Jumpstart


A 2-day Program to Become a Certified Professional Innovator

Have you ever tried to do something new that looked simple but turned out to be a little more challenging than you had planned? Maybe it was learning to speak a foreign language, play an instrument, or master a cooking technique. You thought it looked easy until you tried to do it yourself and quickly realized how difficult it really is to develop a new skill.

The same holds true when learning to lead innovation. It looks easy, but it isn’t. With some guidance, experience, and persistence, you can acquire the skills necessary to make your organization, your team, and yourself new and improved. You can build the organizational culture and competencies required to innovate everywhere, every day, and with everyone by developing an elite group of highly practiced innovation leaders in your company.

To become a Certified Professional Innovator by The University of Michigan, attend the two-day Jumpstart program. This program will educate participants on how to become highly practiced innovation leaders and help their organization develop an innovation culture and the competencies that drive growth.

Life can be busy and it may be challenging to attend a two day Jumpstart; because of this, there is the option of completing the full program remotely at your own pace over 8 to 10 weeks. This option can be worked into any schedule so even the busiest among us has the opportunity to become a Certified Professional Innovator.

Participants at Jumpstart and Innovatrium

The curriculum for the two days is as follows:

OVERVIEW

Kickoff and introductions

  • Introductions, challenges, opportunities, and innovation projects
  • Why we are here and what we need to achieve

The new rules of innovation and the new role of program participants

  • Research on what makes a company innovative
  • Myths regarding effective innovation

Overview of the Innovation Genome

  • Syncing up the generative forces at all three levels: Strategy, Organizational Culture and Competencies, and Leadership

Diagnosing your innovation leadership style

  • Current and desired states for program participants
  • Identify innovation themes and hotspots

INNOVATION INITIATIVES

When the overview is completed, teams will begin working on their innovation initiatives. This includes:

Setting High-Quality Targets

  • Developing a viable strategy for innovation
  • Creating a shared vision

Enlisting Deep and Diverse Domain Experts

  • Identifying and enrolling innovation team members
  • Building a high-­performing innovation team

Taking Multiple Shots on Goal

  • Jumpstarting processes and innovation solution selection techniques
  • Gaining buy-­in for solutions

Learning from Experience and Experiments

  • After action reviews
  • Socializing and institutionalizing innovation projects and initiatives

Action Planning

  • Develop action plans for the next 3 months
  • Launch project and teams

COACHING

Following the Jumpstart, participants will receive 90 days of coaching with an Innovation Expert. Participants will be asked to update the status of their projects, discuss successes and challenges, and ask questions. Coaches will assist participants by answering questions and providing additional information and resources when appropriate. Each participant will also have one-on-one discussions with their coach to help them develop as an innovation leader at program onset. Coaches will also guide participants through the development of their final project.

The CPI Program can be customized for organizations in many ways, from adjusting the depth and breath of training needed to creating a program with organizational specific training.

If you are interested in learning more about the Jumpstart program and becoming a Certified Professional Innovator by The University of Michigan, please contact us here.