The Innovation Revelation: A story about how to satisfy customer needs by Lowe David

Author:Lowe, David [Lowe, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-11-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25. Reviewing solutionising session one.

‘I wonder whether I just got the wrong people in?’ I muse to Sarah and Jess later that night. ‘Or maybe I offered the wrong incentives? I tried to create a feeling of shared ownership of the solutions, but people just felt used . Maybe this is where the amateur falls down?’

There’s a tone of self-pity in my words. I’m tempted to retract them but I’m seriously wondering whether I’ve bitten off too much. Have I over-promised?

‘Charlie,’ Sarah says calmly but without patronising, ‘were there people in the room who represented your customers or potential customers who might ultimately benefit from a change to your services or products?’

‘Yes. We even chose them because they were online shoppers who had returned a number of items within the last few months.’

‘And were there people in the room who were ultimately going to deliver the improved service or product?’

‘Well, yes, I suppose there were some people who might. We obviously don’t know who it would be because we don’t know what we’re going to do yet,’ I reply slightly defensively.

‘Good. It’s important not just to have potential customers in these sessions, but also to engage those people who you will need to collaborate with in order to deliver any new service or product. They need to co-create it too. Sounds like you had the right people in the room.’

‘So where did it go wrong?’

‘It just takes practice,’ Sarah continues. ‘So when’s your next session? Let’s see what we can do to make some improvements.’

Again, Sarah has snapped me out of my mood.

I feel like I’ve been a bit needy, like a teenage girl who causes a scene at a party and runs off crying, only so her friends follow her and try to make everything better. I used to avoid those girls as much as possible in my youth.

‘Thank you Sarah, sorry for being a bit melodramatic. I just feel like there’s a lot riding on this and I really want to make people realise this way is a much better method of approaching problems.’

‘There’s no need to apologise. It’s only natural to feel frustrated when things don’t go how you’d imagined.’

‘Okay, thanks. Right, let’s look at next week’s workshop.’

Jess plants a huge serving of pasta, pizza, salad, breads, olives and cold meats on the table.

The kids descend on the impromptu feast like locusts, but leave the salad as if it were a diseased carcass in the desert. Emily, unable to carry her plate and all the toys she is holding, leaves her wand on the table.

Sarah picks it up. ‘Now Charlie, I am your fairy godmother and can grant you one wish for your next workshop. What would you like it to be?’

I think for a moment.

‘To get ideas for solutions from a group of people who include potential customers and the people who might implement the solutions.’

‘Okay, then this will happen.’ Sarah waves the wand and, when nothing happens, shakes it a few more times in faux frustration.

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