The need for continuous innovation especially in this 21st-century business environment is becoming inevitable. The customers are becoming more powerful compared to decades ago where customers only have limited options to choose whom to buy from or influence the price of products or services. This power certainly is pushing businesses to continually come up with unique ways to consistently deliver value to their customers. Businesses that are able to deliver outstanding values are immediately put in a better position to compete better and retain more market share. To deliver value, there is a need for innovation. Innovation however is made possible by gathering ideas that can lead to innovating new products or services. So how do you as a facilitator that has been assigned by your organization plan and handle a successful innovation session? Here are the things you could consider
1. Be clear on what exactly your company is trying to achieve. Is your company trying to build a new product, service, or come up with a new method? Knowing exactly what your organization is trying to achieve can help you focus the resources available to you more effectively.
2. Identify your participants. Knowing your participants can give you an idea of what to expect. Having participants from finance, HR, supply chain, marketing, IT, and top management in an innovation session to brainstorm on developing a product will give you an idea of what to probably expect.
3. Reach out to all participants before the session. Getting in touch with the participants before the session can be a good gesture and connection that can be helpful during the session. Doing this will make each participant believe that you truly value their time and contribution. People like it when they are recognized and appreciated. Also, this will help you provide each participant with information on what exactly the company is trying to achieve and why you believe their expertise is needed during the session. In most cases, participants will begin to come up with ideas before the session.
4. Create an enabling environment. Choose the appropriate location and room that will allow participants to bring out their strength. If you have enough time before the session, take out time to meet with each participant in order to understand their strength and weakness. When you create an enabling environment that brings out the strength of your participants, creativity will flow much easier.
5. Select the appropriate activities. Select activities that would encourage creativity. Certain activities can also help you maintain the focus of your participants on the reason everyone has been brought together.
6. Make sure you attribute the success of the session to the entire participants. Let everyone know that the collective ideas made the success of the session possible. This way, you make all participants feel appreciated and proud to be part of something great.
7. Keep them updated. Keep your participants updated with the progress of how the ideas gathered are being implemented. Doing this again will make them feel valued and if for any reason you get assigned to lead another session in the future, you will benefit from the good relationship you have built. Avoid coming across as a user whose interest is only on gathering ideas and care less about the participants.
I hope you find this short article useful. Thank you.
