how to be an effective innovation games observer

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Innovation Games® for Customer Understanding

How to be an effective Innovation Games Observer

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Introduction

The purpose of this deck is to help prepare Observers to help create a high-impact result in an Innovation Games® session.

Simply put: You’re job is to Observe. Take good notes. Don’t inject your opinions into the process. We’ll have time for opinions when we’re post-processing results.


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2 – 6 mon 1 wk6 - 12 wks 1 – 3 wks1 – 2 wks

Innovation Game Production Process

ProcessGame Results

Send Letterto

Participants

Phase OneFive W’s

Phase TwoInvite & Prep

FinalPrep

ProcessObserver

Note Cards(same/next day)

Action!Preparing

Playing

Post-Processing

Although your role as an Observer is primarily associated with the day of the event, you should know that producing a successful Innovation Games event typically takes several months of planning.


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The Innovation Games® TeamRole DescriptionGreeter Greets participants, invites them into the session, establishes a warm rapport.

Typically the “executive” who “owns” the offering that is the subject of the game.

Facilitator(s) Facilitators guide participants through the games, answering questions, and if necessary making real-time adjustments to the game plans in order to best realize the goals of the session. We prefer that only facilitators answer questions to maintain consistency in the answers.

Helper “gopher” for the facilitator. Is ready, willing, and able to help with anything that might be needed.

Observers Observers watch participants, taking notes on index cards. These cards will be collected and processed after the session. Observers should refrain from speaking with participants.

Photographer One observer should be the designated photographer, taking lots and lots of photos of the event.

The Innovation Games Team


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Organizing The Team

• We recommend cross-functional teams so that we can have different perspectives on the session results.

• Sources for Observers include:• Technical support• Development / Engineering• Channel partners• Sales and Marketing


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How to Be a Good Observer

• Write down anything you hear or see that you think is important • Verbal: What do users say?• Non-verbal: How do users react?

• Quotes, body language, etc.• Write one observation per card in a

way that allows each card to “stand-alone”


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Observer Do’s and Don’ts’s

DO• Identify who said what:

Donna agreed with Satish that API versioning is critical to CIOs

• Maintain your energy and focus. Observing can be hard work. Let us know if you need a break.

DON’T• Use your laptop or phone• Make interpretations: The daily reminders should be thrown

out because Group 3 hates them. • Judge the participants:

Jaime obviously has unrealistic weight-loss goals, so why should we listen to him?

• Join the group to “help” or “fix something” or “just explain a little”

Portions from Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D.


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• A chance for your team to capture their insights while fresh

• Group according to logical categories

• Prioritize: what is most important?

• Include all cards (negative and positive)

• Examine each observation• Questions• Are there any trends?• Is proposed solution viable?

Analyzing Observer Note Cards



Our Core Team

• Luke Hohmann, CEO & Founder• CEO & Founder, Enthiosys• VP Engineering, Aurigin Systems• 1982 US National Junior Pairs

Figure Skating Champion

• Laura Richardson, VP Sales• Managing Partner, Uptime• Dir. Business Dev., E-Color• Little League Ump & Tough

Mudder Competitor

• Dan O’Leary, CTO• VP Engineering, Callidus Software• Staff Engineer, Sun Microsystems• Fender Stratocaster Devotee

• Tami Carter, VP Marketing• GM Tech Web/SD Events• Managing Editor, UBM• Poet, Lifeguard & Coal Miner’s

Daughter

• Sue Cook, VP Prof. Services• Owner, Spearfish Innovation• VP Global Operations, HP• Co-Founder Mont Blanc Ladies

Literary Guild and Trekking Society

Advisors & Investors:• Verne Harnish, Founder & CEO, Gazelles• Paul Gemeraad, President of Intellectual Assets, Inc.• Chris Matts, Financial Systems Consultant• Harry Max, Vice President of Experience Design for Rackspace



The Book That Started It All

Collaborative PlayIs the Better Way



Luke HohmannFounder & CEO, Conteneo, Inc.

480 San Antonio Road, Suite 202Mountain View, CA 94040mobile: (408) [email protected]


how to be an effective innovation games observer

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