Ingenuity Blitz Guide
Blitzing the Blitz
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Planned, organized, and facilitated by the 2014 Future Mavericks.
Ehsan Noursalehi, Keir Vaughan, Anthony Schmiedeler, Melina Perez, Sam Leder
Our challenge.
How might we turn Rapid Ingenuity into something anyone can use? Future’s Rapid Ingenuity Practices are currently difficult for individuals or organizations to utilize without Future’s direct assistance. The purpose of this Blitz is to explore ingenious solutions to empower anyone to utilize these practices.
OBJECTIVES
• Develop novel methods for teaching rapid ingenuity. • Provide Mavericks experience of running a Blitz • Send participants home with the ability to recreate several practices • Explore how Future can spread Rapid Ingenuity Practices • Experience should be memorable, fun, and high energy • Participants should construct physical prototypes • Participants should walk away with the story of the green watch 5
The good news is that we are all born ingenious.
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Imagine a hackathon, meets team building, meets professional development, meets leadership summit. Imagine getting six weeks of work done in three days. Imagine coming up with solutions together that you could never conceive of on your own. You’ve just imagined your Rapid Ingenuity Blitz. An intense, hands-on session designed to teach our Rapid Ingenuity Practices to your people and to produce a portfolio of ingenious solutions to challenges that matter to your organization.
The next generation of design thinking.
Be Bold aligns innovation with the strategic aspirations of your organization.
Make Stuff turns your ideas into solutions that can be shared and understood.
Get Out invites serendipity, letting people and places inspire new solutions.
Bet Small reveals what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve your innovations.
Think Wrong breaks the synaptic connections that result in the same old answers.
Move Fast taps into existing knowledge and new insights to accelerate time-to-impact.
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Day 1
MONDAY JULY 28, 2014
• • • • • • • • •
Truth + Truth = Fiction Anchors & Rockets Challenge the Challenge Asset Jam 3x3x3x3 Telephone Charades Random Word Impact vs Doability Peaks & Pits
15 min 20 min 30 min 30 min 90 min 30 min 25 min 25 min 15 min
Silicon Valley Ingenuity Lab 10am to 5pm 11
Truth + Truth = Fiction Group
15 min led by Anthony Schmiedeler
Build the ingenuity team through a fun introduction activity. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5
Give us your best pro-wrestler pose and have someone snap a pic. Cameraman passes camera to next person as they then pose. Continue until everyone has been photographed. [10 min] Everyone record embarrassing personal fact using non-dominant hand on a Post It note to be collected. [2 min] Pair each fact with a poster. [3 min]
Note
After printing, invite all the participants to “meet” the random mashups
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ People are informally introduced + The group is loosened up, bonds, and ready to collaborate
+ Sharpies + Post It pads + Printer paper + Printer + Envelope
SUPPORT
+ Make sure Sharpies, Post Its are available + Have a facilitator editing and printing as the activity progresses + Facilitator should provide camera and be ready to photo edit in batch and print + Print out the pro-wrestler pictures, one per 11x17” sheet 13
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Anchors & Rockets Group
20 min led by Anthony Schmiedeler
Connect your personal experience and observations to the challenge. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Note
Introduce what anchors (bring it down/hold it back) and rockets (make it better/more impactful) mean and the topic of design thinking. Generate “anchors” of the challenge on Post It notes and put on poster. [ 10 min] Generate “rockets” of the challenge on Post It notes and put on poster. [10 min] Read Post It notes out load as they are placed on the poster
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Blitzers engage with the challenge and get motivated about making it better
+ Anchors & Rockets poster + Sharpies, pens + Post It pads
SUPPORT
+ Hang up Anchors & Rockets poster + Make sure everyone has Sharpies & Post Its
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Challenge the Challenge Teams
30 min led by Keir Vaughan
Start with problem finding, rather than problem solving. Challenge the challenge you’ve been given. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5
Form teams. [5 min] Discuss what the team knows, thinks, and believes about the challenge. [5 min] Generate In A Way That and So That statements that describe how blitzers believe the challenge should be addressed and what kind of impact you should be striving to have. [7 min] Pass out 3 dots and ask blitzers to vote on the three most compelling In A Way That and So That statements. [5 min] Invite team members to modify the Challenge Statement based on their discussion and dot voting. [8 min]
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Alignment on why solving the challenge matters + Alignment on why it can be done + Ownership of Blitz challenge
+ Challenge posters + Sharpies + Post It pads + Blue Tape & Dots
SUPPORT
+ Hang up the Challenge posters, one for each team + Make sure each team has Sharpies, Post Its, and scratch paper
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Asset Jam
Rapidly identify the resources we might use to make our ingenious solutions. Step 1 Place impact vision at the center of your Asset Jam poster. Step 2 Use Post Its to identify available resources that might be used in creating our ingenious solutions. [30 min]
Teams
30 min led by Ehsan Noursalehi
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Inventory of resources with which we might build our ingenious solutions
+ Asset Jam posters + Sharpies + Post It pads + Blue Tape
SUPPORT
+ Hang up Asset Jam poster, one for each team + Make sure each team has Sharpies, Post Its, and Blue Tape
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3x3x3x3
Get out and shift to an attentive, receptive state of mind, discovering new things that spark our imaginations and inspire us. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4
Teams
90 min led by Anthony Schmiedeler
Get out and explore Half Moon Bay and its surroundings. Go to three places, ask three people “what’s the best experience you’ve ever had with a product”, and come back with three stories to share. Look for three weird things along the way. [75 min] Have each team quickly share their stories with the group. [15 min]
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Shift in mindset; become attentive + Collection of starting points for Think Wrong idea generation
+ Pens and notebooks + Smartphones / Camera
SUPPORT
+ Make sure everyone has pens and notebooks
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Telephone Charades Group
30 min led by Sam Leder
Shift into a mode of imagination and creativity. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7
Collect 3 weird objects from each team on Post Its in a brown paper bag. [1.5 min] Have everyone stand in a line. [1 min] 1st person picks two post its from bag. Turns around and taps next person on the shoulder. Then acts out the clues using classic charades rules. [2.5 min] 2nd person then taps the 3rd person and acts out his or her understanding of what was acted out. [2.5 min] This process continues until it reaches the last person in line, who must guess what the two clues are. [2.5 min] Last person’s guesses then becomes the word pair for their team. Repeat so each team has someone in the front of the line. [20 min]
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Shift in mindset; unlock imagination + Forced use of body to communicate
+ Brown paper bags + Post Its and sharpies
SUPPORT
+ Make sure teams have Post Its and Sharpies + Collect Random Words in brown paper bag
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Random Word
Escape our problem solving orthodoxies to generate an abundance of ideas that might lead to ingenious solutions to the challenge. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3
Use random word pair as the starting place for ingenious solutions. [1 min] Generate ideas and post them onto blank Flip Chart. [15 min] Take two assets from the Asset Jam, repeat the process. [9 min]
Note 1 Read ideas out loud as you place them on the flip chart Note 2
Teams
25 min led by Melina Perez
Do not debate or discuss ideas. The goal is to generate as many possibilities as you can窶馬ot to solve.
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Idea generation, uninterrupted by questioning, debate, or defense + Ideas that might lead to ingenious solutions
+ Sharpies + Post It pads + Flip Charts
SUPPORT
+ Make sure each team has Sharpies, Post Its, and Flip Charts
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Impact x Doability
Develop a shared definition of high impact and high doability to rapidly identify and select ideas that are worth pursuing out as solutions. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6
Teams
30 min led by Keir Vaughan
Use Blue Tape to create two axis. Label vertical axis: Impact. Label horizontal axis: Doability. [3 min] Write what high impact looks like on Post It notes next to vertical axis. [3 min] Write what high doability looks like next to horizontal axis. [3 min] Position your Think Wrong ideas in the Impact x Doability graph. All teammates should be placing at the same time. [7 min] Select three ideas your team is most excited about. [4 min] Have each team share their three ideas with the whole group. [10 min]
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Definition of high impact + Definition of high doability + Reduced set of high-potential ideas
+ Poster + Sharpies + Post It pads + Blue Tape
SUPPORT
+ Make sure each team has Sharpies, Post Its, and Blue Tape
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Peaks & Pits Group
15 min
Wind down, process, discuss, and reflect on how the day went. Step 1 Provide an opportunity for everyone to process the day and share their thoughts. Step 2 Go around a circle until discussion naturally progresses. Step 3 Wrap up the day with final thoughts.
OUTCOMES
+ Issues surfaced + Affirmation and sharing of inspirations and highlights
led by Melina Perez
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Day 2
TUESDAY JULY 29, 2014
• • • • • • • • • •
Most Surprising Thing Speedy Monkey The Bigger Yes 8 Word Impact Vision Name It SASU* Do it On Monday Pokemon Battle $100 Venture Fund Peaks & Pits
20 min 60 min 25 min 25 min 30 min 60 min 15 min 30 min 20 min 20 min
Silicon Valley Ingenuity Lab 10am to 5pm 37
Most Surprising Thing Group
20 min
Recap the previous day with interesting anecdotes and build momentum for the new day. Step 1 Have entire group form a circle. [3 min] Step 2 Each person introduces their name + secret talent + then gives most surprising anecdote from the previous day. [17 min]
OUTCOMES
+ Engage participants + Introduce new blitzers to Day 1 blitzers
led by Sam Leder
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Speedy Monkey Teams
60 min led by Ehsan Noursalehi
Encourage shitty first drafts and thinking in physical space. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5
Each team member selects an idea from Impact x Doability. [3 min] Cycle through the 5 stations, spending 5 minutes at each station iteratively prototyping your idea. Each station has a different set of materials and tools. [30 min] After completing the cycles, spend 5 minutes to reflect on what you learned. Prepare to share your improved idea with your team. [5 min] Discuss and share ideas. [10 min] Dot vote to select the team’s two best ideas that have the most potential for impact and doability. [12 min]
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Think in physical space + Rapid speed prevents judgement + Conceptualize the same idea in different ways
+ Prototyping kits
SUPPORT
+ Use a timer and buzzer to keep track of the session and move it along + Provide each team a full kit of construction materials and tools
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The Bigger Yes!
Expand on ideas—imagine new elements and experiences that might make your solution even more compelling, powerful and real. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4
Place selected bets at the top of the Bigger Yes poster. Once time starts ask each participant to build on an idea with a: Yes, And... Statement. Once time is called, each person Yes, And... the previous statement on the next sheet to the right. Continue until everyone is back at their original bet.
Note 1 Try to top the previous statement with an even crazier addition Note 2 Have fun with the time limit; Celebrate each addition
Group
25 min led by Melina Perez
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Deeper team understanding of idea + More robust concepts for ingenious solutions + New ideas
+ The Bigger Yes posters + Sharpies + Blue Tape
SUPPORT
+ Hang up the Bigger Yes! posters + Make sure each team has Sharpies and Blue Tape
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8 Word Impact Vision Teams
25 min led by Ehsan Noursalehi
Construct a concise impact vision statement to guide and measure progress. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4
Each team reviews and discusses the evolution of their two ideas. [5 min] Teams develops an 8 word impact vision statement for each idea. [10 min] After deciding on final statements, record them on poster with sharpie. [5 min] Review both vision statements and select one idea to continue. [5 min]
Note
The statements must include a verb, target, and outcome. Verb is the action, target is who it affects, and outcome is the intended result.
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Consensus amongst group + Clear mission for how to move ideas forward + Day 2 blitzers get buy in
+ 8 Word Impact poster + Sharpies + Post Its
SUPPORT
+ Hang up 8 Word Impact posters + Make sure each team had Sharpies and Post Its
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Name It
Bring your ingenious solutions to life—accelerating feedback, learning and timeto-impact. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7
Teams
30 min led by Keir Vaughan
Name your ingenious solution. [5 min] What is it best used for? [5 min] What are the secret ingredients? [5 min] What is the guarantee? [5 min] Write a tag line for your ingenious solution. [4 min] Design a logo for your ingenious solution. [4 min] Sketch key moments in storyboard with stick figures. [6 min]
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Names, logo, tag line concepts + Rough draft use scenarios
+ Name it poster + Sharpies + Post Its + Blue Tape
SUPPORT
+ Hang up Name It posters + Make sure each team had Sharpies, Post Its, and Blue Tape
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SASU*
Group
60 min led by Keir Vaughan
Get helpful reactions and feedback to make rapid improvements to ingenious solutions and prioritize your next bets. Step 1 Teams: Share your ingenious solution with the group. Step 2 Group: Discuss how the team might make their solution even more ingenious: What might make it even more clever? What might make it even more original? What might make it even more practical? What other resources might be used? Note Ask the presenting team questions if you have any. Team: Do not speak during feedback—even when asked questions—the question itself is the input you require.
OUTCOMES
+ Experience with the *Share And Shut Up method + Practice evaluating ideas for ingenuity + Insight into what might improve ingenious solutions 51
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Do it on Monday
Constrain the bets with most valuable starting point for the projects. Step 1 Share the Bet Small constraint: 3 people, 5 days, and $1000. [1 min] Step 2 Use the Do It on Monday poster to smallify your idea to the most valuable thing that can be accomplished within the constraints. [14 min] Note
Use Asset Jam as guidance for existing resources
Teams
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Smallified ideas + Action plan for bets + Deeper understanding of bet
+ Do it on Monday poster + Sharpies + Post Its + Blue Tape
led by Anthony Schmiedeler
SUPPORT
15 min
+ Hang up Do it on Monday posters + Make sure each team had Sharpies, Post Its, and Blue Tape
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Pokemon Battle Group
30 min led by Melina Perez
Articulate ideas at a fast pace. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6
Have teams collect thoughts on final bets for presentation. [5 min] Select two teams to face off. Each team will pick representatives to battle for each of the three rounds and post their names on the poster. [1 min] Have teams send up the 1st representative. Flip the challenge for the first round. Each representative has 1 minute to talk about their bet under the displayed challenge. [1 min] Repeat this process for the next two rounds. [2 min] Teams send one final representative for a 1 min summary of their bet. [1 min] Repeat the process until all the teams have competed at least once. [20 min]
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Presentation of bets + Highlight the strengths of each bet + Rapid articulation of bets
+ Pokemon Battle poster
SUPPORT
+ Hang up Pokemon Battle posters + Have battle categories/posters ready to be displayed
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$100 Venture Fund Group
20 min led by Sam Leder
Quickly determine which ingenious solutions have the greatest potential for impact. Step 1 Step 2
Lay out a Flip Chart on a table at the center of the room and record name of each Impact Project on the chart. [4 min] Through group discussion, allocate $100 across the Impact Projects. [16 min]
OUTCOMES
MATERIALS
+ Opportunity for group to discuss and reflect on all ideas + Filtering of the best ideas
+ $100 Future Dollars + Flip Chart + Sharpie
SUPPORT
+ Lay Flip Chart out on table + Place stack of $1 bills on Flip Chart
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Peaks & Pits Group
20 min
Wind down, process, discuss, and reflect on how the day went. Step 1 Provide an opportunity for everyone to process the day and share their thoughts. Step 2 Go around a circle until discussion naturally progresses. Step 3 Wrap up the day with final thoughts. Step 4 Thank, celebrate, and BBQ.
OUTCOMES
+ Feedback on the process + Reflection for blitzers
led by Ehsan Noursalehi
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Silicon Valley Ingenuity Lab 175 Harvard Ave. Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 www.futurepartners.is +1 650.618.9553
© 2014 Future Partners, LLC. All rights reserved. Future, Born Ingenious, Future Ingenuity Practices, Project M, The Future Gap, “Be Bold. Get Out. Think Wrong. Make Stuff. Bet Small. Move Fast”, the Future Projects logo and the Ingenuity Blitz Cycle logo are trademarks, servicemarks, designmarks, and/or registered trademarks of Future Partners, LLC in the United States and/or other countries. LEGO is a registered trademark of the LEGO Group. Confidential and Proprietary 63