Convergence Insights
From: Anthony Carter, Motorola
Sometimes the road to innovation requires that people struggle and learn together as they bond as a group. You don't always have to know the end view in mind but to simply have the intent on making innovation is enough to start the process. "Clay Street Project."
From: Linda Warner, Wachovia
Being in a service industry, I was of course "wowed" by Jeneanne Rae. Her speech triggered quite a few ideas for me! The biggest insight I got from her was to show customers how your service provides solutions and you must create a winning customer experience and commit to it.
Daniel Pink, a phenomenal speaker, detailed a compelling change to come in business where jobs that require creativity will stay in the U.S. and people with these skills will be highly sought after. I was shaken up a bit by this revelation. Most businesses, mine included, want the MBAs....those with strong organizational, mathematical, logical thinking skills...not those who are seem as daydreamers, big thinkers, etc. There's hope for me yet!!
James Damian taught me innovation is not difficult if you listen to your customers and make it simple. Hearing how Best Buy brought him in and how they are changing their model was intriguing. I loved hearing about their new store for women, and have even talked to some of my female friends about it and they love it!!
From Art Paton, Motorola
The conference was very good. I learned some valuable things from speakers there.
The most enlightening were Daniel Pink (Abundance, Asia, Automation) and Alan Webber (do something of significance). Both set a tone to aim higher than we are currently doing. Look at the future and become a contributor that cannot be displaced and also make it one of significance.
If we all innovate in the space that enables people to do this, then we all achieve a sustainable future... Good stuff.
From Scot Morrissey, Log Cabin Democrat
I am hours away from presenting our budget to our corporate officers and the effect the conference had on me is profound.
I will be speaking directly to the thought leaders of our company and my presesntation will be centered on the absolute need to focus on the right brain. The creative and the connection with the customer wants and needs. Reaching towards fulfilling the contextual wants and the deeper meanings and truths.
From Tim Spencer, Weyerhaeuser
Dan Pink's presentation was my big AHA moment. Significantly changes the way I think about my own career and the coaching I give my college age son.
From Chuck Lage, Project Management Institute
Insights - We often hear you need support from the top leadership however; one speaker on culture spoke about the required support from your immediate supervisor. I think this is critical since if your supervisor does not see the value of innovation and is critical of time-spent thinking about new ideas you will probably stop offering suggestions.
I was amazed but pleased to see the number of companies forming on-line idea banks to capture and catalog ideas. These sites tend to allow others to contribute to posted ideas.
From Dana Wolcott, Kodak
1) 'learn to observe our own observations to help make thinking visible', Linda Yaven - I'm going to try to incorporate into our new 'inspiration room'
2) 'leadership is making sense, not decisions' - Alan Weber - leaders need to hear this one
3) 'studio D, the art of digital living for females' - James Damian
4) 'umbuto = I am what I am because of you' - David Kuehler - a lesson for team work or play or relationships
From Debra Kavchak-Taylor, Molson Canada
A theme I picked up from several speakers: Words matter. Whether it’s articulating your business question, your strategy, or what you do as a company. A key challenge I’ve taken away is to redefine the business that you are really in (for example, FedEx isn’t in the transportation business, they are in the peace of mind business).
From Patrick Garinger, Johnsonville
Open Innovation - We will be trying Nine Sigma in the near future. I also had a great idea presented to me during a networking session which was a result of cascading off another idea. The Convergence needed more networking time in the evening between people attending. Great discussions will result when you take the R/D techies and thought leaders and put them into a mix. I feel i missed many great insights from a group of brilliant minds - CPSI has learned this and presents many more networking opportunities.
From Shelley Shepherd, Convenience Foods, FLNA
Right brain thinking will rule--huge (happy) implications for who will be valued in the future (and very encouraging) -also on a personal note - really helped me with the struggle I am having with my 3rd grader getting 1.5 hours of homework every night, 4 tests every week and huge pressure to "get A's" (I am Canadian, from Toronto and the pressure on left brain performance is way more intense in Chicago
Inspiration from James Damian and David Kuehler about how big, boring businesses (Best Buy, P & G) will listen and embrace new ways of thinking (women/Clay St) and even invest/test them - it gives one hope that things can change in big corporations.
I really enjoyed the conference.
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