18 November 2008: 14.00–15.00

Innovation Coaching

Ian Walton and Will Pugh, Coaching Ideas Limited

Challenging Assumptions and Delivering Solutions in Innovation Projects
One of the fundamental benefits of coaching is to enable people to see situations from new perspectives and hence generate creative solutions to problems, which results in improved personal performance.

Innovation Coaching is a new approach to product development which incorporates proven coachingÊmethods at all stages of the innovation process. By focussing the team using techniques which identify new and unconventional perspectives and which challenge accepted beliefs, the overall benefit is differentiated ideas and ultimately business success.

In this seminar, attendees will understand key Innovation Coaching techniques which have been successfully applied in the Personal Care, consumer goods and speciality chemicals industries:

Meta-Mapping: to see problems from new perspectives to reveal unconventional connections;

Early Concept Development: the co-discovery of consumer insights in the Personal Care market by R&D and Marketing teams is particularly powerful when you are able to see the concept as a consumer would;

Wargaming: to help pre-empt competitor responses.

When supported by specific techniques to positively challenge assumptions, these tools can provide teams with new ways of delivering successful projects.
These techniques will be illustrated with real examples, and supported by interactive exercises to reinforce learning.

Learning Outcomes
• Understand what Innovation Coaching is.
• See how Innovation Coaching can help to improve project delivery.
• Learn how to challenge assumptions and look for unconventional connections.
• Practice using some key Innovation Coaching techniques.