At the heart of innovation is the introduction of something new that adds value. These new ideas help you see a vision for the future, achieve simplicity for a complex task, arrive at a consensus to end a conflict, or generate new revenue in times of budget cuts. Chic Thompson will take you on an interactive journey through the steps of strategic curiosity that foster a mindset of innovation:
- Be Curious First...Critical Second: When you see or hear a new idea, be curious first to explore the possibilities and be critical second to calculate the probabilities
- Look for Second & Third "Right" Answers: Reframe your challenge and see it from different perspectives to generate fresh new solutions
- The Question is the Answer: Ask great questions to reveal new ideas
- Think in Opposites: Act on opposite/paradoxical trends and turn obstacles into an opportunity
- DIY Brainstorming: Come up with ideas when you're stuck, arms crossed, and staring at your computer
- Keep Your Brain Alive: Keep your mind sharp so you can come up with ideas anytime and any place
Chic Thompson
Chic’s passion is inspiring executives, MBA students, children and everyone to be “curious first… critical second” while creative problem-solving. He is a Fellow at the University of Virginia’s Darden Business School and adjunct faculty at the Brookings Institution. In 2001, Harvard Business School released a case study on the speaking career of Chic entitled “What a Great Idea!.” Chic’s first book, “What a Great Idea!,” published by HarperCollins, was a main selection of the Executive Book Club. Chic worked in new product development and marketing for W.L. Gore and Associates (Gore-Tex®), Johnson & Johnson and Walt Disney.