ACT is proud to announce our newest programs in the area of Innovation and Creativity. ACT is applying innovation and creativity to helping organization of every shape and size to improve performance.
By combining our forces, we offer breakthrough consulting that will allow individuals and organizations to see and discover solutions:
that were right in front of them and should have been apparent but were not seen for a myriad of system’s based reasons
that were previously considered impossible
that require a totally different paradigm and perspective in order to achieve
that require connecting the dots that were not clearly related in time and place
Innovation: the basic building block of all modern businesses
Innovation and creativity have become the top billing at organizations all across the world. Innovation is the life blood of all successful growing businesses. Creativity and successful problem solving are the building blocks necessary for the constant reinvention that all businesses need to succeed. Innovation has many meanings: it can mean the premature ending of an outdated technology, as well s the unexpected birth of a new more efficient, less costly product, service or process.
In today’s internationally competitive markets, where technology is changing at the speed of light, only those companies who demonstrate ingenuity and innovation in every aspect of their entire operations will come out on top. To that end, let’s look at some of the services that ACT offers in the area of Innovation and Creativity.
1. Innovation and Creativity Definitions
In its simplest definition,Innovation is the process by which change is implemented where as Creativity is the act of coming up with something new.
So both include the act of coming up with something new – a product, service, concept, application, or process. But innovation is a step beyond creativity. To be considered innovative the something new needs to be integrated into society. When it becomes integrated in a way that allows high, constant and sustainable demand for that product, service or process, then innovation has taken place. Creativity then is a subset of innovation.
Think of the Post-it note. Many would probably say this product is not all that creative as they tend to view creativity as more a form of art. But creativity applies to all new ideas, even if they are perceived as possibly boring. But what makes the Post-it note so innovative?
In 1968 Dr. Spencer Silver along with Jesse Kops, both scientists at 3M accidentally developed a ‘low-tack’, reusable pressure sensitive adhesive. For 5 years they promoted the invention with no buy-in from others at 3M. In 1974, a colleague of theirs Art Fry, who attended one of Silver’s presentations, came up with the idea of using the adhesive to anchor his bookmark in his hymnal because he had so many papers in there that kept falling out all of the time. He thought I bet a lot of other people have problems marking their books as well. By using the invention in a new context, creatively applying it to another application, the Post-It became a best seller!
1. Junkyard Games: the outrageously fun innovation simulation
Time: 2 to 3 hours including Debrief
Method:
Junk Yard Games is a game where teams of 3 to 6 players creatively use recycled materials and junk to create their own unique interactive games right on their table using 100% materials from industrial rejects. It's all clean, "neat" stuff: thick, colorful paper cylinders, projectiles, receptacles, moving pieces, sticky-back stuff, fabric and yarn. Sorted into identical kits for each team, the collection of stuff helps highlight creativity and ingenuity, design and playfulness. Each team must send a representative to play the game
Objective:
Using their innovation skills to contemplate, create and refine their own interactive game that meets certain key requirements of the facilitator, players practice stretching their thinking outside the box (and sometimes throw the entire box away). Only by reaching for the stars creatively can teams achieve the level of innovation that they only thought possible in their dreams.
Judging will be based on multiple outcomes: training trainers, marketing, branding, accelerated learning, scientific endeavors, and many more.
Learning outcomes:
Innovation, Creativity, Motivation, Communication, Teamwork vs. Community work, Creative Repurposing, Process Improvement, Systems thinking, Managing competitive and collaborative efforts simultaneously
2. Creating Together: A Group Approach to Innovation
Length: 2.5 hours – 3 hours
Course Overview
Effective teams are able to work together toward a common goal and exciting and innovative ideas can be the result of successful teamwork. This workshop combines teamwork principles and innovative thinking to create a final project of your choosing.
The workshop will begin with 30-45 minutes of pair and small group exercises designed to get the group’s creative juices flowing while providing a foundation for applying improv methodology to innovation. The group will then be divided into smaller teams and assigned a project that will require them to work together as a creative team.
Project choices include creating a: Movie Trailer, Original Game, a Solution to a Company Challenge, Brand-new Invention or Practical Joke.
Audience
Departments or teams that work closely together and have become “stuck” in their ways of working
Any group that perceives itself as “not creative” (IT, Accounting, finance, no offense!)
Managers or supervisors who want to foster a creative group approach within their teams
Cross-functional teams that want to increase creativity and innovation
Topics Covered
Acknowledging and building on ideas in a group setting
Identify and use active listening as a tool to encourage innovation
Filtering creative ideas
After this workshop you will be able to…
Avoid getting stuck when innovating in group settings
Use effective communication approaches to improve teamwork
Know your team member, other department or brand-new people in an entirely different way!
3. Environmental Sustainability Innovation Training Team Challenge Event
Overview:
This power-packed, fun teambuilding session will combine a variety of interactive high-energy teambuilding activities specifically designed to help the Environmental Sustainability Innovation Training Team make major strides in the following areas:
Creating a culture where innovation and high levels of orchestrated risk taking are acceptable,
Focus on short and long term breakthroughs in Innovation and Creatively Solving Problems, thinking on your feet and developing new solutions and processes towards long term sustainability,
Understanding systems thinking, individual and group brainstorming as it applies to innovation (how each of your actions can dramatically impact the process of long term innovation within organization)
Encouraging Teamwork and Mutual support of a highly unified cohesive team, such that teams share best practices to improve objective or greater innovation,
Providing a Framework for Increased Communication, Managing assumptions and building trust in an innovative environment
Have lots of fun, fun, fun!!
Sample Training Day:
Out of the Box Innovative Thinking Game:
Simplified 7 Step Process of Innovation
Environmentally Sustainable Manufacturing Facility Building Contest Objective: Teams must create a Environmentally Sustainable Facility out of available material. You must create a plan for how to build in the most sustainable manner possible (e.g., reduce materials, reduce energy, use renewables, reduce wastes, or deal with materials used can be reused within the system)
Group Brainstorming
Building commences: Starting building prototype: consultation with facilitator or other groups permissible
Sharing best practices - Time out to compare your creation to others in the group
Tweak it: Final Innovation and Improvements to your prototype
Demonstrate the Structure
Major Debriefing –Review learning outcomes + application at work.
Discussion: Applying the process of innovation Environmental Sustainability Objective
4. Innovation through Improv Workshops
ACT’s Innovation and Improvisation workshops will help you to:
Manage stress by showing team members how to use humor to alter the way they look at and respond to stimuli which normally causes stress
Find the compelling story in any content material, and present that story in a persuasive and clear manner
Loosen inhibitions, raise positive awareness, and build confidence and trust among team members
Improve communication and allow for more effective listening in daily situations
Connect without judgment each other and being overly critical
Create a fun environment
Think on their feet, and become more comfortable dealing with the inevitable unknowns in the business world
Understand the importance of physical presence and body language
Identify and gain confidence in personal communications style
Generate new ideas quickly and become more innovative
Flourish and contribute in team environments by thinking “outside of the box”
Improv Applications:
Learning Development
Strategic and analytical skills are important, but your success often hinges on your ability to connect with others, solve unexpected problems in the moment, and create better ways of working. Improvisational skills are vital in business, especially in the age of virtual teams and lightning fast change. Unlike many forms of corporate learning, improvisation is fun, completely interactive and relevant to all levels of management. Our learning & development programs have helped:
An engineering organization build new products faster
A Pharmaceutical company integrate after a merger
A consulting company improve client relationship skills
A major retailer evolve to a matrixed organization structure
Ad agencies become more effective in team presentations
Event Support
Do your people prefer conference cocktail sessions to general sessions? If so, we can help you get more out of your meetings. We do more than 300 conferences and meetings a year - so we know how to engage an audience.
Clients hire us to catalyze sales meetings or launch new products. We can energize your hardworking troops or help you thank loyal customers. And we're great at celebrating company milestones.
Let us bring your meeting content to life with:
Hilarious, clean, customized sketches
Interactive keynote addresses
Executive talk show panels
Fun, relevant indoor team building activities
Speech writing and presentation coaching
Professional emcees to add polish to your event
Marketing, Management and Multimedia Breakthroughs
The best marketing has a lot in common with the best comedy. It's honest, authentic and grounded in a recognized truth. It tells a compelling story and involves the audience - figuratively and literally, if possible.
Our work stresses honesty - only then can it make people laugh and inspire action. We apply what we know about connecting with our audiences to help our clients connect with better with theirs.
Hire us to:
Objective: To understand and develop the best and most efficient processes for improving performance in any area that there is a specific need: management, marketing, customer service, sales, production, manufacturing, etc.
Process Improvement Exercises will allow your team, division and organization to:
Do more with less
Increase productivity
Meet long term and short term goals
Improve existing products, services or processes
Create spin offs and extensions of previous successes
Maximize efficiencies
Stay competitive in a diverse global market
Manage complex systems within the organization
Performing a Gap Analysis: Reduce the gap between what is real for your segment within the organization, and the ideal vision that you hold for performance
Program Synopsis:
Brainstorming Activity:
Idea refinement, Culling of concepts, Information reduction
Sharing Best Practices
Group consensus
Presentation time
Review and Large Group Discussion
2. Creatively demonstrating Goals and Objectives Celebrating Achievements creatively
Every company needs to communicate and drive certain key Goals and Objectives as well as celebrate Achievements and reward great Performance. The difficulty is that many times these presentations are dry and even boring, and they often don’t achieve the maximum motivation desired to drive the Goals and Objectives nor do they create the energy that demonstrates the valuable Achievements of your team or group. Through ACT’s Customization your team can create the Motivation and Energy that you need to drive success.
Program Synopsis
Introduction, Overview and Explanation of activity
Information Gathering - Learn & Discussion Talk time
Preparation & Innovation – Creative Presentation: Use maximum creativity: fun formats
Interactive Power point,
Original poem
Hand out questions to the audience
Role-play
Quiz show
Song
Take an audience poll
Make a 5 part very short play
Jingle
Tell a story
Game Show
Act out a scene
Improv technique – everyone presents their part
Presentation Time – A given # of preset timed presentations
Awards Ceremony
3. Customized Content/ Program Based Training
ACT creates customized content and program based training on any topic, subject or learning objective including specialized Scientific and Government learning outcomes.
Call us to discuss any of our Innovation Training opportunities
