Chipp Norcross, Synecticsworld

By Chipp Norcross & Joe Gammal

Recently, we had the unique and special opportunity to present at the CIO Executive Summit in Seattle alongside Kirsten Simonitsch, CIO of Premera Blue Cross.  In Kirsten’s presentation, “Driving Customer Engagement Through Innovation”, she detailed her experience of leading her team to find a deep and meaningful understanding of what people want from health insurance companies, and how they have used that knowledge to invent successful new tools and apps such as Juice and Proof.  More revealing, however, was the candor in which she described the journey she has lead within her 500 person IT organization to create a new, innovative mindset.

Joe Gammal, Synecticsworld

She illuminated a common misperception that it requires a particular type of person to be “innovative”, and that they are the people who wear cool clothes, sit around in beanbags and eat Skittles all day.  If that was the case, what could those of us who are non-Skittle-eaters ever hope to achieve?  Were we fated to a life of executing the cool ideas that the Skittle-eaters come up with?  Or was there an opportunity for everyone to become more innovative thinkers, and more successful at creating the breakthroughs they need?

In her story, Kirsten found inspiration in the Synectics model of “Cycling Worlds”.  Within the concept there is an important “Operational World”, in which we execute, focus on P&Ls, and deliver to timelines.  There is also an “Innovation World” in which we create new solutions, think differently, and dream up new ways of doing things.  While we all have the capability to work in both worlds, it’s impossible for us to be in both at the same time.  Our minds don’t allow us to be both speculative and critical at the same moment.  We can, however, go back and forth between these two “worlds” rather quickly, and that was Kirsten’s epiphany.

Kirsten knew she had an organization that excelled at “operational excellence”.  What she wanted was “innovation excellence” as well.  She wanted to create a balance of innovative thinking inside her IT organization, and the discipline to know when and how to use each of these two very different modes of thought.  With so much focus and training put into the “Operational World” in our society, such a change would require a concerted effort with a focus on building new skills and a new, collaborative culture modeled by Kirsten herself.  So that’s exactly what she did.

Over the last two years we have had the pleasure of working with Kirsten and her team to help them build this vision and turn it into a reality.  With almost 400 members of her organization trained in Synectics and a growing cadre of facilitators and trainers within IT, there are truly amazing things happening at Premera.  Not only are exciting new products being developed, but Associate engagement has increased dramatically and a new, collaborative spirit has taken root.  None of this would’ve happened without Kirsten’s courageous leadership and that is why we were so proud to share the stage with her.

Kirsten’s presentation was the highest rated at the conference by the other CIOs in attendance.  It was a pleasure to see that her colleagues thought as highly of what she has accomplished as we do.  As members of Synecticsworld, it’s always rewarding to see a client recognized for the hard work and courageous leadership they have shown, and this conference was the perfect forum for Kirsten to share her story.

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Kyle Hermans, Synecticsworld

By Kyle Hermans

In my years of facilitating people, teams and organizations around the world to new breakthroughs, I have learned that creativity is often born out of fear, or fueled by something that may appear fearful, a change driver that pushes our clients out of the safety of the operational world of certainty and routine into the experimental, messy, uncertain world of innovation.

One of the most common answers I have heard when asking people, “what are you fearful of?”  is  “the unknown!”   To create something new, by definition, means we have to travel into the unknown.  And truly breakthrough innovation comes from fully heading into an unknown territory and with the courage to take on something that is new for you.

“Innovation is creativity that ships.” – Steve Jobs

The acronym and reframe I often share with clients when they are facing fear in their quest for breakthroughs is: F.E.A.R = False Evidence Appearing Real.

We put past filters onto our new opportunities before they have even had the chance to be explored and developed.  We project negative, unsuccessful or confrontational situations we have experienced before into our new project and this False Evidence can often prevent us from exploring further.  It takes a lot of creative courage to go forward, to take that step, to trust, to jump off that cliff … into the unknown.

“Another word for creativity is courage.” – George Prince, Co-Founder of Synectics

There is a simple and powerful Synectics tool called the “Open Minded Response” to evolve an uncertain idea into a conceivable reality of new fresh thinking.  Knowing that this tool is ahead of your creative exploration can remove some of the uncertainty that is driving fear.

The 5 Step Open Minded Response.

1. Paraphrase or restate the idea and get an image of it working.

2. List plusses, as many as you can, that identify the pieces and parts of the idea that are helpful, useful, and beneficial in resolving the task.  For example, “what i like about that ideas is…”

3. List concerns and the drawbacks of the idea by identifying what’s stopping you from implementing it, and use “invitational,” “how-to” language to invite continued development.  For example, “how to… make it work internationally.”

4. Resolve concerns, one at a time, in order of importance.

5. Modify the idea to incorporate the thinking that overcame your concerns and headline it as a Possible Solution ready for Next Steps.

I recommend that you use the Open Minded Response steps to courageously create and push your innovation portfolio to new territories to gain competitive advantage .

A creatively courageous organization starts with a courageous leader who models the behavior in which creative, courageous decisions and actions flourish: An openness to hear, see, and explore new thinking that your organizations have to offer, especially if it goes beyond the rational and operational.

What will you create next?

Create.  Change.

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Deliberate Synergy: George’s Dream

By Joe Gammal

In December, 2008, George Prince, one of the founders of Synectics wrote:

Dear Joe,

…When I had to give up and retire I was working on a dream. How to get everyone to live the Synectics supportive way. I titled this dream Deliberate Synergy^®. I did quite a bit of work on it and so you have a head start! My thought is that you and your remarkable team make this a reality. I am sending by mail where it stands. It is yours to tear apart as a team!

Deliberate Synergy is a way of being, espoused and aspired to by George and all of us deep down. It is a picture of a desired way of living that brings out the best in people, and teams, with frameworks that help us understand it, and a myriad of tools to get to the desired state.

George described that vision of what it looks like, how it feels, how we’re acting and behaving when we have Deliberate Synergy as follows:

“Synergy stands for that state of being when a person deals with him or herself and others in thoughtful, foresightful, considerate, appreciative ways and creates an interpersonal field that is supportive and helpful. It creates a relationship to match the heart’s changeless needs, and leads to the most collaborative actions”

Deliberate Synergy has evolved, and continues to evolve, into a Set of Frameworks – maps or models of behavior that help to describe, illuminate, and explain the human dynamic. Some are already parts of core Synectics: Intent-Effect Matrix, Discount Revenge Syndrome, and Climate Energy relationship. Others are newer, including the notion of “Field and Relationships” which George devoted much of his later years to understanding, and “The Journey to We” (see below).

We invite you to explore Deliberate Synergy chapter of Imagine That!  by downloading the full chapter here

Levi’s, a premium brand, was well-respected in Asia but out of reach for many consumers because of price. An expanding middle class coupled with youth with more disposable income than ever meant a rich opportunity for growth that denim icon Levi’s did not want to pass up. To capture this dynamic growing market, Levi’s pursued an innovative solution that would speak to the minds and wallets of the new young, global generation primarily South Asia, South East Asia and China.

Another challenge of the project is the international nature: How to create a brand that has one identity and one name that can launch in multiple countries. Creating the name, language, and culture around a brand that would be consistent in many places was a critical part but also one of the most difficult as different names take on different connotations and nuances in different places and cultures.

THE PROCESS:

A new clothing and lifestyle brand seemed just the ticket—something to complement but not compete with the established Levi’s brand. As the project focus was to capture Asian market, the brand would launch outside of Levi’s traditional markets in the U.S. and Europe, the first Levi’s brand to do so. It was a big project with a small timeline: they wanted it all done in four weeks.

The tight schedule and ambitious scope meant the project required a special process. Synecticsworld combined parts of the iPower5 process—a methodology designed to uncover consumer needs and create breakthrough marketing innovation—with naming and positioning strategies to produce a tailor-made approach for Levi’s team members to achieve their vision.

To help generate the creative, breakthrough thinking needed to crack the challenge, catalysts—outsiders who can stimulate creative thinking and connections—joined the working team.  Hollywood actors and directors, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, high-end jewelry designers, furniture designers, fashion photographers, lifestyle banking executives, international DJs and trendsetters immersed the team in their worlds, allowing project participants to learn more about the target consumer and the life this person leads.

The team worked simultaneously with consumers, intellectual property lawyers, and advertising agencies. Since the brand was going to be international, the team worked with consumers and catalysts in three countries—China, India, and the U.S.

To create the name, language, and culture around a brand consistent with different connotations and nuances, the Synecticsworld and Levi’s teams operated over a four week period in three countries, often running simultaneous creative exercises to make the most of consumers and catalysts, until the team found a winner.

THE RESULTS:

In 2010, Levi’s launched dENiZEN™ in China and quickly expanded into India, Korea, Pakistan, and Singapore. dENiZEN is aimed at young adults who want to be in-fashion at affordable prices. The brand speaks to the new global citizens, forward-thinkers who want to make a difference.

As part of the launch, Levi’s assembled a group of ten brand ambassadors to promote the brand. Known as the dENiZEN 10, the group included creative young adults from around East and South Asia and includes writers, artists, travelers, and musicians. The group emphasized the social positioning of the brand, tying into the idea of being an active inhabitant. dENiZEN continues to expand.  Today, the dENiZEN is also available in Target Stores in North American Markets.

Chipp Norcross, Synecticsworld

By Chipp Norcross

The story of the rapid decline of JCPenney under Ron Johnson’s leadership is one of the most shocking business stories of recent years. Bringing in the genius behind Apple’s retail stores seemed like a no-brainer when he first arrived at JCPenney. He came in with a vision and exciting new ideas about how to turn around the struggling retailer. What I’m not sure that he came in with, was a willingness to listen to the smart people around him that had spent their careers at JCPenney.

There seems to be a bias that leaders bring to turn-around jobs like JCPenney, best summarized as the “Outsiders Know Better” bias. It’s understandable why it happens. JCPenney had been struggling for a long time and something needed to change. It’s easy for a new CEO to assume that the people who are working there are not world-class, so the new CEO brings in a lot of people to surround him that he can trust. He’s worked with them before, they share the same experience, and have the same vision. And that’s exactly what Mr. Johnson did at JCPenney.

The problem is, for as much as JCPenney could learn from Mr. Johnson and his experience at Apple, he could have learned just as much about the realities of discount retailing from the people who had spent their careers in JCPenney. Perhaps paying more attention to those realities would have prevented the rapid decline that the company has experienced. I’m certain that there were widespread concerns within JCPenney about how the end of coupons, a staple of their business, would cause a dramatic drop in traffic. But it seems like those kinds of concerns, among others, were never dealt with. I think that highlights a key challenge that new leaders face – understanding the difference between 1) managing the risk that they have picked the right strategy, and 2) managing the risk that the organization will successfully execute it. What many leaders don’t realize is that the best way to manage both risks is by listening to the people in the organization they lead and enrolling them in the strategy conversation.

I often use Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a reference when talking to leaders about making change happen. All too often, resistance from the organization is seen as a case of people being stuck in their ways and a sign that some people need to be shown the door. Tough questions about the strategy don’t get asked, and possible pitfalls don’t get identified. People keep their heads down and keep their jobs safe. That attitude can create a massive conflict for people. Do I open my mouth and disagree with the strategy? Or do I stay quiet and go home every night worrying about when things are eventually going to fall apart? In either case, I’m operating at a very low level of the hierarchy of needs and I’m probably not very productive.

I believe that ultimately, most people want to believe in the direction their company is headed and do their best to help make it a success. And to do so, they need to be given the opportunity to understand rather than being asked to simply follow. By allowing their teams to ask questions, leaders can understand what is worrying their people about achieving this new future and learn from it themselves. Not only can a leader gain commitment through this course, but they might unearth some unseen land mines in their strategy in the process which they can work together to solve.

The reason that this back-and-forth doesn’t happen is that many leaders don’t have a good understanding of how to design such a two-way conversation in a positive, constructive way. They are concerned that it will open up more issues than it will resolve. Many worry that this would be seen a sign of weakness instead of a sign of leadership, but it certainly doesn’t need to be when handled correctly.

Would following this kind of approach have resulted in a very different JCPenney today? Would a more creative and successful strategy been discovered by taking the best of Apple and the best of JCPenney rather than blowing up the business model altogether? While we will never know for sure, it would have provided a forum for important conversations and possibly identified conflicts between the new strategy and the old JCPenney that needed to be resolved in order to be successful. And as we know real innovation most often happens in resolving conflicts, not by simply applying best-practices learned from another company, even one as successful as Apple.

What have been your experiences with living through changes in company strategy?

Joe Giordano, Synecticsworld

By Joe Giordano

This is the fifth article in this series (see links below), where we examine how the Noble 8-Fold Path of the historical Buddha can help you, your team, and your organization build growth by fostering collaboration and agility.

I hope you are beginning to see the connection in my blog posts…what I feel is the biggest connection is that each of the 8-folds has profound implications on the self, and how we impact what is around us.  In the world of collaboration and more importantly creative collaboration, the impact we have on others affects their ability to collaborate with us, and in turn helps us all focus on the task at hand—whatever that task may be.

The 5th path is Right Livelihood.  According to thebigview.com, Right Livelihood means that one should earn one’s living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully.  The Buddha mentions four specific activities that harm other beings and that one should avoid for this reason:

1. Dealing in weapons

2. Dealing in living beings (including raising animals for slaughter as well as slave trade and prostitution)

3. Working in meat production and butchery

4. Selling intoxicants and poisons.

Furthermore, any other occupation that would violate the principles of Right Speech and Right Action should be avoided.  I surmise that Right Livelihood promotes the principle of equality of all living things and respect for all.  There are many parallels between these axioms and the way a strong collaborative meeting is run.

• In a Synectics-based meeting we ask that everyone “check their weapons at the door.”  What we mean by this is no “heat-seeking-missiles” should be launched during a session.  That is, do not say, present, or offer suggestions or ideas that may be construed as derogatory or damaging to others.
• In a Synectics-based meeting we ask that we deal with each other in an open and honest way.  We are there to build a climate of openness and safety for all.
• In a Synectics meeting we ask that our individual goal is not to butcher other’s ideas and offerings to the session.  That we use our thinking to infuse strength and character to what others are thinking and saying.
• In a Synectics meeting we ask that we don’t poison the climate with negativity, brashness or condescending comments.  These can leave a lasting toxicity of climate that will take time to dispel.
• In a Synectics-based meeting, our job, our livelihood, is to contribute to the climate, the thinking and actions taking place in a wholesome, positive manner that will create a lasting impact on those around us.  It is truly about choosing the path of respect over anything else, so that the path of respect will choose us.

There is a saying that we hear a lot in meetings when trying to come up with new ideas or implementing ideas:  “All things being equal…”  my response to this is we need to “Make all things equal.”   If we treat everything as equal (people, ideas, outcomes, etc.), then we can truly set aside judgment and find the inner balance that we need to be highly collaborative.

Practice these guidelines in your next meeting, and see how it changes the human dynamics, removing the gridlock  (so often a part of a meeting of competing ideas), and creating a truly collaborative, productive interaction of minds.

Previously

I spoke in earlier blogs about having Right Actions and Right Intent.  If we approach the 8-fold path as interrelated and interconnected then Right Livelihood impacts both of those and they, in turn, impact how we approach Right Livelihood.

See earlier articles in this series

Do You Have The Right View

Do You Have The Right Intent

Do You Have the Right Speech

Do You Have the Right Action

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Joe Giordano, Synecticsworld

By Joe Giordano

In this article, the fourth in this series (see links below), we examine how Right Action can help you, your team, and your organization foster collaboration and agility.

Right Action is part of the Fourth Path – Ethical Conduct – in the Noble 8-Fold Path of the teachings of the historical Buddha.  Ethical Conduct speaks to taking wholesome actions, because wholesome actions lead to sound states of mind, verses unwholesome actions which lead to unsound states of mind.

When looking at Right Action, we must be aware that our state of mind is controlling our body language.  In the practice of Synectics, we focus early on in learning new behaviors that include communicating for collaboration, and how body language speaks volumes to those around us and has profound implications on how we communicate.

In the language of Synectics, our state of mind is known as our internal climate.  Our internal climate is about where we are putting our mental energy.  If we focus on the unsound, we expend our mental energy on protecting ourselves and keeping ourselves safe.  This is compounded by acting in an unsound way, which has profound effects on those around us.  This negative effect can have a lingering effect if we continue to operate in an unsound (or negative) space.  In a collaborative setting, the maximum amount of everyone’s mental energy needs to be focused on the task at hand, and this requires Right Action.

Our founder, George Prince, early on used Quantum Mechanics to describe climate, what referred to as Field:

In Quantum Mechanics everything happens because of the field.  In the sub-atomic world, matter exists as pure energy.  You know it is there because it has an electromagnetic field, but it is not visible.  When two of these fields come into contact, each one becomes both a particle and a wave.  The wave represents information about the ‘individual’ and the particle is physical matter.

The combination of the two fields generates a third field—I think of this as a relationship.  I believe that each of us is sort of like a giant particle/wave.  The wave aspect of me is information and the particle is my physical presence.  I am surrounded by the field or energy generated by me.  When I operate with you, my behavior is determined by the combination of your field and mine.  The valence of that field—the positive or negative of it—brings out the best, or less than the best in each of us.

We are all governed by the field we, together, generate.

If we all think of positive field generation as a core skill area, and developing positive everyday relationships as our goal, I believe it would clarify the kind of awareness, experimenting and development we need to be doing.  The ability to do this depends upon our becoming emotionally aware.  Source: “Your Life is A Series of Meetings.. Get Good At Life” George M. Prince with Kathleen Logan-Prince.

George also said that Field has memory— Where we leave others, whether in our negative wake or positive wake, is where we will be starting off with those around us the next time.

In the Buddhist sense Right Action means:

1. Abstain from harming sentient beings, especially from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently.
2. Abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty.
3. Take right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest, and to respect the belongings of others.

To evaluate whether you are taking Right Action in business meetings, try the following:

• Too often, in group settings, there are those who like to play the role of devil’s advocate—which is a role that is best left un-played.  Nothing good can come from this behavior.  The idea of the devil’s advocate is to be contrary, to challenge and to ultimately discount others.  This is an intentional action; an intentional action to harm others, no matter how pure the purpose.  Be the angel’s advocate – Turn your heat seeking missiles into supportive structures; turn them into builds and ideas that contribute positively to the purpose of the gathering.

• Actively (and passionately) listen approximately and open-mindedly to make connections.  Many suggestions in meetings may not be a precise fit to the problem.

Exercise your listening skills in 3 steps:

• Step 1: Listen for flaws.

• Step 2: Listen to overcome any flaws.

• Step 3: Listen to get an idea without flaws.

Use the errors you find with other thoughts and ideas as an impetus to offer an idea that you feel has fewer flaws.  Remember, it is easy to find a hundred reasons why an idea will not work. It takes real effort to find one reason why a seemingly erroneous or irrelevant idea will work.  Make that your mission.

• Pay intense attention to yourself and your impulses.

Use your energy in following the thoughts stimulated by the conversation—even when your images and thoughts seem irrelevant to the problem, note them and attempt to connect them.

Relieve yourself of the impulse to jump to conclusions before hearing what is behind an idea that you may not agree with.

If you can follow these recommendations, you will have taken a few of the right actions to ensure that field and climate remain positive.  You will have a lasting impact on those around you, and build the capacity of you, your team, and your organization to fully employ your people as an agile team, with the power create change.

This is the fourth article in this series

Do You Have The Right View

Do You Have The Right Intent

Do You Have the Right Speech

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Joe Giordano, Synecticsworld

Joe Giordano, a principal at Synecticsworld, shares Synectics tools and techniques with a diverse group at the Maine Center for Creativity,  part of a ‘velvet revolution’ that’s energizing the Maine’s economy.  Maine’s ‘creative economy’ is all about innovation and talent – and leveraging them as a vital economic resource for driving industry.

Joe is working with organizations who are seeking breakthroughs by helping individuals and teams collaborate, become more creative and inventive, and develop newness within their organization. Joe works with organizations on developing consumer and customer insights, new product development, branding, positioning and process improvement.

Joe’s specialties include learning and development program design and delivery, competency development and mapping and large meeting design and facilitation for behavioral change. Additionally, Joe designs projects and engagements and facilitates these for strategy and strategic team development, product and service innovation based on consumer and customer insights, organizational change and business process improvement.

Mobile: (978) 590-6731

Office: (617) 868-6530 ex. 258

Fax: (978) 590-6731

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