This is the final installment of the Ambassador Book Review of The Ten Faces of Innovation, written by Tom Kelley of IDEO.  In the previous two installments we learned about The Learning Personas (Anthropologist, Experimenter, and Cross-Pollinator) and the three Organizing Personas (Hurdler, Collaborator, and Director).

Now it is on to explore the last four Building Personas namely, The Experience Architect, The Set Designer, The Storyteller and The Caregiver.  Each of these personas create the constructs needed to build innovation into our environments and implementations.

The Experience Architect

The Experience Architect is the shepherd of the customer experience.  They are adept at setting the stage for positive encounters with your organization.  Experience Architects design for both customers and employees.  They seek to engage the senses in search of opportunities to improve the experience.

Experience Architects look at interactions with customers as a journey.  A journey that is ordinary is a missed opportunity to capture the attention of a customer.  

According to Kelley, Experience Architects have a talent for finding the experience in everything, even the seemingly mundane.  They also have the vision to bring the service to the customer rather than the passive alternative.

Kelley says, “When you’re in the zone of being an Experience Architect, you view the world with a simple lens, searching out experience elements that are negative or neutral, and looking for ways to fine tune them.”

Upon identifying opportunity areas, Experience Architects have a knack for turning the ordinary into something distinctive.  You can make these changes with simple small steps.  Don’t try and make everything better, rather focus on the things that are the “trigger” point for the customer.

To illustrate this point, Kelley discusses the Heavenly Bed spearheaded by the Westin hotel chain.  As most of us know, business travel isn’t about all of the amenities but rather the ability to sleep and feel comfortable.  Hence the obvious trigger point often overlooked by large hotel chains that Westin focused on to innovate the customer experience.  

Kelley suggests we start by asking what is truly important to our customers.  The answer may be something small, irrational, elusive and completely surprising.  Finding the answer to this question is crucial to success and is often just one or two essential elements.

According to Kelley many products reach a plateau because the industry gets lulled into complacency with the status quo.  This is when a good Experience Architect can be an incredible asset because they seek out the new ways to improve the experience.

Ask yourself, “What hasn’t changed in a long time,” or “What might make this a better experience?”  Kelley states that opportunities for innovation often lie dormant, waiting for someone to unearth what’s always been there.  Kelley goes on to say that, “Experience Architects have the patience to see what others have overlooked, and the initiative and drive to come up with new experiences.”

One way you might consider changing the experience with your service is to use the concept of mobility.  Kelley uses the example of Lexus coming to its customers for annual maintenance as a way the luxury car industry has been revolutionized.  This is a great example of how giving a customer an unexpected journey with your product or service can provide quality experiences that produce loyalty and goodwill.

Kelley goes on to say that, “The metaphor of a journey can be a wonderfully evocative vehicle for capturing the broader, underlying emotional responses that spark innovation.  That said, Experience Architects don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. “

Kelley continues by saying that, “The nature of this role is to design experiences that fit the unique demands of each new product or service. “

As this chapter proceeds, Kelley discusses the general shift in humanity from amassing “stuff” to amassing experiences.  He draws on the comparison of merit badging.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Boy Scouts, merit badging is the concept of earning a badge for different boy scout activities like canoeing, rock climbing or swimming.

Kelley believes that many Gen Xers and Millenials are less interested in accumulating things, but rather measure their life based on the experiences they have had.  

If the experiences we provide our citizens are extraordinary in some way, we can keep them engaged and motivated to do more with us.  As Kelley says, “The first step in becoming extraordinary is simply to stop being ordinary.”

The Set Designer

Do you want your office setting to be boring or dull?  When we walk into most offices, our senses are often underwhelmed by the lack of personality the space presents.  Set Designers are dedicated to exploring “inner space” - the space we spend most of our waking hours.

Kelley suggests that far too few organizations grasp the importance of a carefully crafted work environment in helping to foster an innovative organizational culture.  Kelley says, “Space is among that last things managers think of when trying to revitalize team attitudes and performance.”

In government we need new ideas.  If we are to generate energy and enthusiasm for conducting business better, then we would all benefit by adopting some of the set designers mindset.  

Kelley says, “Set Designers look at every day as a chance to liven up the workplace.  They create collaborative spaces for “neighborhood” teams and balance privacy and collaborative space, giving people room to collaborate but also providing a sanctuary of privacy for intensely individual work.”

Kelley thinks of the Set Designer as the possible “X factor” in an organization, the person who pays attention to the intangible elements that can spur on imagination and vitality.

Kelley also thinks that providing the set for innovation to take place is an important aspect of your organizational space.  He suggests the use of brainstorming rooms and project rooms that are places for new ideas to germinate.  These rooms can help the organization build and maintain momentum to do new things.

According to Kelley, “ Set Designers care about the intersection between space and human behavior.  They care about making connections and following through on intentions.”  

Kelley offers a number of ways to create these connections.  One might be to consider moving your own space.  Kelley himself opted to move from an office which was part of  the executive suite to a room with no windows that was adjacent to the coffee room.  Why? So that he could be part of the “real” conversations around the water cooler.

Another way to create intersections might be to add conversational elements to the corridors and hallways.    Places for relaxed conversation and spontaneous interaction.

Kelley believes that creating the environment does not have to cost a lot of money, rather small shifts in behavior can yield big dividends.  For instance, allowing people to decorate their cubicle, or a contest to create the best project space.

Kelley compels us to think about what we want to emphasize like collaboration or creativity and then experiment with subtle changes to the environment that can make big improvements in energy in the building.

We might even goes as far as to create an Innovation Lab.  Kelley offers a number of ways to install an innovation lab in your organizational environment that are shared in greater detail below.

Kelley suggests that we shouldn’t let space be the weakest link in our organizations.  If we tap into the skills of the Set Designers we can make our environment a powerful and versatile tool for unleashing innovation in our organizations.

The Caregiver

According to Kelley, The Caregiver is the foundation for any human-powered innovation.  The best Caregivers exude confidence and competence, but more importantly they demonstrate the ability to listen and treat you as if you matter.   A great Caregiver helps the “patient” ease their fears.

Caregivers take the time to understand the customers point of view.  The best care is tied to individual wants and needs rather than a one size fits all approach.  

One way to aid customers with their experience is to break down the steps so the customer is able to understand the process.  Another way might be to identify every barrier that keeps a customer from engaging and tackle each one with simplicity, clear communication and customer-centered design.

A good Caregiver helps customers feel more confident to engage with your organization while growing their confidence about their choices.

Kelley stresses the importance of not scaring away our customers with an air of exclusivity or complexity.

One important service failure Kelley describes is the “Doorbell Effect.”  Basically known as the wait time that someone stands outside looking in and wondering what will happen next.  It can be a very lonely and uncertain wait for folks.  How long do I wait before ringing again? Is someone going to answer? Are they ignoring me? Is the doorbell working or should I knock again?  All of these questions the person waiting in the dark.

Kelley suggests we find interesting ways to combat the doorbell effect.  Find ways to remove the discomfort while they are waiting.  Try finding ways to inform them about when they will be assisted and how which will improve their overall experience.  Kelley suggests if you give customers a better idea where they stand, you will earn their loyalty.

Kelley says that some of the highest levels of caregiving comes from the human touch.  We should resist the desire to automate and consider the benefits to act as a mediator.   There is value to the human connection and interaction.  Kelley suggests that sometimes low-tech can be the answer and we should consider leaving what’s best done by humans, to humans.

To Kelley, caregiving is simple.  It is about friendly service with a smile.  Kelley says, “Everyone thinks innovation is expensive, but how much does a smile cost?”

The smile is spontaneous and free and is the result of careful nurturing.  Kelley suggests it is part and parcel of the hiring, training and culture of a company that values the friendly, professional service.

Kelley shares with the reader’s the Caregiver’s Guide to Great Service:

Curate the Collection.  Namely prune your offerings so you are offering the best of the best.  Provide a small selection of excellent choices and have a point of view about why you chose those few among the many.

Build Extra Expertise.  If you organization becomes a trusted sources of information or advice, you’ll build a base of loyal customers.  What trusted information sources could you connect your customers to that would help them become more informed buyers?

Small Can Be Beautiful.  Maintaining customer “intimacy” translates into a greater concentration of people, more anticipation and action.

Build Relationship with Sustainability.  Invite customers to recycle your products and you’ll create a virtuous cycle of giving an receiving.  Your customers will earn a sense of satisfaction from knowing that they are helping others.  In the process, you’ll have given them anothers to bond with you.

Invite Customers to “Join the Club.”  Loyalty programs are an extremely powerful tool for Caregivers.

The Storyteller

According to Kelley, “Stories persuade in a way that facts, reports, and market trends seldom do, because stories make an emotional connection.”

The art of storytelling, isn’t just about the tale, it is actually about the skill of the teller.  The ability to be witty, to deliver the details and to appeal to the audience are all things that a good storyteller find very natural.

Kelley says that the lore of an organization is an important tale to tell.  It is an influential way to communicate values and objectives.  The HP tale of how they began in a garage is a well-known mantra for the organization, but also an inspiration to entrepreneurs throughout the world.

Seven Reasons to Tell Your Organization's Stories

1. Storytelling builds credibility.

2. Storytelling unleashes powerful emotions and helps teams bond.

3. Stories give “permission” to explore controversial or uncomfortable topics.

4. Storytelling sways a group’s point of view.

5. Storytelling creates heroes.

6. Storytelling gives you a vocabulary of change.

7. Good stories help make order out of chaos.

It is important in organizations to fully understand what the intent of the story is.  Do you wish to spark action?  Are you trying to have people embrace the organizations values?  Do you want to foster collaboration or lead people into the future?  Knowing the purpose of the story before telling it, will help to drive the intended outcome.

Kelley cites Stephen Denning author of books like The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling stating, “Denning urges business leaders to be conscious of the distinction between “true” and “authentic.”  He says organizations spend too much time speaking at the boundaries of truth, when they should aspire to stay at the heart of authenticity.”  Authentic stories are deep with integrity and our customers can tell the difference.

According to Kelley, regardless of the size of your organization or the industry, you are constantly collecting and spreading stories about your activities, values and achievements.  Kelley says, ”Mythic stories endure because they become shared symbols.  Passed along from person to person and generation to generation, myths do not always preserve all their factual detail, but the best myths have a ring of authenticity and tell an underlying truth.”

You might consider asking your customer to tell you a story about their engagement with your organization.  Stories provide us a vehicle to build better personal connections and gain deeper insights then simply asking the typical survey questions.  This is proof that storytelling is also about listening and being an Anthropologist as well.  Storytelling is a fundamentally human way of conveying information for the teller and the listener.

Kelley says that stories are a great way to pull a team together, connect you with a subject and to work on human issues in a human way.

And remember the medium matters.  Telling a story in a unique way can change the emotional connection of the customer.  Feel free to explore with video, audio, plays, magazines, generally new ways to convey a new message.  The right medium can amplify the message.

In Closing

It has been a privilege to write the Alliance Ambassador Program’s first book review.  Taking an extensive look at the personas in the 10 Faces of Innovation has made me think more deeply about generating positive forces for innovation.  

According to Kelley creating an environment that embraces innovation requires some key principles:

1. Stretching for strength.   Flexibility is more important for the organization than size or power.
2. Going for distance.  Innovation is a way of doing business not just a program.
3. Never surrendering.  Using the personas allows for continuous learning.
4. Embracing the mental game.  We need mental toughness to keep going when common sense and physical fatigue may say it is time to stop.
5. Celebrating coaches.  The right coach will bring out the best in you, and you’ll notice the difference.

Kelley makes it clear that we need teams that have people who can play these roles.  He challenges us to, “Find new paths of learning with the Anthropologist, the Experimenter and the Cross-Pollinator.  Organize for innovation with the Hurdler, the Collaborator, and the Director.  Ask the Set Designer to help build your stage, and bring on the Experience Architect, the Caregiver, and the Storyteller to wow your audience.  Innovation doesn’t just turn organizations around.  It becomes a way of life.  It’s fun. It’s invigorating.  It works.  With all ten personas on your side, you can drive creativity through your whole organization and build your own unique culture of innovation.”

The Innovation Lab

Kelley makes a correlation between the installation of an innovation lab coinciding with a surge in innovation.  So what do you need to do to construct an innovation lab?

Make room for fifteen to twenty
people, even if the core project teams will be small.  Why?  This allows the group to use the space to the
maximize as well as invite others in for group presentations.

Dedicate the space to innovation by allowing the space to incorporate project work without scheduling or moving.  It creates a persistence of information for keeping up momentum.

Leave space on the walls for sketch boards, maps, pictures and other engaging visuals.

Locate the lab convenient to most team members but not so close that they can hear the phone ringing at their desk.

Foster an abundance of mentality.  In other words, stock the room with the tools of brainstorming like sticky-notes and colorful markers, as well as prototyping kits that include staples, tape, foam core, poster boards, scissors, x-acto knives and so on.