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Product Innovation: When Constraints Are Your Friend
Webinar with Robert Siegel
Innovation – It is the most urgent need of most businesses today.
Every person and every business is searching for innovations to products, services, methods, and procedures. Yet with all of this desire for innovation we constrain ourselves with systems limitations, internal bureaucracy, politics, and policies, and that’s before we layer on the multitude of government rules and regulations. People bemoan these constraints on innovation calling them barriers to creativity and new ideas. Too bad. They’re missing great opportunities. You see, constraints are your friends.
Watch "Product Innovation: When Constraints Are Your Friend"
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About the Presenter
Robert Siegel is a senior Product Manager for EarthLink, an ISP. He spent ten years as a senior Product Manager at BellSouth, now AT&T. He has an MBA from Georgia State University's Mack Robinson College of Business, a BA in Journalism/Public Relations from The Ohio State University, and is in The Wharton School's Executive Education Certificate of Professional Development program.
He has lectured on Product Management, and is working on his book, Ideative; Purple Hair People with Nose Rings Need Not Apply, and a book with two partners, The Marketing Epiphany. Siegel writes on business, political satire, and fiction.
Contact Robert at robertsiegel@earthlink.net.
Response
Posted by
Robert Siegel
at
2008-08-11 11:44 AM
I quickly gather all the information I can about the subject(s) I need to be Ideative on. I use whiteboards computer screens (I work with two PC monitors at home and two at the office), projectors and printouts to get as much information in front of me as possible. Constant visibility is critical here.
At this point, step 2, Live Life, learn and grow beyond, has to be in place. You have to live a dynamic life. You can’t create this step in a few hours. This is why I encourage people to Routinely Break Routines. Don’t wait until you are under time pressure. You want to be growing in the fashion of Routinely Break Routines well in advance. Routinely Break Routines is fun. Do fun stuff that you wouldn’t have been able to justify time for in the past. Now that you know about Ideative, you have the justification.
Step 3: I facilitate a meeting of key team members where we seek a solution. If the people are not available, I can go through this same exercise in my head. Not as much fun but often we have to make due with the resources available. How can we add this feature? Or how can we set this aside and still get a win for our team, organization, whatever? I have often assembled solutions by building, as I would with blocks, multiple configuration of the potential solution. For example, I build several project plans showing the addition of the feature(s) under different scenarios, as though I was building a toy with blocks. If I find a solution quickly than I am lucky. Unfortunately I rarely get that lucky. This is where I introduce elements from step 2. What else can we do to solve the larger need of the person requesting the feature? Are the other solutions outside of my development that will meet this need? What do other companies do; companies in completely different industries, how would a presidential candidate respond to the underlying politics of this situation in my business? Can we use some feature of this product that is within the current scope that will meet the need from this feature, at least as an interim solution? What if we look across the options created with the various project plans and any options coming from step 2; are there any solutions here?
I toss out lots of ideas to the team, some good ideas and some that are moderate, and always a couple ideas that are just plain crazy. You would be amazed at how often the craziest of ideas has a single seed of a better idea within it – that seed, planted in someone else’s mind sprouts the answer.
I usually am able to solve the problem through this process. When I am not, and that does happen occasionally, I have the documentation to make a case for why the feature can not be added, and when that feature can be added.
Please feel free to email me if you have any further questions or if this response does not meet your needs.
At this point, step 2, Live Life, learn and grow beyond, has to be in place. You have to live a dynamic life. You can’t create this step in a few hours. This is why I encourage people to Routinely Break Routines. Don’t wait until you are under time pressure. You want to be growing in the fashion of Routinely Break Routines well in advance. Routinely Break Routines is fun. Do fun stuff that you wouldn’t have been able to justify time for in the past. Now that you know about Ideative, you have the justification.
Step 3: I facilitate a meeting of key team members where we seek a solution. If the people are not available, I can go through this same exercise in my head. Not as much fun but often we have to make due with the resources available. How can we add this feature? Or how can we set this aside and still get a win for our team, organization, whatever? I have often assembled solutions by building, as I would with blocks, multiple configuration of the potential solution. For example, I build several project plans showing the addition of the feature(s) under different scenarios, as though I was building a toy with blocks. If I find a solution quickly than I am lucky. Unfortunately I rarely get that lucky. This is where I introduce elements from step 2. What else can we do to solve the larger need of the person requesting the feature? Are the other solutions outside of my development that will meet this need? What do other companies do; companies in completely different industries, how would a presidential candidate respond to the underlying politics of this situation in my business? Can we use some feature of this product that is within the current scope that will meet the need from this feature, at least as an interim solution? What if we look across the options created with the various project plans and any options coming from step 2; are there any solutions here?
I toss out lots of ideas to the team, some good ideas and some that are moderate, and always a couple ideas that are just plain crazy. You would be amazed at how often the craziest of ideas has a single seed of a better idea within it – that seed, planted in someone else’s mind sprouts the answer.
I usually am able to solve the problem through this process. When I am not, and that does happen occasionally, I have the documentation to make a case for why the feature can not be added, and when that feature can be added.
Please feel free to email me if you have any further questions or if this response does not meet your needs.
Already Creative
Posted by
Laks Molaga
at
2008-08-08 06:02 PM
If I am already very creative, How this this vivid and ideative process help. Will my over creativeness clash with Ideative process?
Answer
Posted by
Robert Siegel
at
2008-08-11 11:44 AM
You should have absolutely no clash between Ideative and Creative. Ideative is based on the best work of the people that have studied creativity. The challenge with Creativity is that traditional creative processes often do not work well for analytical thinkers. Ideative is the application of the principals of Creativity to the Analytical mind. If you are already Creative, you will find that focusing on the three steps of Ideative, and making each step Vivid, will enhance your creativity. The greatest of creative minds use processes similar to those I presented in Ideative, the difference is that creative processes are often weakly defined, because creative people do not need concise definitions of their creative process. Usually they are born with or learn the processes at an early age, as you probably have.
Vivid is a concept that would appeal to every creative mind that ever existed. To build the equivalent of Vivid is why writers try to gain first hand experience of the world they write about, why painters study anatomy and light to better understand the body. Why advertising creative people use their product and take their product apart and use and study competitor’s products and interview customers. They want more Vivid.
Vivid is a concept that would appeal to every creative mind that ever existed. To build the equivalent of Vivid is why writers try to gain first hand experience of the world they write about, why painters study anatomy and light to better understand the body. Why advertising creative people use their product and take their product apart and use and study competitor’s products and interview customers. They want more Vivid.
Ideative In Your Work
Posted by
Donovan Deakin
at
2008-08-08 06:02 PM
How do you apply Ideative in your work when you are dealing with resource constraints for product development while getting many feature/enhancement requests etc.... What are some examples of how you used Ideative to succeed around this. Thanks, Donovan
Answer
Posted by
Robert Siegel
at
2008-08-11 11:44 AM
This is a great question Donovan. Thank you.
It is a great question because this is an incredibly common challenge. While some requests are good and valuable improvements, others may be poor ideas or worse, efforts to attach a solution to an unrelated need to your project because you have funding and prioritization.
In my experience, the greatest impact to constrained resources is time; calendar days. I have a launch date scheduled and that date is usually subject to the release dates of a variety of different systems that interact with my new product in different ways. I have often been forced into situations where the upcoming release is already closed meaning that the newly requested enhancement will either delay the launch of my product or some other product or upgrade. (Donovan, does this sound the type of situation you’re asking about? If not, drop me an email at robertsiegel@earthlink.net).
I have a very sharply defined process for these casees. It is a process that is very much an Ideative process.
It is very helpful (not essential, you can do this on your own) to have people that I can bounce ideas off of (Every good manager should have, or quickly find, several colleagues like this, people that are not afraid of new ideas and the speculation that comes in idea development). If the people are not available, I can go through this same exercise in my head. Not as much fun but often we have to make due with the resources available. I follow the three step Ideative process outlined in the webinar, of Saturate, Live, and Craft. I quickly gather all the information I can about the feature request(s) along with key product documents including the requirements document, and the project plan.
I will hold a meeting of key people. At this meeting I use whiteboards and projectors to post the impacted sections of the requirements and the project plan for everyone to see. I present the feature enhancements for everyone to see. Constant visibility of each of these documents is critical here. We have to constantly think within the constraints, not outside the box. I articulate the related politics as clearly as possible. There are always politics, i.e. this is a request from a senior VP so it has to happen, or the call center will trade this feature for down time so that we can train the reps on our new product.
At this point, step 2, Live Life, learn and grow beyond, has to be in place. You have to live a dynamic life. You can’t create this step in a few hours. This is why I encourage people to Routinely Break Routines. Don’t wait until you are under time pressure. The above example often requires a solution within the same day, or within a very short period of time so we want to be growing in the fashion of Routinely Break Routines well in advance. You are going to have these situations no matter what you do in life, so prepare.
Step 3: I facilitate a meeting where we seek a solution. How can we add this feature? Or how can we set this aside and still get a win for our team, organization, whatever? I have often assembled solutions by building, as I would with blocks, multiple configuration of the potential solution. For example, I build several project plans showing the addition of the feature(s) under different scenarios, as though I was building a toy with blocks. If I find a solution quickly than I am lucky. Unfortunately I rarely get that lucky. This is where I introduce elements from step 2. What else can we do to solve the larger need of the person requesting the feature? Are the other solutions outside of my development that will meet this need? What do other companies do; companies in completely different industries, how would a presidential candidate respond to the underlying politics of this situation in my business? Can we use some feature of this product that is within the current scope that will meet the need from this feature, at least as an interim solution? What if we look across the options created with the various project plans and any options coming from step 2; are there any solutions here?
I toss out lots of ideas to the team, some good ideas and some that are moderate, and always a couple ideas that are just plain crazy. You would be amazed at how often the craziest of ideas has a single seed of a better idea within it – that seed, planted in someone else’s mind sprouts the answer.
I usually am able to solve the problem through this process.
It is a great question because this is an incredibly common challenge. While some requests are good and valuable improvements, others may be poor ideas or worse, efforts to attach a solution to an unrelated need to your project because you have funding and prioritization.
In my experience, the greatest impact to constrained resources is time; calendar days. I have a launch date scheduled and that date is usually subject to the release dates of a variety of different systems that interact with my new product in different ways. I have often been forced into situations where the upcoming release is already closed meaning that the newly requested enhancement will either delay the launch of my product or some other product or upgrade. (Donovan, does this sound the type of situation you’re asking about? If not, drop me an email at robertsiegel@earthlink.net).
I have a very sharply defined process for these casees. It is a process that is very much an Ideative process.
It is very helpful (not essential, you can do this on your own) to have people that I can bounce ideas off of (Every good manager should have, or quickly find, several colleagues like this, people that are not afraid of new ideas and the speculation that comes in idea development). If the people are not available, I can go through this same exercise in my head. Not as much fun but often we have to make due with the resources available. I follow the three step Ideative process outlined in the webinar, of Saturate, Live, and Craft. I quickly gather all the information I can about the feature request(s) along with key product documents including the requirements document, and the project plan.
I will hold a meeting of key people. At this meeting I use whiteboards and projectors to post the impacted sections of the requirements and the project plan for everyone to see. I present the feature enhancements for everyone to see. Constant visibility of each of these documents is critical here. We have to constantly think within the constraints, not outside the box. I articulate the related politics as clearly as possible. There are always politics, i.e. this is a request from a senior VP so it has to happen, or the call center will trade this feature for down time so that we can train the reps on our new product.
At this point, step 2, Live Life, learn and grow beyond, has to be in place. You have to live a dynamic life. You can’t create this step in a few hours. This is why I encourage people to Routinely Break Routines. Don’t wait until you are under time pressure. The above example often requires a solution within the same day, or within a very short period of time so we want to be growing in the fashion of Routinely Break Routines well in advance. You are going to have these situations no matter what you do in life, so prepare.
Step 3: I facilitate a meeting where we seek a solution. How can we add this feature? Or how can we set this aside and still get a win for our team, organization, whatever? I have often assembled solutions by building, as I would with blocks, multiple configuration of the potential solution. For example, I build several project plans showing the addition of the feature(s) under different scenarios, as though I was building a toy with blocks. If I find a solution quickly than I am lucky. Unfortunately I rarely get that lucky. This is where I introduce elements from step 2. What else can we do to solve the larger need of the person requesting the feature? Are the other solutions outside of my development that will meet this need? What do other companies do; companies in completely different industries, how would a presidential candidate respond to the underlying politics of this situation in my business? Can we use some feature of this product that is within the current scope that will meet the need from this feature, at least as an interim solution? What if we look across the options created with the various project plans and any options coming from step 2; are there any solutions here?
I toss out lots of ideas to the team, some good ideas and some that are moderate, and always a couple ideas that are just plain crazy. You would be amazed at how often the craziest of ideas has a single seed of a better idea within it – that seed, planted in someone else’s mind sprouts the answer.
I usually am able to solve the problem through this process.
Under Pressure