Building Innovation Capability and Community through Play

Innovation Champion Bootcamp

Opportunity

How might we scale innovation capabilities within an organization through their network of Innovation Champions?

Role

Researched, conceptualized, designed and facilitated Bootcamp. This was work done while at Gensler with the Innovation team and client.

1. Distinguish Inner Champion Type

Awaken each champion by uncovering their individual superpowers, finding their unique voice, their kryptonite and discussing how to leverage their strengths. Through a ‘Periodic Table of Superpowers’ exercise, participants choose 2-3 ‘elements’ that best reflected their superpowers. Each element was color-coded and related to a specific Innovation Champion type:

• The Inspirer - Spreads Awareness of the Innovation Cause

• The Facilitator - Facilitates the innovation journey with people and teams

• The Investigator - Poke holes in people’s ideas to help them refine it

• The Connector - Connects people in the company ecosystem to other people and collaborators

• The Closer - Enables teams to help them make their ideas real

2. Mindset

Learn: Mindset on staying informed and up-to-date on any company and industry news.

Play: Corn Hole

Participants had to find 3 insights/news from the company. Once the news was collected, they were written on post-its that were attached to a cornhole bean bag. Each team competed against each other to be the first team to make all 3 bean bags.

3. Ideation

Learn: Identifying an opportunity, dedicating ample time to brainstorming my idea, and developing a hypothesis.

Play: Ring Toss

Participants had to fill out an Ideation storyboard based on a simulation prompt ‘How might we redesign the new bell ceremony experience?’. Once filled out, teams had to fill out an initial hypothesis sheet. Once completed, the hypothesis sheet was placed within a glass lightbulb to be the center of a game of Ring Toss.

4. Research and Collaboration

Learn: Conducting external research, utilize the “power of the crowd” to amass feedback on my idea, and develop a pitch to effectively demonstrate my idea’s unique value proposition.

Play: Hot Potato

Participants had to quick read 3 external articles and create an iteration on their idea. Each team rotated tables except for one person who stayed behind to pitch their idea to the visiting group. Through a game of Hot Potato, whoever caught the Mr. Potato would have to offer a piece of feedback on the idea and afterwards plug in a Mr. Potato feature. The goal was to have the most complete Mr. Potato, encouraging teams to utilize the power of the crowd.

5. Experimentation

Learn: Build proofs of concept for my idea.

Play: Playdoh + Pipecleaner Prototypes

Participants build out their concept with the intention of communicating their idea to others and iterating through building.

6. Implementation

Learn: Develop a plan on how to evaluating and updating my concept once I implement it.

Play: Shoot the Moon Game

Participants filled out a canvas on Setting Measures of Success and then competed in games of Shoot the Moon under a time limit. Teams had to establish which level (300,500,1000,5000) they wanted to aim and end by the time timer’s up.

7. Bootcamp Awards

Tallying the team scores based on their performance in each game, Awards were distributed to each team.

8. Scenario + Storyboard

An action-oriented scenario in which the Innovation Champions get to respond to three real life innovation challenge scenarios: Innovation Hell, Innovation Chaos and Innovation Ghosttown.

9. Graduation

Have Innovation Champions ‘graduate’ by committing to a pledge on how they will practice what they learned in the Bootcamp.

“I pledge to build my network to help break
down walls”