Innovation in Plain SightASAE’s Experiment

with Design Thinking and Co-Creation

Mariah Burton Nelson, CAE VP, Innovation & Planning,

ASAE@TallMariah

“Dr. Sally”

– from Montclair, NJ

“Dr. Art” – from Bloomfield, NJ

Agenda for Today

1) Reverse Q and A2) The Problem3) The ASAE Focus Fra

mework 4) Design Thinking

Experiment5) Lessons Learned

Reverse Q and A

The Problem

“The cost of doing too many small, unproductive projects

is not the financial cost; it’s that you dilute and distract

resources away from doing big, great things.”

-- David Matheson, product-portfolio expert

The Goal: An organized array of relevant, beneficial, high-ROI programs, products, & services

Space to think, plan, make good decisions

Our Solution: ASAE Focus Framework

A disciplined, strategic process for deciding what to create, what to discontinue, and how to balance the whole portfolio

Three Parts

New Products

Whole Other Ideas

Ideas

More Ideas

DecisionsNew & legacy productsYes/No, Go/Kill, Go/Stop

ASAE’s Product Review Criteria

Innovation (not required)

Value (Strategic Fit, Member Needs, Market Viability, Feasibility)

Financial Net (Projected $)

1) Staff/Members Develop Idea

2) Proposal Goes to Focus Team

3) Focus Team Scores Proposal

Two Options

Annual report Categorize productsLook for gaps, opportunitiesWhat should be sunset?

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Innovation

Key Findings

1) Only 3 new non-publication products in 2015

2) Most of our products are in the mature phase of the product lifecycle.

The Product Lifecycle

Intro

Growing

Mature

Declining

Create a strategic new-product pipeline

New Products

Whole Other Ideas

Ideas

More Ideas

Chose to Use Design Thinking

 Design thinking is a systematic, human-centered approach to problem-solving.

Design Thinking (UVA method)1) WHAT IS? 2) WHAT IF?

3) WHAT WOWS? 4) WHAT WORKS?

• Research• Interview• Empathy

1) WHAT IS?

2) WHAT IF?

3) WHAT WOWS?

4) WHAT WORKS?

* 28 Interviewees* 40 Workshop Attendees * 8 Feedback Providers

THINKING IS EXHAUSTING

Same Thing: Leadership Retreat

New problem: Too many ideas

Idea Screen

Sum: Design Thinking Framework1) WHAT IS? 2) WHAT IF?

3) WHAT WOWS? 4) WHAT WORKS?

5 Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned1) People won’t necessarily share your

excitement about innovation.

Lessons Learned1) People won’t necessarily share your

excitement about innovation. 2) People will fear that innovation will

mean too much work for them.

Lessons Learned1) People don’t necessarily share your

excitement about innovation. 2) People will fear that innovation will

mean too much work for them.3) People will be reluctant to propose ideas

that might be rejected.

Lessons Learned1) People won’t necessarily share your

excitement about innovation. 2) People will fear that innovation will

mean too much work for them.3) People will be reluctant to propose ideas

that might be rejected.4) People only support things they help to

create.

Lessons Learned1) People won’t necessarily share your

excitement about innovation. 2) People will fear that innovation will mean too

much work for them.3) People will be reluctant to propose ideas that

might be rejected.4) People only support things they help to

create.5) Hofstadter’s Law: Everything always takes

longer than you think, even when you take into consideration Hofstadter’s Law.

Questions or Comments?