6I Assessment Sponsored by Entheo

The Six ‘I’s ofInnovation ®

Yee JieYou are an

IDENTIFIERIGNITER

2The Six ‘I’s of Innovation ® | The Entheo Network

Introduction

The Six ‘I’s of Innovation ® is an integrated innovation methodology created by Natalie Turner,CEO and Founder of The Entheo Network, a global leadership innovation company. The Modelhas been developed in partnership with international institutions and leading thinkers in theareas of behavioural and work psychology. Its purpose is to give organisations a consistentframework for measuring innovation skills, behaviours and capabilities and to help develop aninnovative and productive working culture.

This report gives an overview of your personalized results on The Six ‘I’s of Innovation ®. Italso outlines the background to the Model and how you can use your results to develop yourprofessional skills as an innovator, and, or leader of innovation.

The questionnaire assesses your innovation skills profile, around six distinct areas ofinnovation. As a self-assessment tool, it is only indicative of your strengths, as perceived byyou. Your results are not absolute and cannot be interpreted as competences or true abilities.

In order to improve innovation skills, it is useful to understand what we consider as our currentstrengths, and the importance of these skills to the work that we do. It is our intent that you useyour results to increase self-awareness, build on your strengths and create dynamic teams andorganisations that can innovate effectively and productively.

Registered Address: 75 High Street Singapore 179435Email: [email protected] Web: www.entheo.comEntheo Network PTE Ltd company number: 201016398E


The Six ‘I’s of Innovation ®

The Six ‘I’s of Innovation ® mirrors the unpredictable and iterative human journey that ideastake from their inception through to the creation of something that is valuable.

Each of The Six ‘I’s ® requires different values, skills, capabilities and supporting processes thatneed to be maximised if an organisation is to innovate consistently and effectively.

Innovation is about the creation of something valuable out of a new idea. The value could comefrom an incremental change or a big step change in how things are currently being done. Forinnovation to be really successful, a range of skills, behaviours and capabilities are required.

From being able to IDENTIFY an opportunity, IGNITE ideas and solutions, INVESTIGATE ideasto see if they will work, INVEST in the best ones, IMPLEMENT the idea into the world andIMPROVE on the idea to see if more value can be created. Only then has real innovationhappened.

Running through the Model, is the question of INTENT, not one of the core Six ‘I’s ®, butfundamental to the success of creating value out of new ideas. INTENT helps us to thinkthrough the “why” of innovation? Or what is the specific purpose of what we are trying to createand achieve?



The Six ‘I’s of Innovation ®

Identify - The identification of a market opportunity, customer need or trendthat creates a space for generating ideas.

Ignite - The ignition and creation of ideas that can address a marketopportunity or meet a customer need.

Investigate - The investigation of ideas by prototyping, testing andvalidating with customers, stakeholders and end users.

Invest - The investment of time, resources and money into the developmentof an idea.

Implement - The implementation of the idea into an innovation, somethingthat is going to generate value.

Improve - The improvement and extension of the idea into other areas ofopportunity.



How to use this Report

This report is made up of four elements:

1) Your overall Six ‘I’s ® Results. This will show your scores on each on each ‘I’. You will seethat you are not just one ‘I’, but a combination, some stronger than others. This is what wecall your unique innovation style.

2) A chart that outlines your scores in relation to how important each ‘I’ is to your currentwork. This will help you understand which ‘I’s to improve and which ‘I’s that are not thatrelevant to you right now.

3) A description of each ‘I’. This includes strengths and challenges as well as the role this ‘I’plays within the innovation process and the type of mindset that is required.

4) Areas of focus to help you improve your innovation skills on the Six ‘I’s ®.

The ‘I’s that you scored the highest on indicates where you probably feel most comfortablewhen innovating, and, if you like these particular ‘I’s, where you are motivated and energised.

It is also useful for you to know what ‘I’s are not so high so you can decide whether you want orneed to develop skills in these areas or work with other people that have these ‘I’s as theirstrengths. It is also important to be aware of these so that you know how they contribute to theinnovation process.

You will also see that you are not just one ‘I’. You are a mix of ‘I’s, so it is important that you takethat into consideration when you read this report. The various mix of ‘I’s will have an impact.For example if you are high on IGNITE and IMPLEMENT, but low on INVESTIGATE, you maywell perceive yourself as someone who is strong at generating new ideas and jumping straightinto action. It may well serve you to learn how to appreciate the INVESTIGATE ‘I’, by eitherdeveloping some of the INVESTIGATOR skills in your own skill set and or teaming up with otherpeople who are strong in this area of innovation.



Your Six ‘I’s ® Profile

Above you will see your overall results on each of the Six ‘I’s ®. For more information on howthe results are calculated please go to page 16.

Your Importance Scores

Above you will see your results alongside the importance rating that you gave for the attributesthat make up the score. This indicates how important the Six ‘I’s ® are to your current work.



IDENTIFIERIDENTIFIERS perceive themselves as being good at visualising and imagining the future. Theycan make sense of trends and patterns and think about what these trends might mean foropening up fresh opportunities to do things differently. They are usually forward thinking,strategic and tend to notice and see things that other people don’t. Normally very curious,IDENTIFIERS may have lots of different interests and a huge appetite for learning. From aleadership perspective they enjoy providing strategic focus to their teams and organisations.They are also good at cultivating a culture and environment that helps others to seek new areasof opportunity.

IDENTIFIERS tend to have a positive outlook on life and can see opportunities where otherssee problems. Because they are good at seeing possibilities they tend to be able to sensewhere there may be new areas for innovation. Outward looking and interested in the worldaround them, they often seek to add new people to add to their ever expanding networks. ToIDENTIFY is very important as it is future and change orientated and helps to direct energytowards fertile areas that have potential for innovation.

Innovation Role - Providing vision, direction and a sense of new possibilities

Mindset - Curiosity

Challenges

As IDENTIFIERS are usually big picture thinkers, they can often miss the detail. They mayalso get so excited about future opportunities that they lose focus on the present day.IDENTIFIERS can get easily bored if not stimulated by new things, new ideas and newways of thinking and can sometimes be seen as too abstract or conceptual in how theyexplain things to other people. The challenge is for IDENTIFIERS to learn how tocommunicate in ways that others can understand as well as to inspire others aboutpossibilities for the future. Within organisational contexts, it is helpful if IDENTIFIERS learnhow to influence others around them as they can often be the initiators of new ways ofseeing and thinking which organisations desperately need if they are to innovate.



IGNITERIGNITERS perceive themselves as being idea generators, usually the first to come up with newideas. They continually seek new knowledge outside their current areas of interest and like tochallenge their own thinking as well as that of other people. They tend to be original thinkersbut are also good at thinking laterally, seeing connections between different and unrelatedideas. This is important as it is often through lateral thinking that innovations are created. Froma leadership perspective, they consider themselves to have strengths in creating a culturewhere people feel free to contribute their ideas and are skilled at motivating and inspiringothers.

IGNITERS offer creative energy and novelty to the organisations in which they work. They ofteninitiate new thinking and challenge the status quo seeing how things could be done differently toachieve better results. Depending on their personality they may be more risk orientated, havingless fear about trying out something new. Like IDENTIFIERS, IGNITERS tend to be future andchange orientated in their outlook on life and provide the much needed fuel for novelty whichprovides the initial spark for innovation to take place. IGNITE is central to innovation, for withoutnew ideas, innovation cannot happen.

Innovation Role - Providing novelty, freshness and energy for new ideas

Mindset - Creative

Challenges

IGNITERS love to come up with new ideas. Lots of them. Because of this they can oftenget distracted with too many ideas that can take them into multiple directions at one time.This can dilute their energy and effectiveness. They can also get attached to their ownideas and not think through whether they are feasible often jumping into implementationtoo quickly. Or, they can generate lots of ideas and not see them through into fruition. Thechallenge is for IGNITERS to harness their creative energy and work with other styles thatcan help bring their ideas to life. It is also helpful if they learn to slow down and stand backfrom their ideas to let them breathe before moving into action.



INVESTIGATORINVESTIGATORS perceive their strengths as being able to systematically research, analyseand assess ideas and are good at ensuring that ideas are useful, not just novel. Theyunderstand the importance of testing and validating ideas before moving into implementationand will strive to test their thinking with customers and stakeholders. This is really important, as“open innovation,” involving key stakeholders or customers in the innovation process, will helpto ensure that what is being created is going to generate value.

From a leadership perspective, INVESTIGATORS perceive themselves to have strengths increating a culture where exploration and questioning is encouraged and at encouraging otherpeople to think things through carefully and systematically. These are important leadership skillsas they help to create an environment where people have permission to explore and experimentbefore putting time and resources into investigating the ideas further. They also help toencourage people to research and prototype an idea to test whether it will work before furthercommitment is invested. INVESTIGATE is central to innovation, for, as well as making ideasmore likely to succeed, it can also save a lot of time and resources by not jumping it too quickly.

Innovation Role - Providing analytical thinking and objectivity

Mindset - Critical

Challenges

Being analytical is one of the strengths of an INVESTIGATOR, but sometimes this canbackfire and cause them to continually search for more validation before they are willing tomake a commitment. INVESTIGATORS can also get lost in the detail. They may want toso thoroughly investigate an idea that in the process the novelty that once made it unique,and possibly innovative, is lost. This can also lead to slowing down the process ofinnovating and losing time which could be quite critical. INVESTIGATORS can alsodismiss ideas if they don’t think they are feasible being quick to judge something that isuntried or tested. It can be helpful if they learn to prototype and test ideas first to check outtheir feasibility before making a decision.



INVESTORINVESTORS perceive their strengths as being good at assessing and sanctioning detailedbusiness plans, making pragmatic decisions under stressful conditions and judging where andwhen to allocate resources. These are important innovation skills, as innovation requires saying‘no’ as well as ‘yes’, as time and resources are often limited and difficult choices have to bemade.

From a leadership perspective, INVESTORS are often good at influencing other organisationsand people to create partnerships. They also see themselves as strong at enabling others tocommunicate a compelling case for investment in their ideas. This skill is important indeveloping an innovative culture as helping people to improve their ability to influence, backedby a strong case for investment, will ensure that more good ideas are supported. INVESTORSalso have the courage to take risks. Risk is an inherent part of leading innovation as decisionshave to be made without knowing whether something will succeed. This often takes emotionaland mental courage and commitment. INVEST is central to innovation, for without firmcommitment and courage, good ideas just remain good ideas.

Innovation Role - Providing pragmatism, decision making and influence

Mindset - Courage

Challenges

Often INVESTORS will hold the budget so it is important that they allocate separate fundsthat can be used on higher risk projects. If this doesn’t happen, INVESTORS often have toput more immediate demands first, thus inhibiting innovation projects getting off theground. INVESTORS may well ask for information that is hard to quantify, depending onthe nature of the idea, which can often slow down decision making. INVESTORS need agood combination of logical and pragmatic thinking with a willingness to follow theirhunches and take a risk. These are often difficult skills to combine. Improving the ability tosense timing is a critical factor to successful innovation, a great idea at the wrong timemay not have the impact that was originally intended.



IMPLEMENTERIMPLEMENTERS perceive their strengths as being good at planning and organizing and atmaking things happen. They also have strengths around managing risks. This is the hard workof innovation, as it involves the ability to execute on a plan and get things done. Managing riskis a very important skill, as being able to scan the horizon and see where there might bepotential problems, can save a lot of time and money in the long run.

From a leadership perspective IMPLEMENTERS perceive themselves as being strong atkeeping people motivated to deliver on time and to budget and building the right team with thenecessary skills. These are important leadership skills as implementation requires the ability tocreate and build strong teams with diverse experiences and competences. Being able tomotivate others can also help to drive productivity and efficiency and create a culture ofinnovation where people feel motivated to succeed. IMPLEMENT is central to innovation, forwithout the ability to take an idea through to implementation, value is not created and innovationdoesn’t happen.

Innovation Role - Providing management, focus and discipline

Mindset - Conscientious

Challenges

As IMPLEMENTERS like to get things done, and tend to be quite practical and focused,they can sometimes jump into implementation too quickly, not allowing time to generatenew solutions or investigate their feasibility. They are normally operationally focused onthe day to day requirements of managing projects, teams and, if solo working, focusing onmaking something happen. Because of this, they can sometimes lose sight of theinnovative aspect of what they are trying to create. IMPLEMENTERS tend to be actionorientated and pragmatic in their outlook and may make decisions based more on practicalfeasibility rather than exploring creative alternatives that could help to ensure the noveltyof an idea stays alive during the implementation process.



IMPROVERIMPROVERS perceive their strengths as being good at generating many ways to make an ideabetter and at seeking opportunities to improve on ideas with a variety of people, customers orstakeholders. These are important skills, as a lot of innovation comes from optimising andextracting more value out of an idea that already exists and it is the end user, or ultimatecustomer, who can often give the best suggestions on how something could be improved.Reviewing and assessing what has worked and why or why not, and communicating successand lessons learned are also perceived as strengths.

From a leadership perspective, IMPROVERS perceive their strengths as being able to capturelearning so that there is continuous improvement and creating a culture where people can learnfrom success and failure. It is not necessarily just about improving at the end of a project, butbuilding a mind-set of improvement into the whole of the innovation process and the way peoplework. IMPROVE is central to innovation, for it can often bring quick ways of generating morevalue out of something that already exists.

Innovation Role - Providing fresh perspectives, the ability to optimize and learn

Mindset - Clever

Challenges

As IMPROVERS largely work with what already exists, rather than what could exist, theymay find it difficult to imagine completely new possibilities. This can lead to a tendency torely more on continuous improvement rather than original thinking that could help togenerate more radical forms of innovation. Many organisations, and individuals, often liketo jump into the next activity rather than reflecting on what they have learned. This canmake it a challenge for IMPROVERS to help people actively learn from how they areinnovating, both from successes and failures. The freedom to fail is important, assuccessful innovation often requires experimentation and trial and error.



Working with the Importance Scores

Use your results to help you understand what your skills are so that you can build morecapability around your strengths and identify your challenges. This will help you to know whereyou might need the support of others who are strong in other ‘I’s, and, if your role requires it,areas for professional development. No one can be good at everything, nor should they be.The important thing is to ensure that you have the skills around you to make innovation happen,successfully.

Below is a table to help you think through how important each ‘I’ is to you in your current workand the action you may need to take to develop your skills further.

Result Action to Take

If your score on an ‘I’ is low andthe Importance score is high.

This could be an area for personal or professionaldevelopment. Develop skills in this area, or work withothers to support you. Focus here first.

If your score on an ‘I’ is high andyour Importance score is low.

These could be skills where you feel naturally strongbut that are not required in your current work. Findother ways that could utilize your strengths.

If scores are the same or similar. This may mean that you consider yourself to bestrong, or not, in that ‘I’ and your work requires theseskills, or not, so consider what this may mean for youin your work and whether you need to develop newskills.



Strategies on how to get better at each ‘I’

Below are some specific areas where you can focus to get better at each of The Six ‘I’s ofInnovation ®.

Develop and expand your professional and personal network

Develop a more positive outlook

Learn to make sense of trends and patterns

Challenge your own ideas

Seek new knowledge outside your areas of interest

Make connections between different ideas

Make sure ideas are useful, not just novel

Systematically research ideas

Test ideas with potential stakeholders or customers

Learn how to handle stressful decision making

Improve your ability to input into business plans

Learn how to judge where and when to allocate resources

Systematically improve your ability to complete tasks

Get better at planning and organising

Manage and minimise risks

Generate ways to make ideas better

Seek opportunities to improve on ideas

Learn from success and failure



The Entheo Network runs innovation training courses and workshops as well as providing anonline Six ‘I’s of Innovation ® Tool Kit to help support the successful implementation of ideasfrom inception through to impact. This site will allow you to download tools, share informationand build new innovation skills and capabilities.

If you would like to continue to improve your skills and your ability to innovate, and areinterested to subscribe, please contact us for more information.



How the results are calculated

The assessment is made up of thirty six questions with a maximum score of five for each ‘I’. Aspeople have a very different way of scoring themselves; for example, some use the full 1-5scale, others don’t, some have a tendency to score high on all questions, others low or theyscore in the middle of the scale. To avoid this bias, the raw scores have been standardized. Thismeans results are scored in the same way, from the mean of the spread of data, using astandard deviation of one. This takes away the bias and helps to make the assessment morerobust and meaningful.

The results have also been normed within a global population of people that have completedthe questionnaire. This will help to give you a sense of not only what you think about yourindividual strengths but also how you compare to a broader sample of people. The scaleillustrates what you scored in relation to others who consider themselves high, medium or lowon each of the ‘I’s. For example, you may score a five, which is in the top 20% of people whoalso consider themselves to be high on a particular ‘I’.

The norms are as follows:

1: 20% of people scoring the lowest on the standardised data

2: 20% of people scoring between 20% and 40%



5: 20% of participants scoring in the top twenty percent.



Want to Learn More?

The Entheo Network is a Global Leadership Innovation Company that specialises in helpingorganisations innovate more productively and effectively. Our focus is on unlocking the potentialof people, processes and products to achieve success. We take innovation beyond R&D intothe organisation through services that develop innovation capability. This includes thedevelopment of mindsets and behaviours underpinned by an integrated innovation managementprocess. Using a blend of tools including facilitation, training, workshops, innovationassessments, coaching and consultancy, we help to develop organisational cultures that caninnovate effectively and consistently.

The Entheo Network provides services to help both individuals and organisations bolster theirinnovation capability. These services include:

■ Innovation Workshops - To help create products, services and new ways of working

■ Innovation Training - To skill up people on how to create value out of new ideas

■ Innovation Assessments - To measure individual, team and organisational skills

■ Innovation Consulting - To create strategy and embed a culture of innovation

■ Innovation Coaching - To reinforce new skills and drive the implementation of ideas

■ Innovation Management - To help manage ideas from inception through to impact

The Entheo Network is sole owner and licensee of The Six ‘I’s of Innovation ®. The Trademarkand copyright for the Six ‘I’s ® is held by Natalie Turner, Founder of the Entheo Network. Thereare no other institutions or individuals, who are not associated with The Entheo Network, thatare licensed to use the Six ‘I’s ® methodology for training or consultancy purposes.

Contact DetailsFor more information please contact:

The Entheo Network75 High Street, Singapore 179435

[email protected]

© Copyright The Entheo Network, 2011The content of this document may not be copied, distributed, reported or dealt with in whole or in partwithout the prior consent of The Entheo Network.


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