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From Innovationclass
Innovative Organization
In general my ideal small innovative organization of 25 people must be based on the generation and support of ideas through teamwork. The only way to move forward is to work together as a group. It will need to be a very close tight knit atmosphere. Working with a family feeling will help broaden expression and increase dependability. The most efficient structure would be an office with a large common area centrally located and used for brainstorming and meeting. It would be a very informal space where the workers could be comfortable and expressive. The seating will be bean bags and couches surrounded by easily accessible tables. Large dry erase boards surround the room to utilize brainstorming. There would also be individual offices surrounding the meeting area. The individuals will have the opportunity personalize their own office for private creativity. Physical communication will be mandatory to strengthen relationships and connectedness. The focus is on face to face communication because the generation of ideas can be based on interaction with other people. There will only be phones available to communicate with external people. The values of the organization would be based on respect and acceptance. The only way to be successful with a team mentality is through the exploration of the ideas of others. No one can do it alone. Comfort and creativity come with support and confidence. The company will also be diverse to get varying opinions and perspectives. The hierarchy of power would consist of everyone having the same power and input except for two directors who keep the group on task and organized. These are the people the employees report to. The employees will have the opportunity to work individually and in small groups. In having almost everybody possess the same power will help promote the idea of team over individual. In order to remain innovative change must be accepted. Changes will be constant. The employees and physical space/ structure must be able to adapt to transformation. Nothing will be set in stone. Evaluations of the company will warrant any needed changes.
Innovative Company and Blogs
I decided to research #4, Toyota. As a company, Toyota exhibits multiple examples of innovation. Their innovative problem solving has developed into major success in the automobile world. The company has expanded into different worldwide markets to optimize productivity. In addition to manufacturing automobiles to the public the company also develops cars for motorsports (NASCAR, formula one racing, and rally cars) and even robots which is why Toyota is one of the largest conglomerates in the world. However their most notable innovation has been the advancement of hybrid vehicles. Of late Toyota has been spearheading the progression of cleaner burning vehicles. Toyota is one of the largest companies to push hybrid vehicles, and the first to commercially mass produce and sell these vehicles. The increase in production of hybrid/ gas-electric vehicles has established the Toyota Prius as one of the world's greenest cars. Toyota's principles of quality and reliability plus environmentally sensitivity have made them one of the most innovative companies.
Blogs: 1. Idea Flow http://ideaflow.corante.com/ Idea Flow is centered on creativity. The Christmas tree design contest Allows the freedom of originality to break away from traditional trends and thinking. 2. Imaginatik http://www.imaginatik.com/ This blog focuses on collaborative innovation and idea management through research insights. They are built to provide enterprise scale solutions to large organizations. I found this interesting because they are providing innovation on such a large scale that it could be implemented to big companies and organizations. 3. Future Lab http://blog.futurelab.net/ Future Lab focuses on marketing and strategy innovation. I thought it was interesting the link they made between insights leading to inspiration. 4. Outside Innovation http://outsideinnovation.blogs.com/ Outside innovations is unique because it is based on the customers leading the design of the business processes, products, services, and business models. Customer-led innovation can be useful because that means that more ideas and insights can be used to achieve the ultimate goal. 5. Nussbaum On Design http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2005/11/a_massive\\ _innov.html Nussbaum is at the center of a global conversation on the growing discipline of innovation and the deepening field of design thinking. 6. Corporate Innovation Forum http://www.managementlogs.com/corporate_innovation.html This blog is about how to use innovation to `makeover' an organization. They profess that innovation comes from a combination of innovative ideas. 7. Venture Capital Caf������© http://www.vccafe.com This blog focuses on Israeli tech startup news from experts. I found it relevant because advancements in technology are a huge part of culture today. The engagement of users is a goal that companies strive for. 8. Creativity And Innovation Driving Business - The Innovation Index http://creativityandinnovation.blogspot.com/2006/10/toyotas-innovation-factory.h\\ tml This blog is relevant because it highlights Toyota's innovation processes. In particular they say, "Innovation at Toyota has to do with the history, foundation, guiding principles and practice." 9. Permanent Innovations Blog http://www.permanentinnovation.com/blog/2007_04_01_archive.html Toyota's clarity of thinking has dethroned GM as the world's #1 carmaker after 76 years. They argue that cars don't mean the same thing to people anymore. 10. Centre For Design Innovation http://www.designinnovation.ie/blog/?p=13 "By constantly questioning how you do things, by constantly tweaking, you don't outflank your competition next quarter. You outflank them next decade."
Feb. 21 (1) Class Summary
Today we continued to develop our culture of innovation. The discussion focused on methods that IDEO uses and how we can implement the same principles. 1) The encouragement of wild ideas: Wild ideas can lead to inspiration and fresh thinking. It is very beneficial to capture and writer everything down. 2) Defer judgment: Judgment is an innovation killer. If you fail early you succeed sooner. 3) Build on ideas of others: Great work is accomplished by hot teams. 4) Be visual: Utilize the white boards, photos, post-its etc. 5) Quantity: The best way to get good ideas is to get a lot of ideas. To conclude class we discussed the idea of mind (social) vs. brain (physiological).
