You’re often alone trying to shape and define your innovation challenges. The reality is that if you start in the wrong direction, it is unlikely you’ll get where you want to go. Background: We developed this speed dating technique while running our remote innovation certification program. It is not a webinar where you sit and listen. It is an opportunity to interact with people all over the world through a series of break-out sessions. Participants are split-out into groups of 4 or 5 and later gets feedback for their ideas/challenges.

2. Today is an Experiment!!
• 3 Speed Dates
• A Cool Tool
• An Offer to Work
Together

3. If you don't know where you're going,
every road will get your nowhere

4. The Facts
• 90% of Leaders think a good strategy has an impact on
business success, but barely 25% of them have a strategy
• Only 55% of the middle managers can name even one of their
company’s top five priorities
• In a little of 70% of companies innovation result go down when
employees are given more autonomy. (Why they don’t know
what they should be doing)

5. In our 4 year study with close to
500 companies on drivers of
innovation success…
Strategic alignment is the single
best predictor of success

6. Healthy
Fast Food
Fast Food

7. “Wendy’s Mission is to deliver superior quality products and
services for our customers and communities through
leadership, innovation and partnerships.”

8. SETTING COMMANDERS INTENT
HOW DO YOU
KNOW YOU GOT
IT RIGHT?
1. Find a ‘purpose’ (the story) for the organization
2. What do you want
3. What don’t you want
YOUR TEAMS WILL
KNOW WHAT TO DO
WITHOUT ASKING

9. Reflection time
• How are your innovation
objectives clearer than
Wendy’s ?
• 1 minute.. what would you
tell a new person
9

10. Speed Date #1
You are going to be split in random groups of 3
You’ll have 2 roles: Presenter and Feedback
Everyone presents/ everyone provides feedback
You have 12 minutes
10

11. Details
Presenter:
In less than 1 minute what are your key innovation objectives
Feedback:
You need to be the timekeepers (in 2 minutes, 1 minute
each)
Imagine you’re a new person in the company…
Why is this mission important ?
What is success

12. Discussion
• Where you as clear as you thought ?
• What was missing ?

13. Recommendation # 1
Our brain thinks in stories, add a story
Example: When consumers are looking for ordinary
fast food they have lots of choices; Wendy’s needs
to be the choice for healthy fast food
We need targets for clarity
Example: Better and healthier food that consumers
notice is healthier and better. And they will talk
about it
13

14. Speed Date # 2 (12 minutes)
Add a story… and clear objectives
Presenter: In less than 1 minute what are your key innovation
objectives
Feedback: Imagine you’re a new person in the company…
Why is this mission important ?
What is success ?
14

15. Discussion
• Did this help ?
• Feeling better ?

16. Recommendation # 2
Clarify what you don’t want
• Restrictions
Eg. Being classified as a health
food place.
For many Health food = no food
• Tactical constraints
Eg .The margin needs to be the
same as before
16

17. Why: Less is often more
“Deciding what not to do
is as important as
deciding what to do.”
- Steve Jobs

18. And people are more creative
with constraints
A simple test…
List everything in your fridge
List everything white in your
fridge

19. Wendy’s is looking more like this
Narrative. Why it is
important (the story)
When consumers are looking for ordinary fast food
they have lots of choices; Wendys needs to be the
choice for healthy fast food
Objective
Better and healthier food that consumers notice is
healthier and better. And they will talk about it
Restrictions: We are
not interested in
Being classfied as a health food place. For many
health food = no food
Tactical Constraints:
The margin needs to be the same as before

20. Speed Date # 3 (12 minutes)
Add what you don’t want/ restrictions
Presenter: In less than 1 minute what are your key innovation
objectives
Feedback: Imagine you’re a new person in the company…
What is important ?
What are the limits ?
20

21. Discussion
• Do you have do not do lists now ?
• Would this help ?

22. Recommendation # 3
• Give people a place to start
Eg. See Subways: Jared Campaign
• And make it simple
Eg. Healthy Fast Food
22

23. Jared Campaign
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vy4inFX5aE

24. A Better Tool
TRUE NORTH
24
N

25. Our tool...
True North
N

26. TRUE Truly Simple Healthy Fast Food
N
Narrative. Why it is
important (the story)
When consumers are looking for ordinary fast food
they have lots of choices; Wendys needs to be the
choice for healthy fast food
O Objective
Better and healthier food that consumers notice is
healthier and better. And they will talk about it
R
Restrictions: We are
not interested in
Being classfied as a health food place. For many
health food = no food
T Tactical Constraints:
The margin needs to be the same as before
H
Here is the place to
start
See Subways: Jared Campaign
N

27. “Wendy’s Mission is to deliver
superior quality products and
services for our customers
and communities through
leadership, innovation and
partnerships.”
Do people know what to do next?
TRUE Truly Simple Healthy Fast Food
N
Narrative. Why it is
important (the story)
When consumers are looking for ordinary fast food
they have lots of choices; Wendys needs to be the
choice for healthy fast food
O Objective
Better and healthier food that consumers notice is
healthier and better. And they will talk about it
R
Restrictions: We are
not interested in
Being classfied as a health food place. For many
health food = no food
T Tactical Constraints:
The margin needs to be the same as before
H
Here is the place to
start
See Subways: Jared Campaign
N

28. Download Link :
http://tiny.cc/alignment-talk

29. Keys to success
•People
•Tools
•Time
29

30. Our new program
Sprintz.work offers all 3
30

31. Based on: The ABCs of Innovation
• A new book that build on and
extends: lean start-up, sprints, the
busines model canvas
• Written with 24 co-authors
• Taught at several MBA programs

32. The bicycle theory
Your can’t learn to ride a bike from a book or a course. You learn by doing
It is the same for management

34. In practice…
Trained Students
An Intensive 5 day program
working on real projects
60 hours in 5 days
5 Week Manager program
A 5 week program with clear
targets and an agreed process
• Trained participants
• Daily Stand-ups
• Weekly training + coaching
10-15 hours per week
Notice +/- same hours as
students

35. The value proposition :
For companies: More than you even thought possible in 5 weeks
For managers: An MBA level program with tools and methods
For Student: Show their stuff and lerarn
True North Spark Decks 4 Ps
Problem
Promise
Proof
Payoff
SystemThinking
NewTools EveryWeek
N

36. Results to date
• The pilot student program = July 20
• 520 applicants, 120 accepted, 72 started, 59 certified
• V2 of the student program week of September 21
• The manager program October 5
3 options
1. 15 K Group 5 week program
2. 25 K Personalized company programs (per sprint)
3. Trained Sprinters: 1K / week

38. Watch this space …
Targets for the next 12 months
• 500 Students Certified
• 50 company programs
• How to better build innovation habits
And lot’s of new and bigger ideas

39. Next Steps
• A free one to one talk “A defined target for a sprint”
link: https://sprintztalk.youcanbook.me
• Or simply send me an email saying how you’d like to start
(bryan@bryancassady.com)