By Jessica Carter, Program Manager in UM’s Extended Learning Services
The World Innovation Forum came to UC 330 earlier this week, and there were a lot of big ideas for such a small room.
The session topics were varied – from marketing to leading change and from green strategies to design – but I discovered that they all had something in common. Each session generated questions, ideas, and new ways of thinking about our organization and the work we do, both collectively and individually. Rather than relay the pages of notes I scribbled from the Forum, I thought I’d share a question or two from each of the sessions I attended. Hopefully, they’ll generate additional ideas and ways of thinking for you:
Connections.
Andreas Weigend (former Chief Scientist of Amazon.com) talked about current innovations in marketing, specifically how the conversation is becoming more important than the message. Innovative marketers are inviting and facilitating consumer ideas and feedback and then responding. Going one step further, they’re providing platforms for consumers to connect with each other, not necessarily with the organization (although the organization is paying attention and listening). He highlighted the evolution of e-business (focus on organization) to me-business (focus on consumer) to we-business (focus on community). This got me thinking…
- How can we better connect feedback and ideas (from our many “consumers”) to innovative actions?
- How can we better connect our “consumers” (prospective students, current students, alumni, etc.) to one another, in essence creating a community?
Redefining limits.
Ursula Burns (CEO of Xerox) shared her experience leading change and innovation at Xerox. Xerox is typically thought of as a “copy” company, which is a fairly limiting description, especially as the world becomes increasingly paperless. But she’s redefining those limits and leading Xerox as an “information management” company. By taking the organization’s core competencies, technologies, and services and using them in new ways, she’s fostering innovation and growth. This got me thinking…
- How can we redefine the limits of our individual roles to foster innovation and growth?
- How can we redefine the limits of our departmental roles to foster innovation and growth?
The value of green.
Joel Makower (the “guru of green business practices”) talked about green strategies and how most organizations are committing “random acts of greenness” instead of pursuing a complete strategy. He also talked about a new era of green – it’s no longer about doing something green because it’s trendy, reputation-building, or simply the right thing to do. Organizations are now using green strategies and innovations to add value. He posed a simple question, which I now pose to you:
- Green “wins” only when green = better. So, how does green = better for the institution?
- Or, what green strategies and innovations can we develop (individually and collectively) to add value to the institution?
Mattering.
Robert Brunner (founder and CEO of Ammunition, the company that designed Fuego grills, Barnes & Noble’s nook, and dr. dre’s beats headphones) shared some of the amazing design work he’s done, and asserted that the things you do or make define you and your relationship with your customer. He also made an intriguing point: it is often simple details that entirely define a product or service. He challenged the audience to “matter” to customers, to create a bond through a meaningful relationship, hopefully influenced by innovation. This got me thinking…
- What simple details can we add, change, or remove to influence how we’re defined?
- How do we “matter” to students, alumni, donors, the community, etc? And how could we pursue innovations that create a more meaningful bond?
So, any new ideas or ways of thinking out there?
IT Community 