Summary of The Building Blocks of Innovation | Jana Strasburg | TEDxRichland

Summary of "The Building Blocks of innovation" by Jana Strasburg

In her TEDx talk, Jana Strasburg explores the essential components that contribute to successful innovation. She contrasts positive and negative collaborative experiences in various settings, emphasizing that the difference often lies in the foundational elements of innovation.

Main Ideas and Concepts:

Building Blocks of innovation:
- Process: innovation requires a structured approach. This can range from simple meeting agendas to complex methodologies that facilitate idea sharing and development.
- People: Diverse teams with varied backgrounds and experiences are crucial. Collaboration leverages individual strengths to create a collective vision.
- Place: A conducive environment—both physical and mental—is necessary for creativity. This includes having the right tools and a space that inspires innovation.
- Products: innovation results in new products, which can be tangible (like prototypes) or intangible (like ideas or strategies).
- Perspectives: innovation should lead to new viewpoints and changes in how individuals perceive problems and solutions.
- Progress: Successful innovation accelerates progress, making processes better, cheaper, and faster. Clear measures of success are essential.
Interconnectedness of Elements: The building blocks do not function in isolation; they must work together to create a balanced approach to innovation. An imbalance can lead to ineffective outcomes.
Practical Examples: Strasburg shares her experience at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, highlighting a program called Q Camp, which aimed to foster innovation by bringing together diverse teams in a unique environment. This initiative successfully generated new ideas, products, and perspectives.
Call to Action: She encourages the audience to consider all elements of innovation in their endeavors and offers a tangible reminder of these concepts in the form of an "innovation cube."

Methodology/Instructions for innovation:

Identify and Assemble Diverse Teams: Select individuals from various backgrounds and disciplines to foster creativity and new ideas.
Establish a Structured Process: Create a clear agenda and methodology for collaboration to ensure effective communication and idea integration.
Create a Conducive Environment: Design a physical and mental space that encourages creativity, equipped with necessary tools (e.g., sticky notes, markers).
Encourage Open Communication: Foster trust and collaboration among team members to share ideas freely.
Measure Success: Define clear metrics to evaluate progress and outcomes of innovation efforts.

Speakers/Sources Featured:

Jana Strasburg - Presenter and speaker at TEDxRichland.

Notable Quotes

— 02:14 — « Innovation is nurtured in a place where you have the space and tools to be creative. I think of it as a playground where ideas can play and interact, evolve and build. »

— 04:47 — « It's not about one of these items; it's about how they work in supporting each other and the way that they are supported by each other going forward. They form a greater whole like facets that come together to form a cube. »

— 06:11 — « If you want something different with your elements, you have to put them together in a different way. You have to change things up. »

— 11:43 — « We're making progress by watching the teams and the relationships that were formed. People that didn't know each other are now working as teams on a day-to-day basis on their projects. »