We’re going to have a very busy July, so we decided to hold our first Summer School on Co-innovation few weeks before actually summer arrived.

A total of 12 people attended. Young professional working at different Co-Society fellows and proposed for their high-growth potential in those organizations:  HP, RACC (Car Club), DKV (Insurance), GAES (hearing aids),  Sanofi (pharma), Bodegas Miguel Torres (winery) and Bon Preu (supermarket).

12 young people full of the energy and creativity needed for a 12 hours immersion to think about how companies should strategically incorporate innovation to ride the coming twist of disruption in every industry.

Twelve people working twelve hours non-stop around four different concepts & phases: PLAY + PROPOSE + PROTOTIPE + PITCH

PLAY

After an update of how most innovative organizations and businesses are innovating today and the presentation of some tools, teams of three people worked on how four different elements (Systems, Teams, Return On Innovation, Return on People) in the innovation system can be taken in consideration in order to change the way companies innovate.

PROPOSE

Two teams of six people worked to propose a different way of thinking and acting for professionals (RE-YOU) and organizations (RE-ORG) in order to innovate more and innovate better.

PROTOTYPE

First, a presentation about how to use Mind Maps as a tool to organize key concepts. Then, time for each team to shape different proposals from former phase using Business Origami.

PITCH

Video recording as a communication tool to show different proposals visually and in less than two minutes.

Two teams, two proposals

1.- Fighting against the exploitation / exploration dilemma

Day-to-day tasks and needs kill innovation. Main barrier for organizations to innovate are things that must be done short term in order to keep the organization moving today. The problem is nobody is working for having the organization moving  in the future. Organizations should include innovation as a day-to-day tasks the same way marketing, finance or operations tasks are included.

2.- Self-regulated anarchy

Best innovation is spontaneous. Organizations should provide a framework to empower people to propose and freely dedicate part of their time to materialize new ideas. Best ideas would naturally attract teams of people and skills needed and, therefore, materialize.