BlueSky Thinking Summary

More than just the usage of tools, implementing innovation requires a mindset-one which accepts risk and creativity.

For David Schonthal, it is in building an enabling environment that actually leads into creating and supporting risky ideas, taking action upon them.

To build such a space, Schonthal recommends starting with a social contract, where ground rules are defined;

emulating innovative behavior from the leadership;

and going through the ideation to concrete action steps.

Playing playful exercises and finishing a meeting on a high note greases creativity and ensures follow-through.

At the same time, he tempers this with the ways in which this can go wrong: superficial commitment to innovation, loud voices drowning out quieter ones, and unbridled psychological safety devolving into complacency.

Use these tactics to move beyond innovation theater to real creative breakthroughs.

Is your innovation practice ready for a revolutionary leap forward?