"That was most impressive.... There's absolutely a positive change”

Technical Director : Industrial Equipment

We use our expertise in innovation to help groups and their leaders

• develop a confident and creative culture,
• support this with appropriate processes,
• build a sustainable internal innovation capability

Typically the change process involves three stages

• Initial interviews and analysis.  
• A structured feedback report and workshop for the group to create a shared and focused desire for change.  
• Coaching, workshops, training or other interventions to support the desired change, and foster the internal capability to sustain it.

We often use a process based on Appreciative System Mapping. This focuses on building on a group’s strengths and good intentions, while providing highly focused  levers for change.

example 1: R&D effectiveness

The Creativity Partnership helped the Board of a successful Plc in the Industrial equipment sector get maximum value from its investment in R&D. 

We worked with the Technical Director, management and engineering staff to identify the factors which were reducing the innovativeness of the department, to explore their underlying causes and identify solutions.  The shared insight generated by this resulted in an immediate and sustained improvement in performance.

After the initial interventions, the Technical Director said

The programme then continued with occasional mentoring of some key middle managers for about 6 months, to help them reinforce and embed the new way of working.  Two years after the start of the programme the department was widely recognised as being innovative and was delivering real value. The Technical Director said

"There are now lots of people in engineering having ideas.. Now marketing can't handle them ..... We're restructuring marketing and recruiting to cope!"

example 2:

 radical innovation

The Creativity Partnership helped Sainsbury’s develop a process and culture in which radical innovation can be developed ‘faster, simpler, together’. 

We developed a process and structure to enable radical innovation, ran a stimulating workshop for the Quality and Innovation Group and provided management training.  The new system started operating in late 2002, getting enthusiastic reactions from staff and suppliers.  A typical staff reaction was

example 3: business transformation

Forthcoming changes in EU price support mechanisms will have a significant effect on the profitability of our client’s primary business. We have been working with the department charged with developing the vital new and profitable business opportunities, helping them develop an energetic, creative and effective culture.

After the initial interviews, and interventions, the programme continued with team development workshops on key topics, and coaching key managers in innovation facilitation and the design of inspiring innovation workshops.

The manager in charge said of the programme :

• Workshops and events.
• Learning and development.