innovation advising for companies like Bosch and Oracle, who should be on an innovation team, the role of Business History, and more. Know someone who might enjoy listening? Encourage them to sign up for my newsletter.