I may be doing an innovation workshop next week and I’m looking for some new, great exercises to do with the participants. Do you know any good ones?
I’m especially interested in short, fun activites that either get the creative juices flowing or make an important point about innovation and creativity. Your help will be much appreciated!
Dear Sir,
I teach Innovation class in my org. I have three exercises that help me achieve the objective of the course. Intention of the course that I teach is to showcase What,Why and how.
I split the members in to four groups- A mix of their regular working back ground. This I call it their company with diverse people( some of them would have met for the first time in the class)
1. I give them objects that they have seen in day to day life such as a wrist watch (Two of them) which are not the usual ones ( one works on magnetic ball movement ,with out needles, other has memory built in to them. I ask the members to look at and observe what is unique about the devices that were given to them. This has resulted in amazing outcomes, and the students get hooked. Then I continue with several innovations that they do in their routine life, like in areas of cooking, Gardening etc., I never talk to them about their current area of specialisation. This exercise demonstrates the ” What” of Innovation puzzle
2. In the second exercise, I hand over a case study from current issues to each team on a randomly selected basis and teams own it as the , describing the case in as simple terms as one /two sentences. Mostly current topics- like effect of petrol on Travel, Impact of technology on day to day life, Industry challenges. Each case belongs to the team and they own the solution to issue.
3. In the third exercise- I hand over devices to each team and ask them to come up with one change they would like to see in the product and declare ( as a Team). This becomes their company product. Now the twist is that they make sales pitch with features that they would add to their product in ten years from now. As crazy ideas as possible. The results have been extra ordinary.
Last but not the least I keep them engaged and be a part of their success rather than as a teacher. They at the end of session feel good about themselves and somewher they begin to think differently and innovation becomes observable.
I hope this helps
You have not idea how much it has helped. I needed something very practical for a group i am teaching tomorrow!!! you are an angel!
I was looking for activities for an innovators club when I came upon this. Im working towards starting an innovators club in my university in Kenya, and I find these exercises very useful. I teach Entrepreneurship Development but I have a passion for Innovation and Technology transfer. Any other ideas will be sooooooooooooooooo welcome. Thank you.
While I didn’t use any of the suggestion, what it did do was spark ideation for new ones so thank you!