A couple of weeks ago, a favorite client of mine approached me about facilitating a Rapid Planview IdeaPlace at his office. This client, a strong advocate for the practice of collaborative innovation as a means of helping his organization find meaning in trends, wanted to pursue a Rapid Planview IdeaPlace to give his colleagues a “taste” while engaging them on a critical business matter.
What is a Rapid Planview IdeaPlace Challenge?
A Rapid Planview IdeaPlace is a live, in-person complement to a standard collaborative innovation challenge that Planview IdeaPlace enables, which typically lasts from a few days or even weeks, and is pursued virtually. Clients host Rapid Planview IdeaPlaces to engage their attendees in a compelling way to “get the juices flowing” at off-site meetings, all hands sessions, and customer advisory boards. They are fun and engaging in the way that competitive problem-solving can be fun and engaging.
Figure 1 shows the application space for Rapid Planview IdeaPlaces in the context of the collaborative innovation space. For example, clients have successfully pursued Rapid Planview IdeaPlaces both internally, with associates, and externally, with clients at advisory board sessions.
Figure 1: where clients apply Rapid Planview IdeaPlaces in the overall practice space
Here, the client wished to explore possibilities around a promising new market opportunity tied to the farm-to-table movement (i.e., the thoughtful consumption of locally produced food). Approximately thirty people from across the organization participated in the Rapid Planview IdeaPlace over lunch. My client offered the universal currency of free pizza to entice his colleagues to participate.
Findings and Results
My first observation on outcomes? Whereas the “usual suspects” in marketing and product development participated, an associate in customer service contributed what the community adjudged the compelling, promising idea.
How? This associate enjoys strong ties to her local community: the local high school and the local farmers who work the fields outside of town. Her immersion in this environment, a natural extension of what matters to her, gave her insight into the market that the organization was considering how best to serve. She’s now part of the conversation. I continue to be amazed by the gifts people bring to the table, above and beyond whatever their title or role might indicate.
My second observation on outcomes? My client now has half the organization thinking about his problem with him. He’s told me that a number of people have since approached him to brainstorm with him, further, based on their own experiences. In the knowledge economy, share of market starts with share of mind.
Click here to download my presentation for the event. I added a slide with pictures of the event. Participants access the Rapid Planview IdeaPlace site from their laptops or smartphones.
Your Call to Action
What do you think? How might you gain share of mind? Please drop me a line in the comments section.
