Studio Guide

Innovation is what you do and how you learn, adapt and create.
Innovation is Inspiring. Innovation is Scary.

Innovation is Unavoidable.
Innovation is the promise of a better future inextricably
tied to the heavy weight of potential failure.
Innovation is personal, emotional and aspirational.
Innovation is inspired
Innovation is People. by and demonstrated
Individuals. Teams. through life every day.
Organizations. It can be
surprisingly high-touch and
low-tech. Innovation is about
ideas. And ideas begin with
individuals. Teams help shape
ideas, and organizations deliver
ideas to the marketplace.
Innovation is Organic. Innovation is Messy.

Our actions and the promise of innovation drive our
Innovation is not explained by one easy answer.
desire to develop unique outputs. The Innovator’s
Studio leverages the emotional, practical and
behavioral dynamics of innovation.
Just when we know what innovation means

today, we must go back to the drawing board The Innovator’s Studio uses life
and ask, “What is innovation tomorrow?” experience as the canvas from
which thoughts, insights and
ideas begin, change and mature.
Studio Guide. Welcome to
The Innovator’s Studio.

Innovation is…
Mood. Mindset. Mechanisms. Measurement. Momentum.
The Innovator’s Studio.
We know that the most revolutionary thoughts, ideas and solutions
come from people discovering true insights for themselves. In that spirit,
we’ve created an experience designed to inspire and challenge your
thinking through hands-on interactions and provocative questions. The
Innovator’s Studio is your opportunity to enjoy the practice of creative
experimentation, peer collaboration and personal reflection.
We are privileged to bring you this authentic studio experience. It’s our
hope that you will lean in, create, learn, explore, and think.
Don’t sit back. Play.

The noun “studio” has three distinct meanings:
Meaning #1: workplace for the teaching or practice of an art
Meaning #2: an apartment with a living space, bathroom and
small kitchen
Meaning #3: workplace consisting of a room or building where movies,
television shows or radio programs are produced and
recorded
Combining these traditionally separate worlds in the spirit of innovation,

the Innovator’s Studio is a place of learning and living, practice and
production, work and play.
© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

What is this book?
This is your guide to the Innovator’s Studio.
Like any good guidebook, we’ve aimed to make it easy to use,

enjoyable to read, and worth your time.
The guide is divided into two sections. The first section helps you
glean insights from the Studio experience. The second section
provides you with background information and context.
With a limited amount of time to spend in the Innovator’s Studio,

you’re hard pressed to see everything – so we don’t suggest that
you try. Instead, focus on taking a deep-dive approach to 3-4
experiences. The following pages guide you in finding and exploring
the destinations that are the most relevant, interesting and valuable
to you.
How to use this guide.
Each destination is represented by a unique icon. This icon
appears at the destination within the Studio and alongside its
description in this guide. Match the icons in the Studio to their
accompanying guidebook entries to navigate your way through
the Innovator’s Studio.
Grab a Sharpie. Take notes.

Ask, “Whacha thinkin’ about?”
Consult this guide, but above all, Look
at more stuff. Think about it harder.
(LAMSTAIH).
Want more direction? To focus your insights, check out the 5M

legend which complements each experience. We’ve highlighted the
relevant M’s for each experience via this key. For example, if you want
to learn about Mood, visit the destinations in which the first dot is
colored. If you want to learn about Mindset, visit the experiences
noted by a colored second dot, and so on.

Birdwatching
Think Café
Confessional Booth
Paint-by-Numbers
Each experience is relevant to our
5M Model of Systemic Innovation. Voices of Innovation
To help you make connections to
the 5M’s, this guide facilitates your MMMMMachines
observation and insight gathering via
questions, prompts and tangential
ID
thoughts to consider in the moment
and afterwards.
Human Library
The “Look at more stuff” and “Think
about it harder” sections offer you Once upon a time
two lenses with which to view the
experiences. The more time you
Metalmorphosis
spend pondering the “Look at more
stuff” and “Think about it harder”
LEAF Assessment
sections related to each experience,
the more fruitful your insights will be.
Mood
Mindset
Mechanisms
Measurement
Momentum
Before you get started . . .
Take a second to get your bearings. The next few pages summarize
two important pieces of context – the 5M Model sm of Systemic
Innovation and LAMSTAIH sm – which provide your structure for
learning in the Innovator’s Studio.

The 5M Model of Systemic Innovation.
The 5M Model defines the domains which impact systemic innovation.
These are the parts and pieces – large and small – which contribute
to innovation at work. Mood. Mindset. Mechanisms. Measurement.
Momentum. The 5M’s are an interconnected, comprehensive framework
for understanding innovation at your organization.
Mood
Mindset
Mechanisms
Measurement
Momentum

The attitudes, feelings and emotions that
affect creative thinking. Mood is the climate
for innovation. It’s the mindspace where
people work; the mental environments in
which people operate and collaborate.
The intellectual foundation of creativity –

the personality traits, behaviors and overall
brainpower that affect innovation. Mindset is an
individual’s or organization’s baseline capacity in
terms of aptitude and skill sets for creative thinking.
The tools and processes of innovation at work

– including the actions taken to generate large
quantities of ideas. From idea formation through
marketplace execution, mechanisms focus on the
“how” of innovation.
The indicators and success criteria for innovation.

Measurement is a tool for learning that leverages
both qualitative and quantitative measures of
innovation performance to provide the individual
and the organization with critical feedback.
The rituals, spaces and conversations that

keep creativity and innovation alive and
relevant. Momentum is the active inspiration
and purposful championing of innovation to
create a self-reinforcing cycle for fostering and
growing innovation.
LAMSTAIH [lam´sti]
LAMSTAIH is “Look at more stuff. Think about it harder.” sm
It’s our philosophy of creativity and thus innovation.
Creativity asks, “What if?” in order to examine realities and reveal

possibilities. It’s about looking at “what is” and seeing “what’s next.”
And without creativity, innovation doesn’t exist.

Inspiration for innovation comes from anywhere and everywhere.
Innovation depends upon an individual’s investment in external
stimulation and the cross-application of tangential learning as a means
to inspire new thought – LAMSTAIH is a commitment to exploring
new things in order to apply fresh insights back to your business.
Go.
Create. Explore. Interact. Think. Play. Ask. Be. Observe. Confess. Defy.
Contribute. Discuss. Argue. Inspire. Draw. Lie. Challenge. Fail. Value failing.
Demand. Require. Inquire. Curl it. Straighten it. Lose it. Necessitate.
Interrogate. Die a little inside. Resurrect. Relax. Rebel. Doubt. Spill the
beans. Empathize. Triumph. Wonder. Transform. Inform. Perform. Shake
your groove thing. Question. Refute. Answer. Exaggerate. Hook. Confirm.
Case. Deny. Offer. Request. Put out the vibe. Plead. Eye-ball. Connect.
Solve. Fall short. Decipher. Focus. React. Risk. Respond. Translate. Get Lost
in Translation. Cross-Examine. See Cross Examinations. Figure out. Agree.
Adapt. Conclude. Spy. Spew. Eschew. Steer clear of. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Correlate. Congratulate. Miss the boat. Miss your Mom. Experience. Shed.
Share. Compare. Contrast. Discover. Struggle. Laugh. Disregard. Support.
Turn the beat the around. Paint. Leak. Lead. Explain. Convince. Check-out.
Sympathize. Scrutinize. Resolve. Reply. Accomplish. Puzzle. Crystallize. Put
on. Stump. Surprise yourself. Portray. Spectate. Speculate. Own. Identify.
Indulge. Do not pass Go. Trade. Trade jobs. Babble. Sell it with a look.
Fess up. Execute. Suggest. Gossip. Cheat. Seduce. Overreach. Do. Do the
Locomotion. Discuss. Mingle. Yield. Beg. Oh, behave. Ignore. Sing. Reflect.
Attest. Scoff. Thrive. Indicate. Test. Play it again Sam. Filter. Fold and Fluff.
Substantiate. Transubstantiate (if you can). Debate. Postulate. Wrap up.
Absorb. Articulate. Appreciate. Evangelize. Build. Formulate. Nominate. Give
voice. Testify. Equate. Acknowledge. Chew over. Seek. Interview. Thank. Do.
Glance over. Tune out. Tune in. Lean in. Let the cat out of the bag.
Create. Explore. Interact. Think. Play.
Birdwatching.
Any ornithologist will tell you that observation is a discipline that
requires skill, patience and practice. When we “look at more stuff,” we
use critical observation skills as guidelines for exploring and learning
from anything and everything around us. Then, we find ways to
cross-apply the knowledge we gain to develop ideas. Using binoculars,
Look at more stuff. Observe life around Columbus Circle

through the binoculars. Stick with it for
longer than feels natural or casual.
Allow your mind and eyes to wander.
What did you observe?
Where did your mind go?

Were any of these observations on your list:
traffic as a bloodstream
the aesthetics of curves
relative proportion
the value of place names
oases
the comparative visibility of colors
the continuity of American History
Frederick Olmsted
the nature of intersections
the relationship of commerce and nature
(We could go on and on. Most anything around us can be

a source for unexpected insights if approached with the right lens.)
Was your curiosity provoked? Did you find yourself making new
connections or challenging assumptions?
What do you spend time looking at and why?
What we call “binoculars”

is technically a “binocular Think about it harder.
telescope.” Mounting two
telescopes side by side
provides a greater sense
of depth and distance
than using a singular
telescope, so binoculars are
more commonly used in
navigation and observation
of quickly moving subjects.
What is it you’ve grown numb to?

What lenses do you use to look at your own business?
What lenses are you neglecting?
How do you manufacture

inspiration when you don’t
feel inspired?
How can you increase your awareness of familiar subjects

in order to make new connections and generate new ideas?
How do you build a culture of curiosity? What behaviors
support this culture?

Based on their placement, human
eyes provide up to a 180 degree
field of view. Some birds have a full
360 degree field of view. It is with
that spirit of reaching a bird’s full
range of vision that Play developed
our LAMSTAIH practice which has
helped clients like Timberland find
the inspiration for a new closure
system in the seal of a Ziploc bag.
Hamilton Beach developed new
ideas by looking at its products from
the perspectives of Martha Stewart,
a NASA scientist, and Harry Potter.
And most recently, Play and the US
Olympic Committee stormed the
apartments of 24-year-olds in New
York City to better understand the
relevance of television, sports and
America to younger generations.
Think Café.
Pick someone you have never met and become an intellectual
gourmet. Start with simple questions to whet your appetite
and then move on to several courses of fierce conversation
around innovation.
Look at more stuff.
Location, location, location. Conference table.

Dinner table. Table for two. It’s amazing how our
expectations for a conversation are influenced
by the atmosphere.
Are your conversations happening in the right settings?

Risk comes in all sizes.
Having a conversation with a stranger is a

small risk that may reap a large reward.
What are the small risks you can take to

spark innovation?
Success is limited only by the

extent to which your organization
predetermines where creativity will
come from.
Who has a place at the table in

your organization?
Think about it harder.

The value of this experience is unique to every conversation.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Less than two miles away is perhaps the most
celebrated table since the Last Supper: the
Algonquin Round Table. By 1925, the literary
and theatrical luminaries who regularly lunched
at the Algonquin Hotel had revolutionized
the face of American humor. All that
achievement without an agenda or Blackberry.
A commitment to conversation among the likes
of Dorothy Parker, George S. Kaufmann, Edna
Ferber and Robert Benchley led to significant
collaborations and sparked a new era of
creativity in American culture. In our age of
technology and virtual relationships, the power
of conversation has been made practically
obsolete. Table your next conversation, literally,
and see what revolutions you launch.
Confessional Booth.
Examination and analysis are key to sustaining an innovative
culture. Escape to the confessional booths to privately record your
reflections on your experience in the Innovator’s Studio. Don’t be
shy and don’t be shiny (use some powder why don’t ya?).
Look at more stuff.
Physical environments impact the conversation.

How did you feel upon entering the booth?
Why?

Did you tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
What encourages you to reveal your true feelings?
How did the venue shape what you said?

Innovation efforts are only as successful as the

information that feeds them.
What
information
are you
gathering?
Is the way you are gathering information
from customers, employees, suppliers,
et al. telling the full story?
What’s the one honest truth about the

state of innovation in your organization?

What values, symbols and rituals
create momentum for innovation
What can you at your organization?
point to within
your organization
that tells your
innovation story?
Innovation can often feel like a game of hide and seek.
Where is innovation hiding within your organization?
As a leader, how do you call it out?

The truth may be hiding, but it’s longing to get out. The
PostSecret project allows anonymous people to reveal their
secrets on postcards. To date, PostSecret has collected and
displayed over 10,000 secrets as art from people around the
world. When asked about the amount of creativity expressed
by these strangers, creator Frank Warren replied that, “Courage
can be more important than talent or technique in creating
meaningful art.” The same can be said for innovation. Make no
mistake: innovation demands courage because it most always
involves change. What will you sacrifice of who you are to
become who you can be?
Source: http://www.quirkee.com/interviews/20-questions/
20-questions-with-frank-warren.html accessed on 9 October 2006.
Paint-by-Numbers.
By nature, innovation is not a solitary pursuit. Many people are
required to transform an opportunity into an innovation. Grab
a brush and contribute to a work of art in the middle of the
Innovator’s Studio.
Look at more stuff.
Does anyone else see the irony here?
Who’s too proud to paint and why?
How does it feel to not be a part of the vision,

but only a part of the tactics?

What Was Your Role?
A ) Creative Catalyst
B ) Creative Skeptic
C ) Creative Supporter
D ) Creative Static
What motivated you to contribute (or not)?
Whose painting is this anyway?
What is the biggest barrier to involving more people in the

creative process at your company?
How can you empower more people at your
company to engage in the creative process?
How do you know when the creative process is over?
How can you demystify creativity at your company?

How do you make innovation manageable?
When is innovation creativity and when is creativity innovation?
Are they unrelated or soul sisters?
The Palmer Paint Sales Company of Detroit,

Michigan released the first paint-by-numbers
kit in 1951. Max Klein, the businessman, and
Dan Robbins, the artist, had different visions,
but it required both of them to make paint-
by-numbers a phenomenon. Robbins wanted
the first kits to be an abstract cubist painting.
Klein demanded traditional, realistic imagery.
Don’t’ worry boys. You’re both pretty…

besides the approach actually originated
from a teaching technique developed by
Leonardo Da Vinci.
Voices of Innovation.
There’s something about a vintage red phone. An artifact
from a simpler time. A time before email. Before text
messaging. Before Blackberries. Before Caller ID. Can you
imagine answering a call without knowing who is on the
other end?
Look at more stuff.
Who’s on the Who’s on your personal

other end of your board of directors to help
innovation hotline? you address the issues that
keep you up at night?

Have you ever purposely sought the opinion of someone
diametrically opposed to your own point of view?
Who provides you with “loyal opposition”— the devil’s

advocacy that constructively challenges your assumptions?
How wide is your world?
Innovation: “Can you hear me now?”

I spoke with:
from:
about:

When you steal an idea, steal a
good one. Yoko Ono’s Telephone
Piece debuted at the John Lennon
exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame in Cleveland, OH in 2000. At
random times, Ono would call in to
a single white telephone, offering
access to the foremost authority on
the legendary Beatle for a lucky few.
MMMMMachines.
Inspiration can be found in small doses and unexpected
places. Like an innovation automat, the MMMMMachines
vend thought-provoking insights around the 5M Model of
Systemic Innovation. Wield the robotic claw to collect up to five
perspectives on the topic of innovation. Remember, it’s not the
size of your inspiration, it’s how you use it.
Look at more stuff.
Where do you go for small

doses of innovation inspiration?
What resources do you have to make inspiration accessible?

What regularly inspires you?
What is in your “vending machine?”
People just love vending

machines. And the stuff
in them. Since 1978, more
than 50 people have been
crushed while trying to
steal something from
vending machines. More
than 100 people have been
hospitalized.
What are your feelings on innovation? How do emotions play

a role in evaluating, creating or sustaining innovation?
What are your patterns of behavior around innovation?
What do you think is expected of you when it comes to innovation?
How do you encourage, generate and collect possibilities?
Does your organization enable your possibility thinking, or squelch it?

Talk about total immersion. In 2005, a three-year-old in Indiana
climbed into a claw vending machine at a Wal-Mart. The fire
department freed him unharmed. Look At More Stuff is not
without its perils. Please stay inspired within reason!
What’s your most recent yet unlikely source of inspiration?
What can you point to in your organization that

says, “The innovation process is important to us.”

How will you know if you have succeeded
at innovation, either as an individual or as
an organization?
Where is the finish line?
In late summer of 2006, two

entrepreneurs reintroduced
the automat to New York City.
Bamn! – a throwback to the
hot meal vending machine
establishments that flooded
Manhattan in the first half of
the 20th century – is located
on St. Mark’s Place between
2nd and 3rd Avenues.
ID.
Innovation in organizations is dependent upon the individuals
who drive it. How professional and personal identities merge,
collide, advance and contradict each other affects innovation.
Take a seat in one of our screening areas to explore the nature of
identity with filmmaker Josh Weinstein.
Look at more stuff.
The complexity of identity is akin to

looking in the mirror and being able
to accurately describe the difference
between who you are and how others
perceive you. Often the value is in the
process of asking the question rather
than reaching the answers. Indulge in
the process.
What questions do these films provoke about identity?
What are the mirrors that reveal your identity?

Is there an inconsistency between what you believe and how you behave?
What factors influence which part of your

identity you reveal in any given situation?
Creativity and innovation are nourished by awareness of
self-identity. Particularly important is a leader’s self-concept
of identity and its role in shaping effective followership.
Creative identity is as much about eliminating

obstacles to creativity as playing to your individual
strengths in collaborative situations.
What is your role in the creative process?

How are your leadership behaviors communicating
the role of innovation within your company?
Are you expected to be creative? Is it

part of your role? Are you rewarded and
recognized for being creative?
Do individuals in your organization have the
tools to minimize their obstacles to creativity
and maximize their strengths?
Are there
mechanisms in
place within your
organization that
develop identity
awareness?
Are rewards and recognition tied to this process?
Inside Cinema originated in a practice that Josh

Weinstein established at American Express in
1999. As the Learning & Development organization
shifted towards leadership consulting, Josh saw an
opportunity to use documentary film to demystify
elusive concepts by providing tools for conversation
about leadership moments. Narratives were

How is your self-concept of identity
impacting those that follow your lead?
How do you develop skills to maximize
the positive effect this self-concept has
on your followers?
constructed from actual events with no use of narration or simulation.

These authentic films bypassed cynicism by embracing complexity rather
than simplifying it, enabling viewers to drive organizational change through
collaborative understanding. Josh’s tool is still the video camera. He confronts
a variety of business challenges with an array of approaches that range from
traditional documentary to live collaborative experiences.
Human Library.
I know you’ve checked out someone at a bar, but have you ever
checked out someone at the library? Here’s your chance. Instead of
books, our collection is people. “Check out” a person and expand
your knowledge of innovation from a unique point of view.
Be careful these “books” talk back.
Look at more stuff.
Why did you choose the person you chose?
If your organization were a library,

how many people have you “checked out?”

What’s the advantage of making a topic personal?
How would you be labeled in the card catalogue

of your organization’s library?
How alive or personal is the topic of innovation within

your organization?
What are your organizational avenues for

soliciting alternative perspectives?
Now that we’ve book bashed a bit,

let’s look at the mother lode of
monographs. The Library of Congress
is the largest collection of published
material in the world with more than
120 million items. Although it receives
22,000 new items each day, only 10,000
are able to be catalogued daily. And
you thought your “to do” list is long.

Play’s quest to look at more
stuff led us to the city library
in Malmo, Sweden, where
we adopted the idea of the
human library. Curious
visitors in Malmo can check
out living people for a 45- Conversations provide
minute chat in a project heightened moments for
meant to confront prejudices
learning. Where are your
and promote understanding.
The people available to be
conversations around
“checked out” include a gypsy, innovation taking place,
a blind man, a journalist, and with whom?
and an animal rights activist.
The ability to incorporate
alternative perspectives
into the creative process is
an essential ingredient for
innovation. And it comes with
no late fees.
Your relationship with a book or website is anonymous.

What changes when you bring your identity into the
exchange of information?
Once upon a time…
Indulge in an innovation story to appreciate the 5M’s in
a new context. David Stanley and Tony Stewart, Play’s
illustrators extraordinaire, bring your thoughts to life visually.
Read. React. Contribute.
Look at more stuff.
Making a learning process fun increases

comprehension and encourages engagement.
From HR policies to regulatory procedures,
there are most always a variety of learning
mechanisms in place: actor-driven training
videos, stat-heavy annual reports, warmed-
over corporate newsletters, etc. Innovation is
another organizational topic which begs to be
told in a variety of formats and styles.
How are you telling your innovation tale?

Innovation plays out differently in each organization. It’s not
a cookie-cutter endeavor. What’s your brand of innovation?
Cultural anthropology reinforces the value of oral

traditions and the impact of storytelling. A good
story provides personality, context, continuity
and most importantly, a strong point of view.
What’s your story?

How does the story of the 5M’s play out at your organization?
Once upon a time, literary masterpieces

such as The Odyssey and Beowulf were born,
consisting largely of text improvised during
the telling process. The words seemingly
came from a mental storehouse of phrases
and narrative devices accumulated over a
lifetime. When Time Magazine debuted in
1923, a certain style of writing captivated
American audiences. However, the source of
this seemingly innovative style was actually
introduced in the Illiad. The Homeric epithet,
like “helm-quivering Hector,” became a
signature syntax associated with Time. These
double-barreled adjectival phrases became
a storytelling device to help Americans
remember who was who in world politics.
The linguistic approach carved out a
sustainable niche of journalism somewhere
between sensational tabloids and the erudite
New York Times. So when considering how to
make your message stick, don’t overlook the
power of a well-told story. The end.

Mood
Mindset
Mechanisms
Measurement
Momentum
Metalmorphosis.
See beyond the obvious with a fresh eye. Located just outside of the
Innovator’s Studio in the Atrium, sculptor Sophie Marsham leads you
through an exercise in reinvention. Create something beautiful from
discarded utilitarian objects.
Look at more stuff.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

For you, what separates the ordinary from the extraordinary?
Is it intent? How would you describe

Luck? your creative biases or
Atmosphere? preferences?
Muses?

How does the scale of this work affect your sense of collaboration?
What are the conditions

that encourage you to
open your eyes, change
your mind or experience
something with a fresh
perspective?
Do you consider yourself naturally creative?

What in your organization is worth reclaiming
or repurposing for the sake of innovation?
How are people invited or

expected to contribute?
How would you describe the climate

of innovation within the walls of your
organization? What does it feel like it?

Is innovation visible on a large scale in your organization?
What are the implicit assumptions or unspoken rules of thumb that

limit collaboration or the ability to think untraditionally, both for you
as an individual and for your organization as a whole?
Who determines them

and how are they
What are the success criteria communicated?
for good ideas in your
organization?
Sophie Marsham is a London-based sculptor who works with stainless steel,

copper, and reclaimed and recycled materials. In her work, a spring mattress
may become a sheep, garden shears may evolve into birds, or cutlery may
become fingers and toes. The sculptures grow organically as new objects are
found or added. Trained as a metal sculptor at the Chelsea School of Art in
London, Sophie designs her work for installation in public buildings, rather
than for private viewing in galleries.
LEAF assessment.
In contrast to popular knowledge, creativity isn’t just about the soft
stuff. If you haven’t already, take an online assessment developed by
Play in partnership with the Center for Leadership Studies at SUNY
Binghamton in order to see where you stand quantitatively. You’ll
receive your scores after the conference.
Look at more stuff.
When you dissect innovation, what’s exposed on the table?
What tools are you using to measure

the elements of innovation? Are you
only looking at traditional financial
indicators?
How do your measurement tools diagnose the problem

when innovation falls short?

Are you fully considering the cultural aspects that drive innovation?
Measuring creativity and

innovation represents a new
frontier in academic research. LEAF
is a pioneering instrument that
is revealing the roles, drivers and
relationships that affect individual
and organizational creativity by
introducing correlations that have
not been previously measured.
Is your organization asking itself relevant

questions?
Are you exploring the right indicators of

creativity and innovation?
In your pursuit of innovation,
are you leveraging the innovative
science of measuring creativity
and innovation?
How are you gauging and leveraging the underlying

feelings and emotions that impact individuals and
groups of people in their efforts to be creative and
innovative at work?

What resources do you use
to monitor and improve the
thinking styles of people in
your organization?
How are you managing

elements that affect their
practice of creativity?
What is your organizational reading on the idea barometer?
Is your needle pointing towards idea execution,
idea generation or a full-on marketplace of ideas?
What’s the climate for creating great ideas?
Play frequently collects great minds to

serve as inspirational specialists We call
these thinkers “Professors at Play.” In
the fall of 2002, Play began an exciting
relationship with Dr. Kim Jaussi which
has resulted in the LEAF assessment.
Merging the two traditionally distinct
domains of academic scholarship and
real-world practice, LEAF is one of only
a few assessments that measures an
individual’s and organization’s relationship
with creativity. In the past four years,
the partnership between Play and SUNY
has continued to created new metrics
for individuals and organizations to use
in their consideration and cultivation of
creativity and innovation.

Can you articulate the indicators and success criteria for innovation?
Are there development or rewards and recognition

programs in place for the indicators?
Ever wonder...
Where do I start? How to begin? Which matters more: people
or process? Who can lead this change within the organization?
What needs to change in my organization? What kind of thinkers
make innovation happen? When is an idea worth pursuing? What
new resources are needed? Is it culture change? How do I train,
measure and compensate my people? What has to give in order

to have the time to innovate? When does the “same as last year”
mentality suffice? When does it not? How can I be confident that
innovation works? How do I define success? What do I need to
measure? How do I measure? When does complacency set in?
When have we gotten it right? How do I motivate others to stay
inspired to innovate? How do I keep making progress?
For those who want to know more.
If maneuvering the in’s and out’s of innovation leaves you scratching your head
and thinking, “I still don’t get it,” here’s the model for you. It’s simply elegant;
elegantly simple.
The 5M Model of Systemic Innovation summarizes the disparate yet conjoined

elements of innovation. Each M stands on its own as a focused area of
influence. However, each M also is affected by the happenings of the other M’s.
Measurement impacts mechanisms, mindset impacts mood, measurement
impacts mood, and so on.
Each M applies to innovation at both an individual and organizational level.

For example, one can talk about an individual’s mood for innovation and the
organizational mood for innovation, an individual’s mindset for innovation and
an organizational mindset for innovation – you get the idea.
On the following pages, you will find an in-depth explanation of each of

the 5M’s to continue to strengthen your understanding of the individual
M’s. Remember that the 5M Model comes to life differently within every
organization – and the application of the M’s to your business will be unique.
Mood.
Definition.
The attitudes, feelings and emotions that affect creative thinking.

Mood is the climate for innovation. It’s the mindspace where people
work, the mental environments in which people operate and
collaborate.
Real. Honest. Raw.
Slightly Disruptive.

Mood is composed of the underlying feelings and emotions that
impact individuals and groups of people. Think of what you know
“mood” to mean in layman’s terms – now compare the mood at a
barbeque with the mood of a funeral. Very distinct from each other.
Mood in an organization is often thought of as culture – however,
mood is slightly different. It’s much more momentary and thus
mutable. Like meteorological climate, organizational mood can
change on a daily basis. However, unlike the weather, any individual
has the power to change the mood with the smallest of actions.
Mood relates to the tangible and intangible elements of a company’s

atmosphere that affect the practice of innovation at work. Mood is
shown in how people talk to each another. How they dress at work.
The stories they tell. It’s shown in how they understand their roles and
responsibilities. It’s their trust in the company’s stand on innovation.
“We talk about it a lot, but I don’t see anything really being done to
change things.” It’s what they perceive to be possible.
An appropriate mood for innovation at an organization

communicates to employees that creativity is an essential part of their
company. When the mood is prime for innovation, an employee or
visitor can feel that innovation is valued the very second they walk
through the company’s front doors. Individuals are in the mood for
creativity when they are feeling positive, energized, and feel as though
creativity is important to think about at work.
Blue jean authenticity.
Open like a door.
A cerebral
70° and sunny.
Measured through LEAF.
Keeping your mood focused on the importance of creativity at work

is something creative employees know a lot about. According to our
research, 33.6% of employees surveyed from organizations known to
be quite creative indicated that they very frequently or almost always
thought about the importance of creativity at work, versus only 18.6%
of employees surveyed from financial institutions.

Play case story.
In October of 2006, Play led a group of consumer product designers,

marketers, product managers and vice presidents through a three-
day session focused on developing new products for spring ‘08.
Going into the session, two messages from senior leaders were clear
to participants: 1. You are the most creative people in the entire
company. 2. You need to focus on product. They were left to wonder
about the purpose of these sessions. Should they strive for big ideas or
just incremental adjustments?
The group arrived with this question in mind and felt enormous
pressure. The mood for innovation was paralyzed. Twenty minutes
into the session, we changed the mood through an unlikely source:
drums. Thirty-five people sat in a circle, beating in unison, smiling at
one another, listening to each other, learning about rhythm, voice and
courage – and increased their mood for innovation.
The Wampler Effect.

Mindset.
Definition.
The intellectual foundation of creativity – the personality traits,

behaviors and overall brainpower that affect innovation. Mindset is
an individual’s or organization’s baseline capacity in terms of aptitude
and skill sets for creative thinking.
Museum Mentality.
M&M Spectrum.
Trump Hair Confidence.
Uncircle the wagons.

Mindset captures the thinking styles of an organization’s people that
affect their practice of creativity. Without a creative mindset, an
organization struggles to sow the seeds of innovation. For individuals,
mindset is another example of the timeless question of nature versus
nurture. Either you got it or you don’t. Are you creative? When you
start a creative task, do you think you’ll complete it?
Mindset is first and foremost related to a person’s own thoughts

about his or her creativity. “I’m not a creative person.” It’s how they
think about their own creativity at work. “I am an accountant – I’m
not supposed to be creative at work.” In order to exercise creativity
and then innovation to your fullest potential, you must think that you
are a creative person, and have a strong creative identity.
So what then makes one person seem more creative than another?
Everyone approaches problem-solving with a certain degree of
established preferences in the way he or she arrives at a solution.
These propensities serve as potential limitations to thinking, or
enablers of thinking, that impact the idea generation process and
therefore, the ideas themselves.
As South African author William Plomer said so well, creativity is

our ability “to connect the seemingly disconnected.” This is what the
perceived creative-types do well naturally. For those who instead
engage in more linear thinking, there are methods to counterbalance
the natural barriers. The extent to which an individual incorporates
these methods and behaviors into their daily approach to creative
problem-solving has a positive impact on their ability to generate a
large number of ideas.
For an organization, mindset is much more like culture. It’s the

foundational parts and pieces of an organization, from how an
organization thinks about its people’s creativity to how the company
values innovation. If you can imagine your organization as a living
being, these are the traits and attributes that it was born with and
have come to maturity. However, there are ways around ourselves.
Here are four ways for individuals and organizations to increase
creative thinking: change perspective, confusion tolerance, skinned
knees, and passion.
Change perspective
The ability to seek out and incorporate diverse points of view,
situations and insights into your business issues
Confusion tolerance
Comfort with ambiguity – the ability to suspend the need for a
final solution in favor of generating ideas
Skinned knees
The willingness and ability to take risks when generating ideas
Passion
The extent to which you are your true and complete self at work
Radical curriculums.
It’s up to an organization to encourage and enable

its employees’ practice of these tenets. And it’s up
to individuals to revisit the tenets and commit to
practicing them.
Excel vs. Compete.
Hell yeah, I’m creative.
They may be right.

Does your organization have each employee’s mindset working

towards innovation? Does your organization encourage employees to
be their whole selves at work or must you check your personal life at
the door and slip into the formality of your role? Think carefully about
this. In a recent survey, only 21% of the employees in one organization
reported that they frequently or almost always felt encouraged by the
organization to be their whole selves at work, or more than just their
formal role.
Play case story.
What’s one of the best ways to influence the thinkers and leaders
of tomorrow’s business world? While they’re still learning. B-school.
In the fall of 2006, Play unveiled its first business school course,
“Creativity and Innovation,” at the University of Richmond’s Robins
School of Business.
The course provides students with an orientation to their personal

creative thinking styles. Students learn how to incorporate a range
of idea-generating and problem-solving skills into their daily thought
patterns and ideally into their daily work. During this course, when
asked to complete a project on developing a culture for improved
communication, a group of students visited Play, attended an AA
meeting, and watched March of the Penguins to inspire unique
solutions. In this case and throughout the semester, students learn
how to seek out diverse points of view, exist in confusion, take
risks, and be more of themselves at work. They are learning that
creativity is part of their DNA and is an essential attribute of today’s
businesspeople.
Mechanisms.
Definition.
The tools and processes of innovation at work – including the actions

taken to generate large quantities of ideas. From idea formation
through marketplace execution, mechanisms focus on the “how” of
innovation.
Mechanisms are the actions of creativity. How companies explore

opportunities. How people generate ideas – from incremental
adjustments to game-changing reinventions. Mechanisms also
include the processes to ensure that an idea moves into development
and then execution. From start to finish, mechanisms are how
organizations and individuals get innovation done.
For individuals, mechanisms focus on the tools one can use to

generate ideas related to any specific objective; for organizations,
mechanisms are the processes designed to create new thought for an
organization – these can be new products, new systems, new values,
new categories, or new processes.

Rethought recognition.
Lucy and Ethyl’s

conveyor belt.
Stock market of ideas.
Play’s core philosophy of creativity, LAMSTAIH, summarizes our basic

approach to how an individual, a team of people, and an organization
can generate ideas. Look at more stuff. Think about it harder. Only
through interesting sources of inspiration can new ideas arise.
LAMSTAIH demands that you look outside of your current view to
gather new and seemingly unrelated resources and apply them back
to the task at hand. Let’s face it, your desk is a terrible place to get
inspired.
Applying new insights to your objectives creates new ideas. For an

individual, there are three easy ways to practice LAMSTAIH. 1. Look
around at what other companies are doing. 2. Think about something
outside of work and consider how it might relate to your current
issues. 3. Take the time each day to think about non-routine things.
Organizations can practice the same three vehicles for LAMSTAIH.
Like any new skill, mechanisms require time and practice to improve.
The more that you look at more stuff and think about it harder, the
easier you’ll find it becomes. It’s like riding a bike, driving a standard
automobile, practicing a new dance move or learning a new language.
We measured one organization’s culture for LAMSTAIH recently. 97%

of employees organization-wide indicated that this practice did not
occur frequently in their organization. Interestingly, 35% of these
same employees reported that they themselves will very frequently
if not always scan the environment for work-related ideas. Imagine
if this organization could develop mechanisms to push employees’
LAMSTAIH practices beyond their current, standard surveillance of
the competition?
So…So What?

Power of One Degree.
Prolific like a 1950’s Catholic.
Temporary lapses of realism.
Play case story.
This fall, Play helped the United States Olympic Committee and
its partners think about how the Olympic movement will remain
relevant in a changing marketplace, a changing world. Through a Play
mechanism called E.U.K. (Experience. Understanding. Knowledge.),
we rallied this team of diverse USOC constituents and embarked on
a lifestyle investigation to better connect with 18 to 25-year-olds.
During two days in New York City, we immersed ourselves in the

culture of millennials. We visited an exclusive sneaker shop. We
snacked at a newly-opened, novel eatery designed to appeal to the
collegiate audience. We intimately toured the apartments of 20-
somethings. And we heard from creative pioneers in the film and
television industries about what’s connecting with this demographic.
Through this ethnographic study, we gathered first-hand observations
and developed them into insights that will help the USOC sustain
relevance and drive the Olympic movement forward.
Measurement.
Definition.
The indicators and success criteria for innovation. Measurement is a tool

for learning that leverages both qualitative and quantitative measures of
innovation performance to provide the individual and the organization
with critical feedback.
Exquisite tension.
Sense-making.
Creative caloric intake.

Innovation goals are often tricky to define. Unless you’re one of the
few organizations that sets innovation goals as literal as securing
twenty new patents in one year, you’re likely to have more ambiguous
goals related to innovation. So how then does one measure
innovation with these types of goals and success criteria?
The answer: it’s difficult. But possible.
Measurement allows you to check the rear-view mirror and see where
you’ve been. It provides the vehicle for knowledge, improvement
and fulfillment. And idea-capturing processes. Qualitative and
quantitative. Both are valuable. Blogs, for instance, can be a
wonderful measure of the creative stretch occurring in the minds of
employees, or of the places visited in efforts to LAMSTAIH. Traditional
measurement tools, such as surveys, also allow for the creative process
to be measured and monitored.
Individuals and organizations alike can measure for more creativity

and innovation. For individuals, measuring their own creativity is a
way to be aware of their contribution to innovation at the company.
Dieters are often told to keep a log of everything they eat. Keep a log
of everything you purposefully look at, of the number of times you
stop each day to be creative on purpose. Have yourself assessed for
factors associated with creativity. Know where you stand. Know where
you’d like to move.
Organizations should also know where they stand – what’s the

organization’s current mood, what’s the bench strength in relation
to the creative mindset, and how frequently are mechanisms utilized
and thought of as effective drivers of innovation. Measurement
reveals the gap between what an organization thinks it’s achieving in
relation to building innovation and what is actually happening in the
organization in relation to mood, mindset, and mechanisms.
Measure the measurement.
But measure differently.
Square like a nip chee.
Risks Batted In.
Revolutions Per M.
Failure Frequency.
In a recent sample, less than 2% of the group surveyed reported that

they measure or monitor being creative frequently or almost always.
Preliminary results from recent LEAF data suggest a very strong positive
relationship between measuring and monitoring your time spent
engaging in processes for creativity and the frequency with which you
actually use those processes. The more frequent use of processes for
creativity likely leads to enhanced creativity and innovation at work.

Play case story.
In the fall of 2002, Play partnered with the Center for Leadership Studies
at SUNY Binghamton’s School of Management to create LEAF, an online
assessment of an individual’s and an organization’s relationship to
creativity. The assessment was designed to bring clarity and quantifiable
data to the often hazy subject of creativity and innovation in business.
In its four years of existence, thousands of business executives have
taken LEAF. We’re changing the world of creativity through data.
With the LEAF assessment as a tool to inform the innovation process,

we’ve been able to uncover the perceived and real barriers to creativity
within organizations trying to be more innovative. For one of our
FORTUNE 250 clients, we customized the LEAF tool to assess a sample of
the organization, as well as the entire leadership of the organization. The
data from these two populations revealed areas of disconnect between
the message of creativity as it was translated between the leadership and
the general workforce. It was also used to highlight the gap between the
leadership’s perception of their own creativity, and the organizations
perception of the leadership’s creativity. Finally, it uncovered the fact
that, although creativity was listed as a core value, the organizational
structure and reward systems did not support that value. For these
leaders, quantitative evidence of the lack of alignment between values
and organizational structure confirmed the need for internal changes.
On occasion, no measure…just play.

Momentum.
Definition.
The rituals, spaces and conversations that keep innovation and

creativity alive and relevant. Momentum is the active inspiration and
purposeful championing of innovation to create a self-reinforcing
cycle for fostering and growing innovation.
Who is often called upon to keep change headed in the right

direction? A company’s leadership of course. However, when it’s about
keeping innovation alive and well – the entire organization needs to
be involved, particularly those who are balancing the actions of the
company’s employees with the objectives of senior management. It’s
the “middle people,” if you will, who have the real potential to light
a fire underneath everyone’s asses. They are the ones who can carry
leadership’s messages on innovation forward into felt meaning and
shared practices for others. Momentum is highly facilitated by the
empowerment of individuals within an organization to be leaders.
Beyond people, what keeps innovation moving forward? It’s an

honest accumulation of the good things happening in the other M’s
– Mood. Mindset. Mechanisms. Measurement. When you are doing
things right in the rest of the system, momentum rolls along quite
well. However, even the best system needs to be constantly oiled. By
building common practices, spaces and ways of working that foster
the ideals of innovation, an organization adds the structure to ensure
that innovation is systemic.

Catalyst Community.
Collective Individualism.
At an organizational level, momentum is created through rituals and

symbols that inspire further innovation. These are the actions and icons
that boost innovation’s practice – they must be actively embraced by
individuals within the organization to keep the innovation ecosystem
flourishing.
Can you point to the elements that are creating momentum within your
organization? You should be able to – they are tangible. That conversation.
That person. That tradition. When the organization’s innovation system is
complete, the elements that are generating momentum should also
be prevalent.
At an individual level, momentum is the extent to which you serve as a

catalyst for creativity. When was the last time that you helped another
person exercise creativity? Momentum asks each individual to think about
the ways in which he or she is actively championing innovation at work.
Momentum calls attention to the continual evolution of innovation.

As we’ve said before, innovation today is not the innovation of
tomorrow. As we continue to set the bar higher, we must continue to
look at the traditions, the spaces, the people, the processes, and the
systems of innovation.
Groundbreaking preliminary research resulting from LEAF data

suggests that creative catalysts can make a very strong positive impact
on the creative identities of those around them. Specifically, the data
suggest that others attribute feeling like creative employees to their
leader when they see their leader as a strong creative catalyst.
Create & Lead.
A deliberate and purposeful language.
Focused like licorice.
Rhythmic like the Ramones.
Elegant Solutions.

Play case story.
Ever thought of anointing a small group of individuals to be the few

that lead the many?
For one of our FORTUNE 50 clients, we created a team to keep the

spirit and actions of innovation moving forward. Each person received
these instructions with an accompanying toolkit:
“You have been selected for this task based on your skills, your way,
and your entrepreneurial spirit. As a member of the Stealth Team,
you must remain cloaked in secrecy, and you are encouraged to fly
under the radar of bureaucracy in order to accomplish your stealth
actions. As you move forward as a member of the Stealth Team, please
remember the following agenda:
• Never reveal your identity.

• Inspire, create and innovate as much as possible.
• Take action often.
• It’s okay if you don’t reach everyone – just a few people can
make the change contagious.
• Remember you are trying to create mystery, storytelling and
excitement.
• Shake things up. You have permission to break the rules.”
Passion in Action.
…then asked for forgiveness.
People. Play. Profit.
These words capture the essence of who we are, what we do, how we
learn, and what we offer. People come first – fully engaged individuals who
are invited and expected to be themselves. Play is the way we create; it’s
symbolic of a mindspace free of boundaries. Profit is both the business
context of our work together and the enrichment we gain through our
relationships.
People. Play. Profit. reminds us to take pride in both the journey and the
destination.
By virtue of your participation in the Studio, you’re now part of our creative
community. Our doors are open, the milkshakes are waiting.
What can we create with you?
About Play.
Us.
Learn a little more.
Play is a creativity and innovation consulting company. We develop
ideas and strategies that drive growth and improve performance
for our clients. We look at things differently – bringing unique
perspectives, approaches and insights that spark revolutionary
thinking and ideas big and small.
Play helps you drive innovation from the inside out, enriching and
engaging your people while creating marketplace growth. Play is a
process, a mindset, and a new way of thinking. It’s about creating
better ideas faster and enjoying the process along the way.
Play was founded in 1990 in Richmond, VA, and has a satellite office
in Mexico City. Visit us on the web at www.lookatmorestuff.com.
Them.
A snapshot of our clients.
We’ve worked on everything from high-energy keynotes to enterprise-
wide innovation strategies…
Allstate Frito-Lay McGraw-Hill Ritz Carlton

American Express General Electric Microsoft Sun Trust Mortgage
Bass Pro Shops General Mills Moen Timberland
Capital One HanesBrands Inc NBC Universal Time Warner
Clairol Heineken Nike Trustmark
Colgate-Palmolive Hewlett Packard Old Navy US Olympic Committee
Coca-Cola Company JP Morgan Chase Penske Vanity Fair
Crate & Barrel L’Oreal Proctor & Gamble Wachovia Securities
Embassy Suites Mattel Quaker

Together.
The ways we partner.
Innovation. Aligning leaders around innovation goals. Developing the
strategies and processes that support and sustain innovation.
Senior-level strategy development

Innovation process design and execution
Customized innovation systems and architecture
People. Unleashing capacity. Mining the resources you already have,

then harnessing them to fuel growth from the inside out.
Senior-level leadership programs

Creativity and innovation skills development
Organizational development
Culture change
Products. (And services, too.) Combining your knowledge with our

unique perspective and creative process. The result is marketplace
strategies to grow your business.
Product development
Brand positioning
Marketing strategies
Consumer insights
The team.
Patty Devlin
What’s Next
Ben Armbruster
Lightning Rod
Christine Rochester
Ambassador
Sara Storck
Coffee Spoon
Catherine Strotmeyer
Forward
Courtney Ferrell
#17

Cara Kibler
On it like a sonnet
Kaitlin Yapchaian
FireWire
Jennifer Ash
Corner Piece
Kelly Redling
Jive Revolutionist
Barrie Jarrett
Rack ‘Em Up
Robert Throckmorton
Flying Buttress
Andy Stefanovich
In Charge of What’s Next
Scott Wayne Byron Wampler
Flanker El Matador
Kara Franey
4th & Goal Matt Erskine
Sirdar
Amee Ricketts
Tiger Sauce
Barry Saunders
Dawn Treader
Rodolfo RamÍrez
Interested in Interesting
Liz Bush
View Finder Aurora Gonzáles Gómez
She’s the one...
Norma Arroyo
The Boss Alejandra Gmez-Gallardo
Connecting Dots
Raúl Arregui
The Archer
Randy Webb
Wise Man from the East
Sergio Caétano Tim Leonard
S Strum
Carlos Mara
2+2=5 Marina del Toro
The Swing
Special thanks.
The Innovator’s Studio represents the collaborative efforts of Play’s
team and our best creative partners. We would like to give special
thanks to a few of these people who were invaluable to the creation
and execution of the Studio. We appreciate the time and hard work
that they have dedicated to developing the Studio, and for once
again partnering with us in work that matters.
Many thanks to our usual cast of characters. Dr. Kim Jaussi of the
Center for Leadership Studies at SUNY Binghamton. Josh Weinstein
of InsideCinema. Ed Trask of Virginia Commonwealth University.
Illustrators David Stanley and Tony Stewart.
Special thanks to sculptor Sophie Marsham and the Voices of

Innovation and Human Library participants.

We would like to highlight the work and quality products of Big Image
Graphics (BIG). Located in Richmond, VA, and specializing in grand
format graphics they are responsible for the Studio’s signage and
images.
We’d like to especially thank our FORTUNE partners who allowed us

to think big in our strategy, design and execution of the Studio.
Finally, special thanks to Gekko, who tolerated the heightened activity
at work over the past four months – which meant less attention from
the team in the office, and of course, fewer dog bones.
straight from the dorm.
what do we want this page to say? hm...?
cheers.
LEAF Assessment.
Ever thought innovation and creativity couldn’t be measured? Think again. Want to know more about your experiences, thoughts, actions, and context
related to creativity and innovation? We’ve designed this version of the
The LEAF assessment is an online survey, collaboratively developed by LEAF to focus on your personal baseline for creativity. The online survey is
Play and Dr. Kimberly Jaussi of the Center for Leadership Studies at SUNY available in the Studio, and if you take it onsite, you will receive your results
Binghamton. The assessment measures a variety of aspects affecting at a later time.
creativity in the workplace. From an individual to organizational level, LEAF
surveys the attitudes, thinking styles, behaviors, actions, and systems that If you’ve already completed the assessment, pull out the LEAF report you
encourage creative thinking and innovative output. received at registration. Here’s how your LEAF results correspond to the
5M’s within the Innovator’s Studio.
LEAF scale definition relationship to 5M’s visit…
Valuing creativity Valuing creativity is your feelings about the importance of Mood. Is creativity on your own personal radar screen when you
at work creativity at work. It’s when creativity is a value; it’s in the prioritize things at work? If it is, then chances are you will be in the
“air” at your work. right mood for innovation.
Creative Creative personal identity is the extent to which your Mindset. Research based on LEAF results suggests that a creative
personal identity creativity is an important part of who you are. personal identity is positively related to creativity at work.
Cross-application of The cross application of non-work to work means that you Mechanisms. Identifying and transferring connections between
non-work to work incorporate that which you are most passionate about non-work situations and work-related issues can help with the
outside of work to what you do at work. generation of new ideas and solutions. Research suggests a positive
relationship between this mechanism and creativity at work.
Measurement This scale refers to the measurement of processes Measurement. One of the most important pieces of a broader
of creativity related to creativity. It’s the deliberate consideration measurement of creativity and innovation is an individual’s
and evaluation of how often you personally engage in evaluation of their own creative exercise and output.
creativity-supporting behaviors at work.
Catalyst Catalyst measures the extent to which you spark creativity Momentum. Catalyst behaviors are one of the most essential parts
in others. of sustaining the momentum for innovation within an organization.
It’s inspiring and actively engaging others towards innovation.
The LEAF is a semi-customizable tool that assesses organizations and their employees for a wide variety of propensities, skills and contextual factors that foster
creativity and innovation. Used as a diagnostic base for Play’s strategic consulting services, LEAF results highlight organizational trends in order to bring to light
the gap between the perceived and the actual dynamics affecting innovation at a company.
This Studio Guide is the sole property of Play. No part of this Studio Guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Play. To obtain additional
copies. If you wish to obtain permission to reproduce or transmit any portion, or request additional copies of the Studio Guide, please send your written request to: Play, 1801 East Cary Street, Studio 200, Richmond, VA 23223, or call us at 804.644.2200. For more information.
To learn more about how Play can help you grow your company, contact us at the location noted above or visit our website at www.lookatmorestuff.com.

Studio Guide

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Studio Guide

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Innovation is what you do and how you learn, adapt and create.

Innovation is Inspiring. Innovation is Scary.

Innovation is Organic. Innovation is Messy.

Just when we know what innovation means

The Innovator’s Studio.

Don’t sit back. Play.

Combining these traditionally separate worlds in the spirit of innovation,

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

Like any good guidebook, we’ve aimed to make it easy to use,

With a limited amount of time to spend in the Innovator’s Studio,

Grab a Sharpie. Take notes.

Want more direction? To focus your insights, check out the 5M

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

The intellectual foundation of creativity –

The tools and processes of innovation at work

The indicators and success criteria for innovation.

The rituals, spaces and conversations that

Creativity asks, “What if?” in order to examine realities and reveal

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

Look at more stuff. Observe life around Columbus Circle

What did you observe?

Where did your mind go?

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

the value of place names

the comparative visibility of colors

the continuity of American History

the nature of intersections

the relationship of commerce and nature

(We could go on and on. Most anything around us can be

What we call “binoculars”

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

How do you manufacture

How can you increase your awareness of familiar subjects

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

Look at more stuff.

Location, location, location. Conference table.

Are your conversations happening in the right settings?

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

Having a conversation with a stranger is a

What are the small risks you can take to

Success is limited only by the

Who has a place at the table in

Think about it harder.

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

Look at more stuff.

Physical environments impact the conversation.

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

What encourages you to reveal your true feelings?

How did the venue shape what you said?

Innovation efforts are only as successful as the

What’s the one honest truth about the

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

As a leader, how do you call it out?

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

Look at more stuff.

Does anyone else see the irony here?

Who’s too proud to paint and why?

How does it feel to not be a part of the vision,

© 2006 Play. All Rights Reserved.

What motivated you to contribute (or not)?

Think about it harder.