Welcome to the Proven, Practical, Profitable Innovation podcast! I am Richard and I thank you very much for taking time out of your busy day to listen to this podcast. My goal is to make sure you get a high return on your time investment listening to this podcast. I want you to immediately be able to use the information in this podcast to help you sell more and make more.
So, what is this podcast series about? There are three things you should know about how I want to help you with this podcast. In selecting what to share with you in these podcasts I’ve had three criteria – proven, practical, and help you sell more and make more.
- First, it is about innovation in its broadest meaning – whenever you need ideas to make something that exists better and/or to develop something entirely new.
- Second, I share with you the absolute best and most helpful innovation insights I’ve learned from a decades long career. My career started at Procter & Gamble as a senior leader and executive for 16 years, moved on to be Ernest Gallo’s vice president of marketing for 10 years, then taught in the school of management at Arizona State University for six years, and I have been a leader in the innovation consulting business for almost 2 decades helping both Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurs.
- Third, this podcast is designed to help a startup or an entrepreneur with a growing or struggling business or someone working in a very large business. The help in this podcast works equally well if you’re selling products directly to consumers or to other businesses.
Quick overview of what you will learn today:
The research supporting quantum idea generation.
-
- Oklahoma State University research studies: two studies, in both cases there was a test and control, control used brainstorming and the test used quantum idea generation methodology—with the same project. Bottom line: quantum idea generation methodology produced 12 times more ideas than brainstorming.
- Version 1.0 developed by Doug Hall the founder of Eureka Ranch, which has been one of the leading innovation companies in America.
- The company and the quantum idea generation methodology have been featured twice on NBC’s Dateline program.
- Eureka Ranch inventing sessions for many of the Fortune 100 and 500 companies. It is why these companies went to Eureka Ranch – generate many high quality new product ideas in a very short period of time.
- Innovate2Grow Experts/i2Ge: while Doug developed version 1.0 of quantum idea generation, my company developed version 2.0, which will be shared with you in these podcasts. Like Eureka Ranch, we’ve used this with many Fortune 500 companies plus many smaller companies, including a local plumbing company.
- In these podcasts I will highlight the major improvements were made in version 2.0.
- Oklahoma State University research was done on version 1.0. We strongly believe that if the same research were duplicated today version 2.0 would easily be over 15 times more ideas than brainstorming – with the vast majority of additional ideas being truly breakthrough, out-of-the-box ideas.
The four critical components of quantum idea generation.
-
- Diversity: the right kind of diversity fuels a major expansion of idea generation. One of the biggest improvements we made with version 2. 0 was to dramatically expand and improve the quantity and quality of diversity. We will go into lots of detail on diversity in podcast 2.
- Stimulus: stimulus is critical to getting people to think bigger and differently. This is another area where there were significant improvements from version 1.0 to 2.0. Podcast three will dive deep into this important topic.
- Brain type: for a long time you’ve probably heard that there are “creative types” or that you’re either born creative or not born creative. This is hogwash. Almost everyone can be equally creative but they are creative in different ways. Podcast four will explore this important topic.
- No fear, only fun: fear goes beyond stifling creativity – it kills creativity. In a session you need to prevent fear and make sure that there is a high level of fun. Podcast five will explore how you can have highly productive fun in idea generation.
How quantum idea generation can help you every single week.
-
- More & better Innovations
- Anytime you need many high-quality ideas in a short period of time.
- Quantum idea generation requires modest preparation time and then actual idea generation happens much faster than brainstorming. Examples:
- Marketing: a meeting to develop improvements to last year’s promotion plan plus entirely new promotion ideas.
- Manufacturing: a meeting to develop a range of options for quickly installing new manufacturing capability.
- Sales: a meeting to develop breakthrough ideas to sell a new customer that could potentially become your biggest new customer.
- HR: a meeting to develop ideas for an improved plan to communicate this year’s employee benefits.
In Review:
-
- Quantum idea generation is proven in university studies and in the real world to generate 12 times more ideas than brainstorming. I noted that the major improvements made in version 2.0 would probably produce 15 times more ideas than brainstorming.
- There are four critical components of quantum idea generation – diversity, stimulus, brain type, and no fear. Each of these will be covered individually in subsequent podcasts.
As you will learn, the basic principles can be used spontaneously in a meeting or if time is available develop a more comprehensive use of the quantum idea generation process. Net – many, many more big, high quality ideas in a short period of time as compared to brainstorming.