INNOVATION & LEARNING 1 JB Innovation © Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action.

Innovation and Learning Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 1.What is innovation? What is learning? 2.What do you understand to be true? 3.How do you generate new ideas? 4.How do you coordinate action? Agenda Waving Flag 2

Innovation and Learning Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. Personal reflection Ponder your purpose in the world Identify personal strengths and barriers to innovation and learning Observe and note how you view the world: What you believe Lower key barriers, build key strengths, innovate and learn! 3

Innovation and Learning What is innovation? What is learning? Innovation: “Acting on ideas for a purpose” Learning: “Observing yourself and changing” Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 4

Innovation and Learning What do you understand to be true? How have your education, home, faith, recreation and work experiences influenced how you learn? Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 5

Innovation and Learning What do you understand to be true? Five Blind Men (Words follow) Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 6

7 Lyrics to Five Blind Men: (A song of a story embraced by many of the world’s faith traditions) Walking in the woods one day with five blind men a-following We came upon an elephant just resting in a glade "What have we here?“ The blind men cried, for none had ever seen one "An elephant" was my reply, 'just sitting in the shade" "An elephant" I did explain "is big and friendly, gray and slow An elephant does not forget, and sprays things with its nose" Before I could continue on, the five blind men had found it And moving with their hands and ears had made their way around it The first blind man had grabbed its leg and proudly he concluded "An elephant is like a tree, it's strong and firm and rooted" The second blind man said "Hold on, that's not what I have here" For he was feeling round the tusk and called the beast "a spear"

8 Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. Lyrics to Five Blind Men (continued): The third blind man was in the front, clinging to a trunkly nose "It's neither spear nor tree" said he, "an elephant's a hose" Around the other way beside a giant ear, the fourth blind man Stroking, found it wide and flat, and much more like a fan And lastly bringing up the rear, the fifth blind man did grab and grope And playing with the tail declared the elephant "a rope" Just right then our gentle friend, not used to such attention Got up to stretch and move a bit, and turned a ways around But when he sat back down again, the parts were out of order And each blind man was feeling parts the other four had found The first said, "Wait, what was a tree now feels much more like a spear" The second said, "That's what I thought, but now a hose is here" The third who thought he'd held the hose was fondling now a fan Which, incidentally, was a rope now to the fourth blind man

Lyrics to Five Blind Men (continued): The fifth blind man who'd held the tail was now beside a leg, you see So what he thought had been a rope was suddenly a tree And all at once the five blind men began to laugh and shout And realized that each was right and joyfully stomped about "An elephant", they sweetly sang "Is all these things And much, much more" The sum of which is greater than the parts we'd felt before It just depends on where you stand" they said, and then they turned To thank the gentle giant for the lesson they had learned So off we went, the five blind men and me, out in the wood But this time I was following them, as humbly as I could For they had blessed me with a gift, a sparkling truth revealed Whatever you might think you see Depends on where you stand. And how you feel. 9 Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action.

Innovation and Learning Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 10 What do you understand to be true?

Rules Do not lift pen. Keep the lines straight Keep the relative (square) orientation of the dots Hints (for thinking in different ways) All Rounds: Observe yourself [Thinking, Feeling, Being & Believing] 1 st Round: Try something 2 nd Round: Think systemically [Elements interact for a purpose] 3 rd Round: Borrow a brain A 5-line solution Thinking in different ways Innovation and Learning Just do it! Build on it Build on ideas with “Yes / And” The nine dot exercise: Purpose, task, goal is to connect the nine dots with as few straight lines as possible Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 11

Lessons from nine dot exercise 1.Ask: “What is needed and why?” “What is the purpose?” 2.Check the context, judgments and assumptions 3.Think systemically and analytically 4.Seek the next ‘right’ answer 5.Borrow a brain 6.Act A 5-line solution Thinking in different ways Innovation and Learning The nine dot exercise: Purpose, task, goal is to connect the nine dots with as few straight lines as possible Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 12

Innovation and Learning How good are you at making mistakes, laughter and embracing the possibility of being wrong? How do you generate new ideas? Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 13

Innovation and Learning Ignoring constraints, what might ideal look like? If money were no object, what would you do? How do you generate new ideas? Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 14

Risking mistakes and accepting being wrong –A message from the southern part of heaven –A “wrongologist” Kathryn Schulz, “Wrongologist” Michael Jordan Innovation and Learning Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 15

Risking mistakes and accepting being wrong Michael Jordan Innovation and Learning Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 16

Risking mistakes and accepting being wrong Innovation and Learning Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 17

What is needed? What is possible? What is best? Do it! Review it! Innovation and Learning How do you innovate today? What are some barriers? Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 18 Philosophy: Do you share what you learn? Do have strong hierarchy? Do you use non-experts? Do you fail often? “Enlightened trial and error succeeds over the lone genius” Process: Do you embrace focused chaos? Do you suspend evaluation? Do you watch and ask? Do you have fun?

Innovation and Learning How do professionals innovate? How might you innovate? Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 19

IDEO’s rules for innovation – One conversation at a time – Stay focused – Encourage wild ideas – Defer judgment < penalty bell! – Build on the ideas of others Innovation and Learning Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 20

1.Innovators have a purpose and they persevere 2.Commit to take action on your personal scorecard Action Innovation and Learning Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 21

People of action Innovation and Learning The act of forgiveness lowers blood pressure Too young to know what is impossible Embraced oppressors Thank God I am … So are you When I get older I will be stronger Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 22

4. Your personal scorecard Innovation and Learning Driver: Action: Measure: Stand: Purpose Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 23

Your Innovation and Learning Driver: Health Action: Exercise Measure: Sessions / week Stand: “I will exercise 3 times per week” Driver: Learning Action: Reading Measure: Books / month Stand: “I will read 3 books per month” Driver: Faith Action: Prayer Measure: Sessions / week Stand: “I will pray 5 times per week” Driver: Wealth Action: Budget Measure: Review spending Stand: “I will review spending vs. budget weekly” Purpose EG: Reduce Suffering Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action. 24

My personal scorecard Driver: Action: Measure: Stand: Purpose 25 Innovation and Learning: Understanding, Possibilities and Action.