Idea Time Innovation with Dr. Jo North

Intro: Innovation is the lifeblood of business growth – yet research shows 70% to 90% of innovation initiatives fail hbr.org . How can your organization beat these odds? In this episode, I unveil the Big Bang Innovation Framework, a proven 6-step innovation process designed to take you from a spark of an idea to scalable success. Whether you’re a corporate innovation leader navigating internal hur...

Do you want to build a thriving innovation ecosystem for your company or organization? If you’re looking to create an environment where ideas, people, and opportunities come together to drive real results, this episode is for you. Here’s what we’ll cover: What an innovation ecosystem is. Why a thriving innovation ecosystem is critical for collaboration, growth, and staying competitive. Key compone...

Sometimes a promising idea or discovery is so exciting that it's tempting to rush ahead, risking missing key steps along the way. Other times, it's challenging to figure out how to progress the innovation at speed and scale, causing it to get stuck. In this episode, I explain how Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs)—originally created by NASA in the 1970s and now used internationally—provide a valua...

Company values are more than words on a wall or a website. They're the heartbeat of an organization, guiding decisions and behaviors. Yet, bringing them to life is where many companies struggle. In this show, I share practical ways to help your team infuse your company’s values into your everyday work.   I’ll share:                                                                                   ...

Join me in this dynamic session on creative thinking techniques to elevate your strategy and innovation sprints, workshops and meetings.   Whether you're looking to tackle complex problems or pave the way for fresh, more ambitious ideas, this session will equip you with practical techniques to think creatively and act innovatively.   We’ll cover: Foundations of Creative Thinking: Understand the co...

This podcast, "How to Facilitate a Scenario Planning Workshop", will guide you through using scenario planning to help you to develop and strengthen your sustainable innovation strategy.   Key takeaways: Understanding sustainable innovation: Balance environmental, societal, and economic impacts for long-term success 🌱. Scenario planning insights: How to prepare for various futures, mitigating ris...

🚀  Build a Successful Innovation Team 🚀   🎥  🎙️ In this week’s Idea Time show, I explore how to build an innovation-driven team.   Highlights are: Innovation as a Core Value: Essential for product development, adding technical, process, and functional value. Innovation Time Off (ITO): Learn from Google, 3M and others . Balance innovation and productivity. Set the Innovation Stage: Effective com...

Stakeholder mapping is a strategic process used in innovation, project management and business planning. It involves identifying and analyzing individuals, groups, or organizations that can impact or be impacted by a project or business activity. The goal is to understand these stakeholders' interests, influence, and the nature of their involvement. By mapping stakeholders, innovators can better n...

In this content-packed live show, I dive into Horizon Scanning & Foresight for Innovators. No crystal balls, prophecies or predicting the future, though! Horizon scanning is about detecting weak signals of potential change before they make it big. It keeps you prepared, and gives you and your innovation strategy a competitive edge. In this show, I share: What horizon scanning is, and why it’s...

This episode is a really good one if you're interested in leading sustainable innovation in your business. I go in-depth on how to facilitate a successful Business Sustainability Workshop for your team. I give you a start-to-finish guide on how and what to prepare, a workshop agenda with specific activities and tips to turn your ideas into action after your event.   What I cover: Workshop Preparat...

In this episode, I dive into the world of sustainable business model innovation and discuss why it’s essential in the contemporary business environment.   Key topics I cover are: The rising demand for sustainability from customers and the global trend towards sustainable value propositions. Examples of businesses committing to Net Zero targets. The role of sustainability in attracting and retainin...

Open innovation is all about expanding your business horizons. Instead of keeping all your ideas and projects in-house, you collaborate with external partners, startups, or customers. This approach speeds up innovation, cuts costs, and could give your business the competitive edge it needs. Tune into my livestream to learn how you can make open innovation work for you.   Get to Know Open Innovatio...

In this episode of the Idea Time show,  I cover what Appreciative Inquiry is and show you how you could use the process of Appreciative Inquiry to create and facilitate highly effective, strengths-focused innovation.   Appreciative Inquiry means recognising, exploring and building on the positive, aligning with strengths-based development. It is all about reframing, and, starting from the position...

Having a lot of ideas after a brainstorming session? Unsure which to pick? I've got you covered. In this show, I'll introduce you to 8 proven innovation frameworks that can help. These tools can be used individually or in group settings. Pick what's best for your scenario. Innovation Frameworks to Discuss: Idea Sorter MoSCoW Method The KJ Method (Kawakita Jiro Method) RICE Scoring Method Kano Mode...

In this podcast episode I’m joined by my very special guest, TV producer and presenter, entrepreneur, 2x award-winning author, and elite carp angler, Ali Hamidi. Ali is the founder and CEO of One More Cast Ltd , a big dream that has become reality. Ali’s focus has been to create a brand with premium fishing tackle and outdoor products to cater for a wide range of situations. He’s obsessive about c...

Harness the power of Design Thinking! A dynamic approach to problem-solving that promotes human-centricity, encourages creativity, and celebrates practicality.   Join me as we explore: 🎯 The art of understanding user's needs ❓ The science of defining precise problems 🧠 The fun in brainstorming innovative solutions 📐 The creativity involved in designing a prototype ✔️ The thrill of testing it,...

Welcome to another exciting episode of the Idea Time podcast. In this episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Brian Tam, a renowned creative strategist based in Lisbon. Brian is dedicated to helping small to medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs globally innovate and grow.   Here’s a rundown of what you can expect from this episode:   Global Experience and Perspectives on Innovation: Brian ha...

I’m joined by my special guest, Patrick Dunne, for an in-depth exploration of innovation and entrepreneurship in the boardroom.   Patrick Dunne is an experienced Chair with extensive experience of working with boards in Europe, Asia and North America. Currently Chair of board consultancy Boardelta, the charities The EY Foundation and ESSA- Education Sub Saharan Africa as well as Chair of the overs...

In this week’s show, I'll explore the powerful synergy between growth mindset and lean innovation.   I’ll share how to create a culture that fosters creativity, resilience, and efficiency, empowering your business to innovate effectively and stay ahead of the curve.   Here’s what I’ll cover:   Growth Mindset 🌱 The science behind growth mindset Key characteristics of a growth mindset culture Strat...

In this episode, guest Amanda Webb of Spiderworking guides us on using Google Analytics and social media data for innovation and growth.   She discusses the transition from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4, emphasizing its role in providing crucial insights into website visitors and their behavior.   Amanda illustrates how to use these tools to test market reception of a new product idea,...

I’m excited to introduce special guest, Ian Anderson Gray , to my show this week. Ian helps us to gain confidence in front of the camera, improve communication skills and feel even better about live video and presenting in online meetings. Ian is the founder of the Confident Live Marketing Academy and is the host of the Confident Live Marketing Podcast. He helps entrepreneurs to level up their imp...

In this fascinating episode, I have the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Joanna Berry, an esteemed professor at Durham University and a luminary in the field of entrepreneurship. Dr. Berry is not just an academic, but a seasoned entrepreneur who successfully transitioned from running her own business to developing the next generation of entrepreneurs.   We delve deeply into the fascinati...

Welcome to Data Pioneers: A Digital Innovation Case Study, featuring Simon Jefferson from Catsurveys! In this episode, we're shifting the spotlight from big brands to small and medium-sized B2B companies that are trailblazing their way to innovation success.   Joining us today is Simon Jefferson, who will share how Catsurveys has masterfully introduced a game-changing, data-driven digital innovati...

Are you looking to enhance your organization's understanding of the customer perspective and provide a better customer experience? If yes, then a customer journey mapping workshop is just what you need.   Int his podcast, I will guide you through the fundamentals of customer journey mapping, share how to facilitate a successful workshop, and create insightful before-and-after customer journey maps...

Lead Productive, Effective, and Fun Retrospective Meetings   How are your retrospective, or ‘lessons learned’, meetings going? 🤔 Are they full of energy, actionable insights for your future projects, or have they become a bit stale and same-y? Are you even doing them at all? Or have they never even started or fallen by the wayside because everyone is “too busy”?   Retrospectives are workshop-styl...