You can learn, practice, and perfect the skill of innovation. To keep the innovation funnel flowing, generating quality ideas is essential. On this week’s Best of Killer Innovation Series, we ask, how do you boost innovation in a team lacking confidence? One practical approach is organizing a disruptive ideation workshop. Let's explore how to create a successful one.

Condensed Boot Camp

I run an intensive four-day Innovation Boot Camp course a few times yearly. Students often request a condensed one-day version for their teams. In response, I developed the Disruptive Ideation Workshop, which focused on a disruptive approach to generate more and better ideas using the FIRE method. The workshop aims to teach the skill, apply it, and create a pipeline of ideas for the organization. Recently, we tested the workshop with 25 senior leaders with no innovation background. The results surpassed expectations, leading us to name it the “Disruptive Ideation Workshop.”

Overview of the Disruptive Ideation Workshop

Disruptive ideation means causing innovation through unconventional approaches. The workshop has two main objectives:

1. Teach a disruptive approach to ideation, significantly increasing the quantity and quality of generated ideas.
2. Apply the learned skills to the organization's real-world problem, resulting in a ranked set of disruptive ideas.

The course comprises two sections: Foundation and Skills and Application/Practice.

Foundation Section:

1. Debunk myths and mysteries surrounding innovation.
2. Develop essential innovation skills, such as overcoming self-doubt, fostering imagination, and seeing with fresh eyes.
3. Address innovation anti-bodies, such as ego, risk aversion, and resistance to change.
4. Introduce the FIRE framework:
   1. Focus: Define the problem statement clearly for relevant idea generation.
   2. Ideation: Use powerful questions to generate a multitude of high-quality ideas.
   3. Ranking: Group and identify top ideas from the pool.
   4. Execution: Refine and expand on selected ideas.

We emphasize the Ideation component.

Skills and Application/Practice Section:

Students apply the elements of the FIRE framework to an accurate problem statement.

Skills taught include:

1. FOCUS: Clearly defining the problem as a well-defined statement is crucial.
2. IDEATION: Use questions to generate more and better ideas, building upon individual contributions.
3. RANKING: Group and select top ideas from the pool.
4. EXECUTION: Expand on chosen ideas with depth and thought.

We emphasize “Adapt and Adopt,” allowing students to apply the learned skills effectively within their organizations.

Lessons from the Disruptive Ideation Workshop

Insights from conducting the workshop include:

1. The one-day format allows focused time away from daily responsibilities.
2. Crafting a solid problem statement is critical, so allocate sufficient time.
3. Limit workshop size to a manageable number of students, ideally no more than 20.
4. Establish the following steps to sustain momentum post-workshop.

Foster a community among participants to maintain a vibrant learning atmosphere.

To learn more about disruptive innovation workshops, listen to this week's show: The Best of Killer Innovations: Creating a Disruptive Ideation Workshop.