Management guru, Peter Drucker, has written extensively on the value of innovation and the need to avoid ‘the temptation to feed yesterday and starve tomorrow’. Third sector, public sector and even social business often have a false sense of ‘playing safe’ by sticking to what has worked in the past. But, with ever-changing beneficiary and supporter needs, this is a risky strategy.
The IDEA Value Chain, developed by =mc from an original Harvard framework, helps you to embed innovation into your organisation’s systems and processes – ensuring it delivers results. We can also link the Value Chain to a range of other tools and frameworks – including Red Ocean Blue Ocean and Business Strategy Canvas. We can help you take an initiative from initial concept to fully realised offering – whether it’s generating income or improving service.
We’ve all had ideas about our work – how to improve things, make things easier, or even just try new approaches. Coming up with ideas is hardly ever the problem – moving them on and putting them into action is where the hard work starts, and where many organisations get stuck. Sitting in a circle, plastering blue sky notions onto a flip chart with post-its utterly useless. You need a system to develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP – a ‘good enough’ version of the idea), and then improve it.
The IDEA Value Chain (IVC) is a model developed by =mc specifically to help organisations take a systematic approach to innovation. You might need to generate exciting new ideas on how to increase your income, or you might be full of big ideas but unsure how to choose between them. In today’s dramatically changing financial and social environment, your ability to evolve and adapt is crucial. The model will help you get your initiative out of your head, and help you find ways to ensure it is implemented.
The =mc model involves four stages and ten key points. The stages are:
As part of the IDEA process =mc can help you identify where ideas are getting stuck – and benchmark your performance against other similar agencies. We then offer training and consultancy to help you improve in the key areas you need support in. =mc has a team of unrivalled learning & development and organisational consultants able to help you develop new ideas or build an innovation culture. Between us we share experience in arts and culture, disability and the environment – in the UK and internationally.
Contact us to start the conversation.
Among our recent assignments:
=mc consultants have worked with many of the world’s leading charities on innovations. We’re proud to be helping or have helped, UNICEF International, the World Health Organisation, the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Greenpeace International, WWF, Concern Worldwide and Amnesty International. In the UK we’ve worked with Imperial War Museum, Alzheimer’s Society, Oxford University, Care, WWF, Science Museum and the National Trust for Scotland.
Yvette specialises in leadership, personal effectiveness, change and innovation. Before joining =mc, she worked in HR for several years in both the private and charity sector as an HR...
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