Innovation is a State of Mind Simple strategies to be more innovative in what you do

Everyone says that innovation is important. The problem is that no one tells you how to be innovative. Innovation is a State of Mind sets out a step-by-step guide to creating innovative ideas and putting them into action. You'll learn how to generate more ideas with greater potential, how to grow and evaluate them, test their effectiveness and then implement the ones that are going to improve your business.

Author James O'Loghlin has worked with over a thousand of Australia's best inventors and innovators in the eight years he hosted ABC-TV's The New Inventors. He studied what they do differently and how they are able to identify and take advantage of opportunities that the rest of us miss. Packed with engaging stories and a good dose of humour, this insightful guide helps you to make innovation a part of what you do every day.

• Change your thinking and identify overlooked opportunities
• Step around common roadblocks to innovation
• Generate better ideas, and find the ones that will improve your business
• Create a culture where innovation is part of everyone's job
• Harvest innovative ideas from the entire staff and find the ones that will make a difference

Innovators see things differently. They solve problems that the rest of us can't, and create solutions to problems that we never noticed we had. Getting stuck in routine and procedure is the death knell for modern business. Most companies undervalue and underuse the creative potential of their people, because they underestimate the impact of continuous innovation. Innovation is a State of Mind shows you how to think like an innovator and create a culture of innovation, so you can stay out in front of the future of business.

About the author ix

Preface xi

Introduction: What is innovation and why do we need it? 1

Part I: A process for innovation 7

1 Think 9

Prioritise thinking 10

What do you think about? Identifying opportunities for innovation 13

Processes and systems 15

Interactions with people 16

Notice when you feel bad 17

A method for innovation 18

Habitual thinking 21

Eight ways to break out of habitual thinking 26

1. Question everything 27

2. What assumptions are you making? 30

3. Technology is not always the answer 36

4. Reframe the question 39

5. The solutions might be right in front of your eyes 42

6. Is the answer in your data? 45

7. Think like a customer or client 51

8. Plan for failure 65

Four reasons why we don’t think enough 68

‘I don’t have time’ 68

‘I’m just not creative’ 70

‘Innovation isn’t part of my job’ 72

‘Thinking is hard!’ 73

What if you’re stuck? 79

2 Value 85

Ideas are like balloons 88

Hold the phone 89

Listen sometimes, don’t listen sometimes 90

3 Use 93

Do the next thing 94

Find the end point of each idea 95

Bring in other people 97

Sometimes you need to persist 98

4 How to pitch an idea 101

Why a pitch is important 101

Who should pitch? 102

What are you trying to achieve? 102

What you say 104

How you say it 107

Respect the fact that a good pitch is hard 107

Nervousness 108

Verbal ticks 110

If it’s important, say it like it’s important 111

PowerPoint 112

Fill the room 112

5 Innovation in your own life 117

Think 118

Value 118

Use 119

What about you? 119

Think it all through 119

Give your ideas value 121

Use your ideas 122

Part II: Creating an innovative organisation 125

6 How success and growth can discourage innovation 127

The role of management 130

Outsourcing creativity 131

7 How do you get people to think? 137

Make it clear it’s part of the job 138

Quantity not quality 139

8 If you think innovation is important, act like it’s important 145

Innovation campaigns 146

Tell people what you want them to do 146

How much direction do you give? 149

What if someone says ‘I can’t’? 150

9 Valuing ideas 153

Pitch ideas to a person, not an email address 154

Thank people for bad ideas 156

10 Using ideas 159

Set up a process 160

Ideas that are going further 163

Ideas that are not going further 164

Commit! 165

Find the end point of each idea 166

11 Reach right down 169

Conclusion: The adventure of innovation 175

Notes 177

Acknowledgements 183

Index 185

JAMES O'LOGHLIN has been a lawyer, a stand-up comedian, a television and radio presenter, a speaker and an author. James hosted The New Inventors on ABC-TV and has worked with over a thousand inventors and innovators.