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PMP-General

What Innovation Leaders Do Differently

In a lot of ways, innovation is a mystery.  It does not happen spontaneously, but it occurs in an instant.  Innovation is not the work of a lone genius, but it requires independent hard work.  It is not easy, but it is rewarding. 

Because it is so hard to characterize, innovation is also hard to define.  Is innovation just something new?  Or is innovation only a new use for something old?  Does innovation make life easier for some and bring profit to others?  Can innovation happen on the micro-scale as well as in the macro-environment? 

The answer is “Yes” – yes, to all these questions and more.  Innovation is the art and science of creating a new product, service, or technology that brings value to both customer and provider.  Innovation is leading greatness. 

Leadership and Innovation

While companies often struggle with repeatable innovation success, I argue that success with innovation is bound by leadership.  True leaders recognize and nurture the growth of innovation in their teams.  Innovation leadership is more than funding R&D or designing a clever marketing program.  Leadership in innovation requires an in-depth understanding of the organization’s culture, your customers, and even of yourself.  There are four levels to building innovation leadership:  learning, adopting, transforming, and sustaining. 

Learning

A learning organization is one that recognizes the importance of long-term, sustained innovation.  Yet, they don’t know how to get there.  These organizations inherently appreciate that standing still and hoping for our “old normal” isn’t going to happen.  But they don’t know what to change to take advantage of the next phase of economic growth. 

Learning organizations focus on strategic development, opportunity identification, and market insights.  Strategy integrates vision, mission, and values of the organization.  Where do you want to go, how will you get there, and what are your common beliefs?  Market insights mean you have an in-depth understanding of customers, trends, markets, and competition in your industry. 

Adopting

Once you understand the market space and your unique approach to customer needs, then you – as an innovation leader – make decisions about projects and pathways to achieve goals.  We all have more ideas than time, resources, and money.  Adopting innovation leaders apply tools, like new product development (NPD) processes, to frame decisions for generating value.  Great leaders are willing to accept calculated risk.  Winning the war is more important than 100% success in every small battle.  Failure in innovation is treated as learning and not as a time to blame or punish.  (Note that NPD processes cover a wide range of frameworks and approaches.  Read more in The Innovation ANSWER Book, Chapter 3.)  

Transforming

Many organizations stop once they have systems and processes in place to manage product innovation projects.  That’s okay but it’s not leadership.  Innovation leaders seek to transform the organization to drive higher level creativity and more satisfaction with customers.  Again, this is a decision-making process, but instead of focusing on each step in executing a project, transformative leaders aim to drive change in the culture and behaviors of team members.  Open cultures that tolerate constrained risk and defined exploration tend to be more innovative.  Train your teams in creative processes (like design thinking) and allow them freedom and autonomy to discover new and interesting relationships among customer needs, technologies, and market trends.  (Join our virtual Design Thinking workshop here.) 

Sustaining

One success is good.  Two or three successes is great.  Repeatable innovation success is terrific!  The way to achieve fantastic results in satisfying customers with continued innovation is by sustaining learning and growth.  Innovation leaders and teams need ongoing support and challenge for continued success. 

Because product innovation is often an isolated role within companies, many innovation leaders use a master mind or other peer support group to challenge their growth and curiosity.  Master mind groups allow innovation leaders to share with like-minded peers to speed learning for implementation success.  Trust among members allow you to go beyond your own constraints and boundaries as you both give and receive help. 

Innovation Leaders are Different

Operational managers and functional department heads are judged on hitting easily measurable targets, such as cost of production or number of widgets manufactured.  Success of innovation leaders is not as clear cut and success is defined by strategic objectives and customer satisfaction.  Thus, the goal posts are constantly moving. 

However, innovation leaders can build success for themselves, their teams, and their organizations by creating a framework for long-term change.  Innovation cultures learn from the opportunities presented to them, adopt industry best practices, and transform their organizations with defined decisions.  Truly successful innovation leaders continue the journey by sustaining growth and learning to establish cultures and relationships that support creativity and freedom. 

What is Your Level of Innovation Maturity?

Take the Innovation Health Assessment™ to identify your organization’s innovation maturity level.  (Free registration here to maintain integrity of the database.)  If you are a learning organization, what is your strategy?  If you are an adopting organization, what are your decision-making processes?  If you are a transforming organization, how can you further build teamwork and creative collaboration?  If you are a sustaining organization, how do you give your innovation leader support? 

One way to gain cross organization knowledge of product innovation is through the New Product Development Professional (NPDP) certification.  Register here for our next course in January 2021. 

About Me

I am inspired by writing, teaching, and coaching.  I tackle life with an infusion of rigor, zeal, and faith.   It brings me joy to help you build innovation leaders.  Teresa Jurgens-Kowal is an experienced innovation professional with a passion for lifelong learning with a PhD in Chemical Engineering and an MBA in Computer and Information Decision Making.  My credentials include PE (State of Louisiana), NPDP, PMP®, and CPEM, and I am a DiSC® certified facilitator.  Contact me at info@simple-pdh.com or area code 281 + phone 787-3979 for more information on coaching for entrepreneurs and innovators.

© Simple-PDH.com

A Division of Global NP Solutions, LLC  

Study.       Learn.       Earn.       Simple.

This was first published on the blog at www.Simple-PDH.com. Follow me on Twitter @globalnpd.

Wagile Leadership

I became interested in leadership when I was first appointed to a supervisory position.  My first exposure to leading a team was negative – from my perspective – but my management saw a different view.  I thought that being a manager meant I was not smart enough to continue on the technical ladder.  Little did I know that most technical answers are easy compared to motivating a team toward a common goal. 

Innovation leadership takes many forms.  In all cases, there must be a follower for a leader to exist.  Leaders engender willing followers.  We want to learn from others who have been successful.  We want to take direction from someone who has demonstrated skill at problem-solving.  We want to mimic the behaviors of inspiring people. 

What is a Wagile Leader?

Before we discuss Wagile leadership, I want to take a quick detour to define Wagile.  Wagile is a product innovation process to create and launch groundbreaking new products and services.  The word Wagile comes from a combination of the terms “waterfall” and “agile”.  Waterfall approaches to project management use upfront planning while agile project management acts on an evolving scope of work. 

The Wagile philosophy thus integrates the best of both project management approaches.

  • Move fast
  • Practice discipline
  • Understand risk
  • Engaged customers
  • Provide autonomy

Wagile Roles in Leadership

Each Wagile role serves as a leader.  Being non-hierarchical and flexible, Wagile does not specify one person, one role, or one organization as a primary decision-maker.  Rather, all roles act as leaders to ensure customer satisfaction with new product development (NPD).  As described in detail here, the Wagile roles include:

  • Project leader,
  • Customer representative,
  • Team leader, and
  • Cross-functional team. 

Wagile leadership characteristics focus on engaging customers to deliver high-quality products and services that meet market needs while generating profit for the firm.  Servant leadership traits of putting the team before self are important as are elements of Emotional Intelligence (such as self-awareness and self-control).  I have observed that the most successful teams are mission-oriented to create a common good rather than egocentric to promote a manager’s self-interest. 

In my practice of innovation teaching and coaching, I often used work style assessments to drive the leadership conversation.  An important starting point for product innovation teams is the Innovation Health Assessment™ to benchmark your organization’s NPD maturity against industry standards.  (Take your complimentary Innovation Health Assessment here.)   

Another work style assessment I use is called the Team Dimensions Profile.  As a DiSC-certified management facilitator, I prefer the language of Team Dimensions for innovation team growth.  We identify individual working preferences as Creator, Advancer, Refiner, or Executer.  Note that these are not the same as ingrained personality because each of us can stretch to different work roles as needed to accomplish the project goals.  (Learn more about Team Dimensions here where I spoke with the Everyday Innovator podcast.) 

In fact, it is the capability of team members on a Wagile project to stretch and serve as generalist-specialists that make each of us leaders.  Generalist-specialists are people who have a deep knowledge and expertise in one arena (specialist) but also a desire to learn and help across the board (generalist). 

Learn More

If you want to know more about Wagile and how to apply it in your own organization, join me for a short seminar on 10 November 2020 (2-4 pm CST).  Upon completion of this course, you will be equipped with a set of tools to speed product to market for innovation success.  Register here.  To investigate and expand your personal development style, please join me for the Life Design Master Mind Q&A on 11 November 2020 at 11 am CST (free), followed by subsequent in-depth workshops over the next six months.  Register here for the free webinar.  Contact me at info@Simple-PDH.com with questions about these workshops. 

© Simple-PDH.com

A Division of Global NP Solutions, LLC  

Study.       Learn.       Earn.       Simple.

About Me

I am inspired by writing, teaching, and coaching.  I tackle life with an infusion of rigor, zeal, and faith.   It brings me joy to help you build innovation leaders.  Teresa Jurgens-Kowal is an experienced innovation professional with a passion for lifelong learning with a PhD in Chemical Engineering and an MBA in Computer and Information Decision Making.  My credentials include PE (State of Louisiana), NPDP, PMP®, and CPEM, and I am a DiSC® certified facilitator.  Contact me at info@simple-pdh.com or area code 281 + phone 787-3979 for more information on coaching for entrepreneurs and innovators.

Innovation Workflow

Watch the 37-second video summary and then read on for full details!

For several weeks we have been discussing the Wagile product development process. 

Wagile is a hybrid project management process that blends the discipline of a waterfall system (“W-”) with the adaptability of an agile process (“-agile”).  Customer orientation is a key component of Wagile. 

Like all project management approaches, Wagile follows four primary steps that link to team behaviors.  You can learn more about Wagile in our upcoming 2-hour course on 10 November (2-4 pm CST) and you can learn more about team behaviors in an article here.  The innovation workflow is described below. 

copyright Global NP Solutions, LLC

Generate Ideas

The first step in any project is to define and describe the purpose of the effort.  It may be as simple as “freshen up the garden at my house” to as complex as “build a new petrochemical plant”.  Regardless of the scale of the project, we always start with defining the scope of work.  In innovation, we must also discover customer needs and identify potential product functions and concepts to address those needs. 

When you look around your organization, who is best suited to help generate ideas?  In the language of Team Dimensions, we call these folks “Creators”.  Creators enjoy coming up with new ideas and can formulate concepts that are interesting and creative.  Successful innovation teams balance Creators with other work styles to ensure they capture disruptive ideas. 

Build Support

Once we have generated an attractive product concept, the innovation workflow moves to gathering support for the idea.  This includes negotiating resources and investing in preliminary testing.  Other activities at this stage involve concept testing with potential customers to refine the idea.  A set of tools and an approach called Design Thinking is extremely beneficial at this stage.  You can learn about Design Thinking at our complimentary Q&A webinar on 11 November 2020.  Register here – spaces are limited so we can ensure an interactive discussion!

Team members called “Advancers” are skilled at generating product support at this phase.  Advancers split behaviors of capturing new ideas and putting them into a familiar context.  This is why we want to have team members that are exceptional at listening and promoting as part of the innovation team. 

Create the Project Plan

Some people are really good at planning.  Of course, we want these folks, who we call “Refiners” in Team Dimensions language, to layout the required work to accomplish project goals. 

As history teaches us, no project plan is perfect.  However, we do need to plan the work and convert customer needs into actionable tasks.  That is the real purpose in creating a project plan.  An added bonus of planning is that we are able to better anticipate risks and building quality to both the process and the product.  (Read more about Risk Analysis in a special download for the University of Houston Sustainable Energy Development course materials here.)

Execute the Work

We only earn revenue when we complete a project and commercialize the new product innovation.  We need to do the work of the project!  Team members will build and test the product at scale during the execution stage. 

Folks that are good at executing are usually good at troubleshooting.  Their behaviors are methodical and normative.  They can convert 2D drawings into functional, working equipment.  In Team Dimensions, we call the people that love to get their hands dirty “Executors”. 

Work Styles and Workflow

Successful innovation teams match the preferred work style of team members with the phase of the innovation workflow.  Employees are happiest – and most productive – when they are working on tasks they enjoy.  Each of us can stretch beyond our preferred work style (Creator, Advancer, Refiner, Executor) to do other tasks.  Yet we can accelerate the innovation process the most when we match preferences of work styles with workflows. 

Learn More

Recently, I discussed the benefits of the Team Dimensions model at the Texas ACMP Conference this year and with Chad McAllister on the Everyday Innovator podcast.  You can listen to the podcast here (about 30 minutes). 

When you join the Life Design Master Mind group, we will review your work style assessment in a confidential one-on-one coaching session and you will learn to apply Design Thinking skills to personal and professional decisions.  Register for the complimentary introductory session here (11 November 2020 at 11 am CST). 

© Simple-PDH.com

A Division of Global NP Solutions, LLC  

Study.       Learn.       Earn.       Simple.

About Me

I am inspired by writing, teaching, and coaching.  I tackle life with an infusion of rigor, zeal, and faith.   It brings me joy to help you build innovation leaders.  Teresa Jurgens-Kowal is an experienced innovation professional with a passion for lifelong learning with a PhD in Chemical Engineering and an MBA in Computer and Information Decision Making.  My credentials include PE (State of Louisiana), NPDP, PMP®, and CPEM, and I am a DiSC® certified facilitator.  Contact me at info@simple-pdh.com or area code 281 + phone 787-3979 for more information on coaching for entrepreneurs and innovators.

Wagile Tools

For several weeks, we have been posting about the Wagile innovation process. 

Wagile is a hybrid new product development (NPD) process that brings together the best of waterfall (“w‑”)project management systems with Agile systems used for software development (“‑agile”).  The outcome is an innovation process that has a deep focus on customer needs while managing risk (investment) through a disciplined approach. 

Product Innovation Tools

Most innovation processes include checklists of what has to be done and when.  In a traditional staged-and-gated process, the business case must be completed in order to pass a certain gate.  Market testing must be completed before going to market with a new product, etc.  (Read more about product innovation tools here.)

Likewise, Scrum specifies a checklist of features (known as the “product backlog”) to complete during a sprint.  Sprints are short periods of time in which the project team works on the list of tasks provided by the business.  Tasks that are not finished in the prescribed two- to four-week period are added to the “sprint backlog” and rollover to the next sprint – akin to a never ending “To Do” list. 

What’s missing in both the traditional waterfall and Agile processes is the “How To.”  Of course, every project is unique and different.  The fun and beauty of working in innovation is the variety and diversity of tasks, activities, and projects.  Yet, each time we encounter a new situation, we can (and should) follow a given process to understand the situation (such as risk analysis) and to design solutions.  In Wagile, we deploy a set of innovation tools to tackle the “how to” of each stage of work. 

Wagile Stages and Gates

Wagile Stages and Wagile Gates are designed to involve the customer.  After all, no innovation is valuable unless it meets a need in the marketplace and is saleable.  Wagile tools use Design Thinking methods to gather customer insights and couple those inputs with measurable decision and performance standards.  As a reminder the Wagile Stages and Gates are indicated here. 

  • 1:  Opportunity Identification (Idea Gate)
  • 2:  Business Case (Functional Gate)
  • 3:  Technology Development (Technology Gate)
  • 4:  Scale-Up (Constructability Gate)
  • 5:  Production (Launch Gate)

Design Thinking Tools

To learn more about Design Thinking tools, read our previous post Tools for Product Innovation based on the work of Carlos Rodriguez (Delaware State University).  Design Thinking is a customer-focused methodology to creatively and collaboratively solve customer problems.  We involve the customer in defining problems and in creating solutions.  We work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, both internally and externally.  We ask questions and we listen. 

Early in the Wagile product innovation process, we use observation and interviewing to gather customer insights.  The Design Thinking tools of customer empathy map and customer journey map are deployed in Stage 1 (Opportunity Identification) to discover and define the customer problem.  Download information on these tools here.  An important outcome of the tools and activities in this stage is to determine if the gain for the customer is greater than the pain of acquiring and learning a new product. 

An Example

I try to maintain a high level of fitness.  I swim, bike, and lift weights.  Recently, my husband got me a new Fitbit that allows me to track all exercises instead of just counting steps.  It’s very convenient as I only have to select the correct icon, push start, and then press finish for each activity.  And if I forget, the device automatically senses that I am cycling instead of running and tracks the calories burned. 

However, I do not wear my new Fitbit when I go swimming.  The pain is greater than the gain.  Since swimming is still under the arbitrary restrictions of corona-panic, the pool is only open for 45 minutes at a time.  My existing swim tracker records the number of laps, strokes per lap, efficiency, and calories burned.  I would incur a transaction cost (lost time in the water) to calibrate my swim watch with the Fitbit.  Right now, I view that cost as higher than the benefit (one device for all activities).  Your customers will also weigh costs and benefits as they consider purchasing a new or updated upgraded product. 

Design Tools in Wagile

Each stage in Wagile is defined to include specific tools to evaluate cost/benefit of an innovation.  Design Thinking tools take the perspective of the customer.  Later stages in Wagile use financial assessment tools (coupled with customer satisfaction measures) to determine cost/benefit from the company’s perspective.  Remember organizations are in business to make money and deliver value to shareholders.  Join me on 11 November for a Wagile tutorial and learn to apply Design Thinking tools in your innovation process!  Register here. 

Learn More

  • Check out where I’m speaking next (click here) and book me for your next event.
  • Get your copy of The Innovation ANSWER Book available at Amazon (now available on Kindle).
  • Vote on the cover of my next book, The Innovation QUESTION Book here.
  • Reference the new PDMA Body of Knowledge, available at Amazon.
  • Get your NPDP Certification!  Join our October online class (Thursdays) following the brand new, 2nd edition PDMA Body of Knowledge.  REGISTER HERE!

About Me

I am inspired by writing, teaching, and speaking at great professional events.  I tackle life with an infusion of rigor, zeal, and faith.   It brings me joy to help you build innovation leaders.  Teresa Jurgens-Kowal is an experienced innovation professional with a passion for lifelong learning with a PhD in Chemical Engineering and an MBA in Computer and Information Decision Making.  My credentials include PE (State of Louisiana), NPDP, PMP®, and CPEM, and I am a DiSC® certified facilitator.  Contact me at info@simple-pdh.com or area code 281 + phone 787-3979 for more information on coaching for entrepreneurs and innovators.

© Simple-PDH.com

A Division of Global NP Solutions, LLC  

Study.       Learn.       Earn.       Simple.

The Wagile Stages

This week’s blog continues our series on the Wagile product development process.  Wagile is a hybrid of traditional waterfall (“w-”) and Agile (-“agile”) systems.  The Wagile philosophy is to move fast, practice discipline, understand risk, engage customers, and provide autonomy. 

copyright Global NP Solutions, LLC

Traditional Stages and Gates

In a conventional new product development (NPD) process, stages are defined intervals where work gets done.  Gates are used as decision points – does the project advance to the next stage of work?  The advantage of a staged-and-gated framework for innovation projects is the discipline of a structured system.  Risk is managed because the investment in R&D or technology development is low when uncertainty is high (e.g. early stages). 

A common complaint of traditional NPD processes is that the system becomes overly bureaucratic.  Many managers recognize the inherent risk of innovation projects.  So, in the view of a risk-averse person or entity, knowing all the answers and planning for all contingencies upfront should eliminate risk.  Yet, this behavior drives costs of investigation and evaluation up without learning from failure.  Failure is perceived negatively. 

Scrum Artifacts and Meetings

Scrum, the most common implementation of Agile, uses increments of work called “sprints”.  Rather than defining specific task completions as in the traditional staged-and-gated framework, sprints are defined by time.  A typical Sprint last two to four weeks. 

The team works with the organization’s business analysts to determine what work tasks they can accomplish during each Sprint.  The idea is to have a deep focus on the highest priority features first. 

Risk is managed in Scrum by developing a minimally viable product (MVP).  The advantages that cost should be low by designing highest priority features early and avoiding “gold-plating” of products and services.  A challenge in Scrum is to define “done”, and my many features end up with gold-plating anyway. 

Another difference between Wagile and Scrum is when the team cannot complete the agreed-upon tasks within the sprint.  Activities then rollover to the next sprint, creating a backlog.  Sprint backlogs impact the overall project schedule and can cause delays in market launch. 

Wagile Stages

As we discussed in an earlier post, the Wagile gates are decision points in a project to move forward.  The plan for the next stage of work is approved at the gate review.  Stages of work in Wagile have two boundaries:  task completion and risk.  Schedule or project budget serves as a proxy for risk.  A stage is complete when either (1) the tasks are finished or (2) the schedule/budget is consumed.  Every stage has a set of required activities (standard) and a set of specific questions related to the individual project.  The Wagile stages are:

  1. Opportunity Identification,
  2. Business Case,
  3. Technology Development,
  4. Scale-Up, and
  5. Production.

Wagile Stage Activities

A key differentiator for Wagile versus other innovation processes is customer focus.  Stage-Gate™ was designed by Bob Cooper to include customer feedback but does not explicitly call it out.  Scrum uses the role of the Product Owner to represent the voice of customer.  Unfortunately, the Product Owner often presses internal demands for features and technology rather than the external needs of a target market.  In Wagile, each stage requires customer interaction via the Customer Representative role, tools, and tests. 

For example, in Stage 1 (Opportunity Identification), activities include Create, Trial, and Validate.  Both Trial and Validation require customer feedback.  These activities cannot be completed (or measured) without external data.  At Stage 1, however, these data are qualitative for the most part. 

Similarly, subsequent Wagile stages include required customer feedback activities of concept testing, technical functionality testing, prototype testing, and market testing.  Wagile stages are complete only when customer feedback is recorded.  In the situation where schedule or budget (project risk elements) are depleted before customer feedback is gathered, the project is re-evaluated through the Product Portfolio Management system.  Often, challenges in gathering customer feedback are symptoms of an unattractive project. 

Using Wagile  

Wagile stages, like conventional NPD process stages, are where work gets done.  Unlike a traditional system, recycle of activities and iteration of the new product or service idea is encouraged.  On the other hand, Wagile varies from Scrum (which also encourages utilizes iterative design) by installing hard barriers associated with customer feedback and risk. 

Ask yourself if your NPD process is balancing discipline with flexibility.  Are you getting the expected results within the desired time frame?  If not, it’s probably time to revamp your process.  Research shows that revitalizing your product innovation process with industry best practices leads to continued success.  And if you don’t have consistent customer feedback, flexibility, and discipline built into your NPD process, it’s time to become Wagile!  Join me on 11 November for a Wagile tutorial and right-size your product innovation workflows.  Register here. 

Learn More

Learn more about Wagile Product Development in my Webcast with PDMA on 10 September (register here).  Contact me at info@globalnpsolutions.com for a complimentary 30-minute innovation coaching session. 

  • Check out where I’m speaking next (click here) and book me for your next event.
  • Get your copy of The Innovation ANSWER Book available at Amazon (now available on Kindle).
  • Vote on the cover of my next book, The Innovation QUESTION Book here.
  • Reference the new PDMA Body of Knowledge, available at Amazon.
  • Get your NPDP Certification!  Join our October online class (Thursdays) following the brand new, 2nd edition PDMA Body of Knowledge.  REGISTER HERE!

About Me

I am inspired by writing, teaching, and speaking at great professional events.  I tackle life with an infusion of rigor, zeal, and faith.   It brings me joy to help you build innovation leaders.  Teresa Jurgens-Kowal is an experienced innovation professional with a passion for lifelong learning with a PhD in Chemical Engineering and an MBA in Computer and Information Decision Making.  My credentials include PE (State of Louisiana), NPDP, PMP®, and CPEM, and I am a DiSC® certified facilitator.  Contact me at info@simple-pdh.com or area code 281 + phone 787-3979 for more information on coaching for entrepreneurs and innovators.

© Simple-PDH.com

A Division of Global NP Solutions, LLC  

Study.       Learn.       Earn.       Simple.

Wagile Gates

Have you ever jumped ahead of yourself just to realize later that you missed a step?  Have you ever launched a new product to find out that consumers didn’t actually like the feature configuration?  Have you ever made a mistake and then realized it was dejá vu all over again? 

All of us make mistakes.  We learn from making errors and we learn by knowing what not to do.  In product innovation, learning from failure is an important trait for organizations to succeed over the long run.  In fact, learning is at the heart of the Wagile Philosophy (read more here).  However, making the same mistake twice – or three times or four times – is not learning.  Repeated errors demonstrate the lack of quality systems and an absence of a directing process. 

What is Wagile?

Fragile is a hybrid new product development (NPD) process.  Wagile balances the structure of a traditional, waterfall system with the iterative and customer-focused nature of an Agile development process (like Scrum).  The Wagile philosophy emphasizes moving fast while practicing discipline and understanding risks.  Wagile uses both stages of work and gates as checkpoints for product innovation. 

Wagile Gates

Gate reviews in NPD are predominant in traditional waterfall processes, like Bob Cooper’s Stage-Gate™ system.  Gate reviews serve as checkpoints to gauge completion of work-to-date and a plan for future project work.  In practice, there should be no surprises at a gate review and the cross-functional team that approves the go-forward plan should understand the scope, schedule, and budget well before the formal meeting. 

Gate reviews are important elements in any NPD process.  In Scrum, we call this review a “retrospective” (read more about Scrum here).  The purpose of a gate or retrospective is the same:  Do customers want the product as we are designing it?  Can we make a profit?  Is this new product aligned with our strategic goals and objectives? 

Entry and Exit Gates

Entry gates are a pet peeve of mine.  The entry gate is approved simply by showing that work on the previous stage is complete.  That’s a great accomplishment for the team, but what matters more for innovation is whether the go-forward plan makes sense. 

In contrast, an exit gate evaluates both the prior work and approves the product design for future work.  The multi-disciplinary management team approving the project at an exit gate must have appropriate budgetary authority for the next stage of work.  In this way, risk and strategic alignment are addressed throughout the life of the project. 

The Wagile Gate Sequence

Wagile gates are designed as exit gates, to ensure go-forward work will advance product innovation and the overall product portfolio.  The following lists the Wagile gates and the expected outcome of each decision. 

  • 1-Opportunity Gate.  The Opportunity Gate validates that the product idea and concept meet a target market need.  Enough testing has been done to demonstrate customer wants and needs for the new product.  Importantly, decision-makers approve the concept is having a potential profit and fit with the organization’s strategic growth goals.  Passing the Opportunity Gate means a project team is authorized to investigate the scope of design, development, and market impacts. 
  • 2-Business Case.  It is important to justify a project early enough to not waste resources.  While any project will have more information gathered during execution, unattractive projects should be killed early.  Reviewers of the Business Case approve that the new product fits the organization’s growth goals, is strategically aligned, and will meet profitability expectations for the level of innovation involved.  This approval funds the technology and market development efforts. 
  • 3-Technology Gate.  The Technology Gate builds on the Business Case gate.  Cost of development is balanced against anticipated sales and customer needs.  Costs are at the forefront as are feasibility studies.  The Technology Gate grants approval for developing at scale.  This gate may include approval of licensing and early order equipment items. 
  • 4-Constructability Gate.  At the Constructability Gate, the cross-functional decision-makers commit to building production facilities, supply and distribution chains, and marketing collateral.  Bob Cooper often discusses a “money gate” in his work, essentially a point of no return.  In some ways, the Constructability Gate serves as this “money gate”.  Yet the iterative nature of Wagile allows a project to undergo appropriate iterations thereby ensuring quality control and risk are managed within the tolerance level of the organization. 
  • 5-Launch.  The Launch Gate represents the go-to-market decision for a new product.  Measures of profitability will validate earlier decisions (e.g. the business case).  However, the Wagile process encourages continued adjustment of the product offering to meet customer needs.  Engaged customers help the Project Leader and Customer Representative gain market insights for the life of the product and as inputs for next generation products.  Read more about Wagile Roles here.

Using Wagile Gates

Like any project management system, Wagile uses gate reviews as checkpoints to gauge the progress of work .  Unlike traditional waterfall processes, not passing a gate is not a punitive measure for the team.  Instead, the flexibility of learning is built into Wagile and “no” decision at a gate review simply means a better opportunity is available.  Believe me, team members prefer the option of working on a new project over scolding for not meeting entry gate criteria! 

Gates provide discipline in Wagile that is often missing in Scrum or other Agile processes.  Discipline is important for both teams and senior management to increase creativity  and to increase profitability.  Wagile further builds flexibility into gate reviews by the hybrid nature of the system. 

Learn More

  • Learn more about Wagile Product Development in my Webcast with PDMA on 10 September (register here). 
  • Delve into the full Wagile process in a virtual, facilitated workshop on 10 November 2020 (register here).  Workshop participants have access to downloadable templates and tools to fast track innovation!
  • Check out where I’m speaking next (click here) and book me for your next event.
  • Get your copy of The Innovation ANSWER Book available at Amazon (now available on Kindle).
  • Vote on the cover of my next book, The Innovation QUESTION Book here.
  • Reference the new PDMA Body of Knowledge, available at Amazon.
  • Get your NPDP Certification!  Join our October online class (Thursdays) following the brand new, 2nd edition PDMA Body of Knowledge.  REGISTER HERE!

About Me

I am inspired by writing, teaching, and speaking at great professional events.  I tackle life with an infusion of rigor, zeal, and faith.   It brings me joy to help you build innovation leaders.  Teresa Jurgens-Kowal is an experienced innovation professional with a passion for lifelong learning with a PhD in Chemical Engineering and an MBA in Computer and Information Decision Making.  My credentials include PE (State of Louisiana), NPDP, PMP®, and CPEM, and I am a DiSC® certified facilitator.  Contact me at info@simple-pdh.com or area code 281 + phone 787-3979 for more information on coaching for entrepreneurs and innovators.

© Simple-PDH.com

A Division of Global NP Solutions, LLC  

Study.       Learn.       Earn.       Simple.

The Wagile Philosophy

Watch the short video summary and then read on for the details!

In business and innovation, we often talk about strategy.  I think of strategy like a destination when I take a trip.  I need to know where I’m going so that I can plan how to get there and what resources I will need.  Strategy indicates the vision, mission, and values. 

When I take a vacation, I enjoy hiking and being outdoors.  I also enjoy history and trying new foods.  These are a reflection of my values or philosophy in choosing a destination.  In business and innovation, our values form how we make decisions and what activities or behaviors are acceptable in achieving strategic goals. 

Recently, I encountered two small businesses with similar goals but different value systems.  The first bicycle shop I visited had a huge sign on its door – “We are not taking any repairs.  Wait here and phone us to enter the store.”  The second bicycle shop, sounding exasperated at the disruption in supply chains by the corona-panic, said “We are only taking repairs.  We’ve improved our delivery time to four days from two weeks.”  It’s easy to see the difference in philosophy and values for these two businesses.  And, I bet you can guess which store got my money!

What is Wagile?

Wagile is a hybrid innovation management system taking advantage of the rigor from a staged-and-gated system while adding in the flexibility of an Agile development process.  Most organizations end up becoming overly bureaucratic with staged-and-gated processes, hindering speed-to-market. 

On the other hand, many organizations that have tried implementing Agile have struggled, too.  Scrum (read more about Scrum here) is the most common way that firms implement Agile in a new product development (NPD) project.  Yet, Scrum was designed for software.  Companies are challenged by the definition of “done” and in getting sophisticated technical design elements completed in a two-week sprint. 

Wagile – part waterfall and part Agile – encourages iterations where necessary and increases customer interactions.  But, Wagile maintains the discipline of a waterfall (or staged-and-gated) process. 

The Wagile Philosophy

For any project management system to succeed, the values of the organization must support the steps, tasks, and expected outcomes of the process.  The Wagile philosophy supports a key innovation goal of speed-to-market. 

  • Move fast
  • Practice discipline
  • Understand risks
  • Engage customers
  • Provide autonomy
Copyright Global NP Solutions

Move fast.  The benefit of Scrum is moving fast and creating prototypes quickly.  Customers test many different versions of the potential product and designers select the attributes that best satisfy the needs of end-users.  The Wagile philosophy includes moving fast to quickly determine the most important features and to eliminate bad concepts early.  The end result?  Cost and time savings during development. 

Practice discipline.  While waterfall (staged-and-gated) processes can become overly bureaucratic, Agile projects are often viewed by senior executives as chaotic with ill-defined scope and goals.  Wagile enforces discipline by placing critical success metrics on each project.  An innovation project does not pass a gate review without a clear go-forward plan.  We know that creativity is expanded when the problem is bounded by clear expectations and aspirations so discipline is necessary to win with new products. 

Understand risks.  Uncertainty is always present in an innovation project.  Waterfall processes attempt to manage risk with detailed upfront planning.  Yet, plans usually are erroneous in one way or another.  You might plan two separate electrical feeds for a fire water system but forget that a utility outage will disable the whole plant.  Risks are managed, but not eliminated, with planning.

On the other hand, Agile gives a “hand wave” response to risk.  These systems assume you’ll know it when you see it.  So, the Wagile philosophy endorses risk management and creates a trigger/ response list to manage risk.  However, the Wagile philosophy also recognizes “positive uncertainties” to expand and capitalize on surprise results. 

Engage customers.  While Scrum includes a specific role for the Product Owner (read more here), end-users are still frequently neglected from the process.  Wagile forces customer interactions via specific measures at each gate review (e.g. competitive analysis at the Idea Gate and market testing at the Constructability Gate).  Moreover, the role of the Customer Representative (see more about the Wagile Roles and Responsibilities here) is wholly responsible to ensure end-user feedback is both accurate and timely.  Design Thinking tools are crucial in gathering information throughout the NPD project.  (Join me on 11 November 2020 for a complimentary life design workshop – register here.) 

Provide autonomy.  Many of my readers know I am a chemical engineer.  I suffer from some of the common “nerd” traits of engineers – we need quiet time to deeply study a problem and we need to justify a solution based on data and facts. 

The Wagile philosophy supports engineers and product development teams by providing autonomy.  Senior executives typically are far removed from customers and daily operations on the factory floor.  Let the people with the expertise make the decisions. 

Of course, when a decision crosses a threshold of high investment or unusually high risk, the team should consult upper management.  But under normal circumstances, a flat organizational structure with responsible decision-making guardrails in place allows an innovation team to function most efficiently and productively. 

Apply the Wagile Philosophy

While you may be using a traditional staged-and-gated process for innovation or you’ve been trying to implement Scrum, you can make some giant steps to effectiveness by adopting the Wagile philosophy.  Focus on moving fast within a discipline of critical success metrics.  Understand the project risks and uncertainties but test those limitations with customers.  Feedback from end-users should guide a product development effort.  Finally, let the experts do their work and give your teams autonomy to make decisions within their control. 

Learn More

Learn more about Wagile Product Development in my Webcast with PDMA on 10 September (register here). 

  • Get the full Wagile Product Development course in a virtual, facilitated workshop on 10 November 2020 (register here).  Includes templates, tools, and implementation tips.
  • Check out where I’m speaking next (click here) and book me for your next event.
  • Get your copy of The Innovation ANSWER Book available at Amazon (now available on Kindle).
  • Reference the new PDMA Body of Knowledge, available at Amazon.
  • Get your NPDP Certification!  Join our October online class (Thursdays) following the brand new, 2nd edition PDMA Body of Knowledge.  REGISTER HERE!

About Me

I am inspired by writing, teaching, and speaking at great professional events.  I tackle life with an infusion of rigor, zeal, and faith.   It brings me joy to help you build innovation leaders.  Teresa Jurgens-Kowal is an experienced innovation professional with a passion for lifelong learning with a PhD in Chemical Engineering and an MBA in Computer and Information Decision Making.  My credentials include PE (State of Louisiana), NPDP, PMP®, and CPEM, and I am a DiSC® certified facilitator.  Contact me at info@simple-pdh.com or area code 281 + phone 787-3979 for more information on coaching for entrepreneurs and innovators.

© Simple-PDH.com

A Division of Global NP Solutions, LLC  

Study.       Learn.       Earn.       Simple.

What is Emotional Design?

Watch the ultra-short video and then read on for full details.

I am a DiSC-certified facilitator.  There are four primary work styles:  “D” for dominance, “i” for influence, “S” for steadiness, and “C” for conscientiousness.  My own work style is CD, meaning I prefer to focus on data to make a decision and I will generally take action quickly once I have the data analysis in hand. 

People with “i” and “S” work styles tend to focus more on the needs of other people and will make decisions based on emotion even with little or no data.  And while people with strong “C” and “D” work styles might puzzle over such behaviors, as product innovation professionals, we all know that customers make decisions based on emotion (to some degree or another). 

That’s why the theory and practice of Emotional Design is important. 

Emotional Design

Emotional design is part of specifying product requirements within the product design process.  You can learn more about the overall product design process in another post (click here).  Designers use the emotions that customers associate with product usage to identify and prioritize product features.  When customers express positive emotions about a product, they tend to demonstrate more trust and loyalty to a specific product or brand.  This often results in increased revenue. 

Three Types of Emotional Design Information

Emotional design is based on the level of emotion and how individuals process information.  We call thee levels:  visceral, behavioral, and reflective.  Let’s take a quick look at what these mean to product innovation. 

Visceral Emotional Design

According to Dictionary.com, visceral means “characterized by … instinct rather than intellect”.  This is our “animal brain” taking charge.  We process certain emotions using a low level of basic motor skills and senses.  So, visceral design is associated with physical senses, like the aesthetics or color of a product. 

Consider, for example, a red sports car.  It appeals to our basic senses and emotions because the styling is generally pleasing and implies speed (something that humans have craved throughout all time).  Red as a color, in most societies, is associated with power.  Therefore, on a visceral level, a red sports car represents a strong emotional design. 

Behavioral Emotional Design

At a mid-level of emotional design are customers’ responses to an innovation according to memory and learning.  Thus, the behavioral level of emotional design emphasizes the functionality and usability of a product. 

Let’s use the red sports car as an example again.  Many sports cars use a manual transmission to increase performance and to give the driver more control.  However, very few Americans know how to drive a manual transmission.  In order to be satisfied with the design, they would need to learn a new behavior.  Yet, a car enthusiast already knows the skill of driving a stick shift and finds the design even more appealing. 

Reflective Emotional Design

Finally, the highest level of emotional design is related to self-identity.  The reflective level deals with feelings and emotions that determine understanding, reasoning, and interpretation.  A wealthy bachelor feels that the red sports car reflects his personality.  It is an extension of his “self” by showing power, strength, and speed.  On the other hand, a mom with five kids would view the sports car as frivolous and not serving her important tasks of driving to school and soccer practice. 

copyright Global NP Solutions, LLC

Why is Emotional Design Important?

As indicated, customers rarely buy a product based on data sheets and specifications alone.  Emotion – whether explicit or subconscious – plays a role in all of our purchases.  I’m not a fan of the color brown, personally, and I prefer bright colors for clothes and home decorations.  My visceral emotions drive me away from earth tones.  These are deep internal perceptions that have no explanation but are in parts of my subconscious brain (or soul).

Yet, I love learning new things.  For my hobbies, I will test and buy products that I think will make my life easier or tasks quicker to finish.  I am seeking functionalities for to improve behaviors.  I want to use products and services that are easy. 

What complicates product innovation at the behavioral and reflective levels is differentiating between a desire to learn and the status quo.  Oftentimes, new products that add simplicity or convenience for a customer require a level of learning or new behaviors that require too much change.  Customers will only accept a new level of features when the learning curve is a low hurdle. 

Lastly, products that make us feel good are those that can command a price premium.  (More information on pricing strategies is found here.)  Experiences and luxury items appeal to our personal sense of self and identity.  Reflective emotional design builds emotions and personality into product development.  While basic aesthetics and form can be tested for broad market acceptance, reflective design often focuses on narrower target customer segments who share similar values.  You may want to consider a segmentation strategy when your product innovation depends on reflective emotional design. 

Learn More

  • Check out where I’m speaking next (click here). You can book me for speaking by contacting me directly or through Innovation Women.
  • Get your copy of The Innovation ANSWER Book.  Available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle version.
  • Reference the new PDMA Body of Knowledge, available at Amazon.
  • Do you know your strategy?  Is it time to narrow your focus or expand to serve more customers?  Join me for the two-part Reset Your Strategy workshop on 18 and 20 August.  Register here – special discounts for the unemployed.

© Simple-PDH.com

A Division of Global NP Solutions, LLC  

Study.       Learn.       Earn.       Simple.

About Me

I am inspired by writing, teaching, and coaching.  I tackle life with an infusion of rigor, zeal, and faith.   It brings me joy to help you build innovation leaders.  Teresa Jurgens-Kowal is an experienced innovation professional with a passion for lifelong learning with a PhD in Chemical Engineering and an MBA in Computer and Information Decision Making.  My credentials include PE (State of Louisiana), NPDP, PMP®, and CPEM, and I am a DiSC® certified facilitator.  Contact me at info@simple-pdh.com or area code 281 + phone 787-3979 for more information on coaching for entrepreneurs and innovators.

Tools for Product Innovation

I love my hobbies.  Hobbies give us an escape from the stress of daily life and restore our inner peace.  They also allow us an opportunity to explore new ideas and to be creative.  My longtime followers, friends, and colleagues know that my favorite hobby is scrapbooking. 

One of my great pleasures that enriches my hobby is attending craft shows.  I am desperately hoping our newly tyrannical governments will once again allow such crowded, busy, and fun events!  At craft shows, I watch vendors demonstrate new tools and techniques.  I rub shoulders with other creative people sharing my hobby.  This encourages me to try new things and it expands my own creativity.  (Yes, there’s a reason I have glitter on my shoes!)

As product innovation professionals, we also need to expand our creativity and learn new things.  Perhaps more important, we must maintain our ability to generate new ideas and to examine our product portfolios with new perspectives.  And, just like the coolest news stamping platform or die cut machine for scrapbooking, we need to try new tools for creating, designing, and developing new products. 

Ideation Tools

The earliest stage of the product design and development process is ideation – kind of a fancy word for idea generation.  (Read more about the stages in the Product Design Process here.)  Formally, ideation is defined as a “creative process to generate and communicate ideas and concepts within the new product development (NPD) ecosystem”.  Let’s look at a few common ideation tools. 

SCAMPER

SCAMPER (read more here) is an acronym that uses verbs to stimulate new viewpoints toward a product solution.  You can apply the SCAMPER technique to an existing product, a new product, or a general customer problem.  The acronym is:

  • S = Substitute
  • C = Combine
  • A = Adapt
  • M = Modify
  • P = Put to Another Use
  • E = Eliminate
  • R = Reverse

Check out my Skillshare class here for more information and an example of apply SCAMPER.

Brainstorming and Brainwriting

Brainstorming is a traditional method of idea generation, often used in groups.  A problem statement is presented, and the group is encouraged to speak freely about potential solutions.  People are encouraged, but not required, to build from existing ideas and to even come up with ideas that defy science and logic (can anyone say lockdown or facemask?).

On the other hand, brainwriting (read more about this tool in Chapter 2 of The Innovation ANSWER Book) is a quieter activity, still utilizing free association and even wild ideas.  In brainwriting, each individual writes an idea on a sheet of paper and passes the paper to another member of the group.  Each person subsequently builds on the ideas they receive.  The activity is timed to further drive creativity.  After a few rounds, each idea originator shares the “best” idea. 

Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is also a free association method of generating ideas but is often used individually rather than in groups.  (Read more here.)  It is a graphical technique in which a core problem is presented and ideas or concepts are documented as words, phrases, or figures.  Clustering and grouping of ideas are conducted in the second stage.  Usually, each word or concept leads to additional “layers” of words and concepts so that the end result is reminiscent of a spiderweb. 

Customer-Focus

Several ideations techniques directly involve the customer.  This is highly beneficial for new product development since we intensify our focus on customer needs, thoughts, and perspectives without the bias of technology or pre-determined solutions. 

The ethnographic approaches to ideation are based on observing customers in their own environments where they face problems and use product solutions.  Complex challenges are better evaluated when an innovation team examines behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, and preferences at once. 

Another customer-focused ideation method is A Day in the Life.  This is essentially “shadowing” the customer to uncover routines, behaviors, and circumstances they face when using different products and services.  It also captures emotional aspects of product usage for further ideation and analysis. 

Another way to capture emotional inputs is through empathy analysis.  This is a way in which innovation teams connect with and understand customers deeply and share a direct emotional connection with them.  Empathy means understanding the customers problems from their point of view. 

From these customer-focused methods, the innovation design team may develop one or more personas.  A persona is a fictional character based on composite, objective, and direct observations of groups of users.  These personas become “typical” consumers for whom the innovation design team describes in terms of demographics, behaviors, attitudes, styles, and preferences.  Products and services are designed, therefore, to meet satisfy the needs of a specific persona.  This improves long-term product design and launch success. 

Ideation Tools for Design

Designing and developing new products and services is never easy but is always fun!  We use a variety of tools, techniques, and methodologies in the early stages of the product design process to expand creativity and to generate, develop, and communicate new ideas.  We use ideation for all activities and processes that broaden a set of solution alternatives for a consumer problem.  Ideation tools are also applied in risk management, troubleshooting for operations and in any situation where creativity is important in finding an ultimate solution. 

Just like we attend classes, conferences, and exhibits to expand creativity for our hobbies, we also must use similar opportunities to expand creativity for product development.  Ideation tools can be used individually or in combination to generate new alternatives for designing and developing products and services that solve customer challenges.  Many ideation tools use the power of a group to build on ideas and concepts but many of the tools are used independently to help an individual focus on troubleshooting solutions (e.g. SCAMPER, mind mapping, and empathy analysis). 

Learn More

Of course you must start with the vision – or strategy – before you jump into ideation.  I used to have hobbies of quilting, knitting, cross-stitching, and scrapbooking.  I had too many ideas and too little time.  Over the years, I have narrowed my focus and increased my talent in scrapbooking and card-making.  That’s a result of a strategic analysis.  With a strategy in place, new ideas are more cost-effective and lead to greater payoff. 

Do you know your strategy?  Is it time to refocus or narrow your focus?  Join me for the two-part Reset Your Strategy workshop on 18 and 20 August.  Register here – special discounts for the unemployed.

Reset Your Strategy

Reset Your Strategy is a four-hour workshop that will help you independently answer this question.  We will provide the theory, frameworks, and tools so that you will leave the workshop with a specific, actionable strategy to take you out of 2020.  Register here.  We have special discounts for anyone who is unemployed right now.  And, with all the depressing news on television and the radio, I promise to leave you laughing with our top-secret and mega-fun contest during the workshop (attendees only).

© Simple-PDH.com

A Division of Global NP Solutions, LLC  

Study.       Learn.       Earn.       Simple.

About Me

I am inspired by writing, teaching, and coaching.  I tackle life with an infusion of rigor, zeal, and faith.   It brings me joy to help you build innovation leaders.  Teresa Jurgens-Kowal is an experienced innovation professional with a passion for lifelong learning with a PhD in Chemical Engineering and an MBA in Computer and Information Decision Making.  My credentials include PE (State of Louisiana), NPDP, PMP®, and CPEM, and I am a DiSC® certified facilitator.  Contact me at info@simple-pdh.com or area code 281 + phone 787-3979 for more information on coaching for entrepreneurs and innovators.

The Danger of Habits

Dictionary.com defines a habit as “an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost voluntary”.  Every night, before I go to bed, I brush and floss my teeth.  It is a habit.  I don’t have to make a decision whether or not to clean my teeth – it is an automatic behavior.  Even when I travel, I follow the same habit in a hotel or camping. 

I like to consider brushing my teeth every night as a “good” habit.  Unfortunately, habits might also reinforce “bad” behaviors.

Destructive Habits

Following a routine makes life easier because we do not have to think too much about various choices.  Since we can reliably predict the outcome of the repeated behavior, we reduce unplanned or negative risks.  Yet, living a life devoid of unexpected outcomes and minimizing the potential of all downside risk means we miss out on unanticipated pleasant events, too. 

My undergraduate Chemical Engineering (ChE) degree was in a relatively small class, actually a really small class.   There were eight (8) of us at the University of Idaho (Go Vandals!).   Almost all of our junior and senior level ChE courses were taught in the same, single classroom.  Without fail, at the start of a new semester or new school year, each of us chose a seat and then sat in the same place for every class.  We had created a habit.

While this routine was good – if I missed something the professor said, my friend Carmen had captured it in her notes – we may have missed out on other activities because of habit.   Not interacting with the other six students as closely as we did with each other left us without opportunities to teach others, to view course information from a different perspective, or to have our own mistakes corrected. 

Every habit has some degree of “good” and some degree of “bad” incorporated.  Successful innovators and leaders will seek to have the balance of “good” habits outweigh the “bad” habits.

Destructive habits are routine behaviors that are automatic but cause harm to us or to others.  At this point in history, I am particularly worried about the bad habits being forced on us by extreme government regulation.  Not being able to get a haircut during the government shutdown may force us to “creatively” learn a new style, but not being able to interact with our colleagues and religious communities is very, very dangerous over the long term. 

The habit of “social distancing” will build habits yielding unintended consequences for several generations.  We are already seeing negative impacts in which elderly people living in nursing homes are suffering from excess disease and reduced healing rates with forced “no contact” with family members and friends.  Loneliness was already a recognized health risk for the elderly, and government edicts are making this contagion even worse.  My heart breaks for old people dying without last rites and without someone they love holding their hand.

Loss of Creativity

I have spent the majority of my career working in R&D and helping others become more effective within their innovation ecosystem.  I have even written about the benefits of working in virtual teams (Chapter 6 in Leveraging Innovation Constraints) and I offer a training course for global teams on the Virtual Team Model.  

Using globally dispersed teams enhances innovation by providing local market information to the team.  However, without VTM, study after study shows that virtual teams underperform those that work face-to-face.  In stark contrast, the forced division in our professional and personal lives is a destructive habit that threatens our freedom.  A free and independent capitalist economy relies on personal and face-to-face interactions (not masked!).  All of us need personal touches to survive – a smile, a handshake, a hug. 

Moreover, at this time when there appears to be little or no real scientific data supporting societal breakdown, we are losing creativity.  If the government does not permit you to “look over someone’s shoulder,” how can you collaborate and build something new together?  How do we solve problems that require shared skills to build a tangible product?

Fight Your Bad Habits

While I am dedicated to brushing my teeth every night before going to bed, I struggle with the health recommendation to not eat snacks an hour before bedtime.  I have set up systems and memory triggers to fight this bad habit.  This is something I can change on my own time and on my own terms.

The bad habits that society is learning today, cause me to be truly and sincerely frightened.  My husband thought that a picture of chrysanthemums in our church bulletin was a “coronavirus” depiction.  A very bad habit!  I fear that American society will emerge permanently damaged and broken from the government lockdowns. 

People, especially youth, are being taught that distance is a social behavior.  I can’t think of two words that are more opposite!  As a society, we have lost civil rights and social freedoms after every national crisis, such as taking our shoes off as a symbol of airline security.  Today’s bad habits to forcibly eliminate interacting with other people will result in a loss of creativity and innovation.  America’s role as an inventor and economic superpower will be diminished (or decimated) if we do not fight the bad habits imposed upon us. 

What Can You Do?

Honestly, I’m not sure what to do since long-term predictions for economic stability are unavailable and those that are spread in the media are unbelievable.  Many of our cities are further crumbling under mob rule.   It’s difficult to predict what to do next.   I, personally, am changing my focus from where my business has been for 10 years.  I love to travel and interact with committed teams.  It is challenging to replace this interaction with computer screens and video conferences. 

On a societal level, we must have an urgent call to government leaders to open the economy sooner rather than later.  Our way of life, and America’s position as the superpower and financial backing of reserve currency, will die if governments continue to prevent natural human communication and collaboration. 

Reset Your Strategy

While I often feel depressed and beleaguered by the mass media news, I am actively trying to build new habits for myself and my business.  Like all innovation work, the place to start is strategy.  Where do you want to go?  What opportunities are available that give you enjoyment in your work and professional life?  What do your customers want?  How can you rally your team to support good habits?

Reset Your Strategy is a four-hour workshop that will help you independently answer this question.  We will provide the theory, frameworks, and tools so that you will leave the workshop with a specific, actionable strategy to take you out of 2020.  Register here.  We have special discounts for anyone who is unemployed right now.  And, with all the depressing news on television and the radio, I promise to leave you laughing with our top-secret and mega-fun contest during the workshop (attendees only).

© Simple-PDH.com

A Division of Global NP Solutions, LLC  

Study.       Learn.       Earn.       Simple.

About Me

I am inspired by writing, teaching, and coaching.  I tackle life with an infusion of rigor, zeal, and faith.   It brings me joy to help you build innovation leaders.  Teresa Jurgens-Kowal is an experienced innovation professional with a passion for lifelong learning with a PhD in Chemical Engineering and an MBA in Computer and Information Decision Making.  My credentials include PE (State of Louisiana), NPDP, PMP®, and CPEM, and I am a DiSC® certified facilitator.  Contact me at info@simple-pdh.com or area code 281 + phone 787-3979 for more information on coaching for entrepreneurs and innovators.