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2019 

PRE CONFERENCE WORKSHOP 

IMAGINING A CREATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE WITH 

CREATIVE THINKING
 

@NRCNA_engAging

Practical Applications in Creative Ideation: 

Problem Framing 

Ideation 

Projects With Gregg Fraley 

Road-Mapping Gregg Fraley Innovation (GFi) 

Author of Jack’s Notebook

Part 2 of 3 sessions 

Dallas, TX 

August 26, 2019
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS IN CREATIVE IDEATION 

Homework and Pre-Reading Assignment 

• “Projects Are How Innovation Happens” (homework for the 

webinar) 

• “Idea Generation Fails, Or, How To Hose Your Next 

Ideation Session”

• “Crossing The Innovation Delaware”

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PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS IN CREATIVE IDEATION 

Today’s Session 

• Welcome, thank you, my mission 

The Big Picture of Today’s 

session: 

• Review of the webinar material 

(brief) 

• Problem Framing (for projects) 

• Idea Generation 

• Innovation Planning/RoadMapping 

– (a start) 

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Review of Innovation 101 Webinar 

• Innovation is necessary 

for improvement and 

survival 

• Personal mindset about 

creativity is where it all 

starts 

• Culture change happens 

one way: Projects 

• Projects can be small “i” 

or big “I” Innovation (and 

many types of projects, 

see Doblin 10 types) Read the book for extra credit. It’s 

an eye opener, and has you 

thinking bigger. 

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Innovation Project Process (Explore, Ideas, Action) 

• How to manage an 

innovation project 

• 7 Step Process 

adapted from “CPS” (aka 

Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving)* 

• For more on CPS, see Jack’s Notebook

Pink = Exploration 

Yellow = Idea Generation 

Turquoise = Action 

Purple = Metrics/Data 

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What Possible Projects?(Keep this list for the future, add 

on) 

• Get out your pen and pad (or 

laptop) 

• For those who did the webinar, get 

out your list of problem frames 

• Let’s make a list of opportunity

areas for your organization 

• Do a few silently, then ask your 

table mates what they’re thinking

• Start with what you “wish” for Make list, then, pick one to work with 

• "Wouldn’t it be great if... ”

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Problem Frames (the format, how it’s done)

• Convert a wish to a problem frame! 

• Format: How Might We Learn Problem Framing? 

• How Might We...+ Verb + Action 

• create, build, fix, eliminate (some 

verb) 

• ...Recruit more volunteers? 

• ...Double our donations? 

• ... Serve more people? 

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Create Your First Point Problem Frame, Now 

How Might We... + Verb + Action 

Tips: 

• Not too focused, not too general 

• Avoid building in criteria or guardrails 

• For Example: 

– How Might We improve morale in our 

staff and volunteers, without upseting 

old timers or chronic complainers or 

blowing the budget on training? 

Goal: Push frame listing 

until you get an “Aha”

about the challenge. 

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What Might Be Happening 

• Getting a fresh perspective on a problem you’ve

been thinking about can be difficult 

• Don’t ever settle for the first one, make a list of

at least 10 other ways to frame the problem. 

Take time and work this list. 

• Brainstorming ideas to answer this question 

comes next, and, the key to successful idea 

generation is... A good problem frame! 

• Return to your ”wise hero” and imagine what

they would say 

• When you’ve diverged and had an “aha” you’re

then probably ready to pick one 

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PERSPECTIVES 

FROM THE FIELD 

DINING SERVICES INNOVATION 

TIM GETTY
ENCORE CAFÉ-CEDAR RAPIDS/LINN COUNTY 

IOWA 

• Problem Statement: Need of Socialization/Dining Opportunities 

1. Only meeting 7% of older adults needs in county 

2. Only one senior dining location in second largest metro 

area in Iowa, lacking affordable/healthy, socialization 

opportunities 

@NRCNA_engAging 
 

ENCORE CAFÉ-CEDAR RAPIDS / 

LINN COUNTY, IOWA 

• Process to Concept 

1. Open new Senior Dining locations 

“Surely You Can’t be Serious!”

2. Focus groups, existing partnerships, 

new collaborations, oh my! 

3. Let’s Do the Impossible/Why Not?

@NRCNA_engAging 
 

ENCORE CAFÉ-CEDAR RAPIDS/LINN 

COUNTY, IOWA 

• Process to Concept: Results/Challenges 

1. “Build It and they will come”

works 

2. Yes, It can be that simple 

3. Well.... Let’s not do that again!

4. You never know until you ask, 

but......

@NRCNA_engAging 
THANK YOU 

TIM GETTY 

HERITAGE AREA AGENCY ON AGING 

TIM.GETTY@KIRKWOOD.ORG
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PERSPECTIVES 

FROM THE FIELD 

ENCOURAGING STATE-WIDE INNOVATION 

RENAE BROWN
STATE UNIT ON AGING 

• Goal: Provide services which allow seniors to age 

independently in the place of their choosing. 

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THE ROAD TO PUBLIC POLICY 

@NRCNA_engAging 
DEFINING INNOVATION 

@NRCNA_engAging 
USING CREATIVE THINKING TO 

CREATE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS 

• USING THE S-T-A-R METHOD 

• S - Situation: Assess situation and current priorities 

• T - Task: Define tasks within your scope of influence 

• A - Action: Identify small changes that make BIG impacts 

• R - Result: Verify outputs of innovation efforts 

•

@NRCNA_engAging 
EMBRACING CHALLENGES 

2018 Overall 

Health 

Ranking by 

State 

Rank Based On: 

Weighted sum of the 

number of standard 

deviations each core 

measure is from the 

national average. 

Source: 

America's Health 

Rankings composite 

measure 

@NRCNA_engAging 
USING CREATIVE THINKING TO 

CREATE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS 

• USING THE S-T-A-R METHOD 

• S - Situation: Assess situation and current priorities 

• New dietitian, noticed inefficiencies and suboptimal data 

• T - Task: Define tasks within your scope of influence 

• Gathered data from members from local to state level 

• A - Action: Identify small changes that make BIG impacts 

• Targeted organizational methods, streamlined policy guidelines 

• R - Result: Verify outputs of innovation efforts 

• Observed and documented outputs of actions taken 

@NRCNA_engAging 
RENAE C. BROWN,MS, RD, LD 

CHIEF DIETITIAN/NUTRITIONIST 

DHS DIVISION OF AGING SERVICES 

RENAE.BROWN1@DHS.GA.GOV 

THANK YOU!
 

 

 

Introduction to Challenge Mapping 

• Challenge Mapping 

is essentially a 

strategy tool 

• The graphic to the 

right is a MindMap, 

an actual Challenge 

Map to follow here. 

• MindMapping (see 

Tony Buzan books) 

• NRCNA will also 

make available a 

four page article on 

how to do this in 

detail. 

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Challenge Mapping Demo 

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2

6

BREAK 

15 MINUTES
 

 

 

Challenge Mapping Exercise 

At your tables: 

• Work individually to create a challenge map for 

your initial problem frame, work rapidly; 

• After 10 minutes, share, one at a time, and get 

feedback, in the form of additional problem 

frames, from each other; 

• Refrain from debates, or discussion about 

which is better or worse, keep it moving, please, 

keep Diverging; 

• Update your list/map with suggestions. 

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Idea Generation Tool -- BrainWriting! 

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BrainWriting Works Better Than Out Loud 

• Recently featured in a Forbes article 

• https://www.fastcodesign.com/3062292/evidence/brainstorming-isdumb 

• It’s a form of brainstorming

• Introverts love it 

• Helps control “dominant” voices

• Stops debate 

• Gets a lot of ideas quickly 

• Great for inexperienced or overly talky 

discussion-ey groups 

• Easy to facilitate 

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BrainWriting Instructions 

How to do it --

1. Load 8 by 14 pieces of paper with Post It Notes 

• Alternatively use old record album covers 

2. Arrange group of 6/8 people in round tables 

3. Sheets are in a pile at center of table 

4. Everybody takes one, writes an idea, and puts the sheet 

back in the pool 

5. When completing a sheet you use the ideas already there 

as stimulus to add new ones 

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Criteria for Evaluation of Ideas 

1. Is it actionable? 

2. What’s good about the idea?

3. Does it address the problem 

frame? 

4. Ideas that make you a 

little bit ill, or that you 

immediately laugh at, 

should be carefully 

considered 

5. Don’t rule out ideas that

require resourcing you don’t

have 

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Idea Concept Form (or “capture”)

Customize this 

to your own 

needs. 

Editable slide is 

included in 

downloadable 

presentation. 

Pick and Idea 

and use the 

form to write 

it up. 

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Using Story to Enhance Ideas 

1. Pair up 

2. One person starts and tells 

the story of the idea 

3. Don’t read the form, make it

a real story with a beginning, 

a middle and and end. 

4. Make it up! 

5. Feedback 

6. Next person goes 

7. Re-write idea, or at least, 

make notes 

Kurt Vonnegut on the Shape of 

Stories (link to video, 4:36) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch? 

v=oP3c1h8v2ZQ 

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Mapping Out Your First Innovation Project 

Project Name: Generic Hipster Project 

Task Description Date completed Who’s responsible: Accountable to: 

Kick off meeting Gather players to 

enroll them in the 

project, assign tasks 

By September 15 ME The Board 

Weekly check-in 

(Could be a daily 

“stand up meeting”

Every Tuesday at 10 

am 

All Me 

Milestone 1 Funding By October 1 Bill Me 

Milestone 2 Marketing Plan By October 15 Brenda Me 

Milestone 3 Service Design By October 15 Mary and Jill Me 

Milestone 4 Website/Social Media 

prepared/planned 

By October 20 Graphics and SM 

volunteer 

Me 

Project Kick off Where new service is 

introduced, training 

done 

By November 1 Me to prepare 

meeting 

Board 

Project Review What did we learn? By December 1 Team Board 

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Innovation Road Map: 2019 – 2022 (first pass) 

YEAR TIME FRAME PROJECT(s) NAMES PROJECT 

LEADER 

Completed/Success 

or Learning 

Experience 

2019 September - December Generic Hipster Small i MariJo Spencer Done December 24 

2020 Two Project Cycles 

January 1 

July 1 

___________________________ 

___________________________ 

_____________ 

_____________ 

__________________ 

__________________ 

2021 Two Project Cycles 

January 1 

July 1 

___________________________ 

___________________________ 

_____________ 

_____________ 

__________________ 

__________________ 

2022 Three Project Cycles 

January 1 

May 1 

September 1 

___________________________ 

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_____________ 

_____________ 

_____________ 

__________________ 

__________________ 

__________________ 

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PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS IN CREATIVE IDEATION 

Q & A 

@NRCNA_engAging 36 
PART 3: LAUNCHING YOUR INNOVATION 

JOURNEY 

• Join us virtually: October 2, 2019 @ 3:30pm – 4:30pm ET 

What will you learn? 

1. How to deal with roadblocks to innovation 

2. Dealing with team dynamics and different thinking styles 

3. When projects go south, when projects fail, what to do? 

4. Adapting an innovation framework to their organization 

@NRCNA_engAging 
 

KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING 

• Join the Innovations 

101 team online via 

NRCNAengage! 

• Why? 

Access to exclusive 

content 

Connect with your 

peers 

Swap insights and 

ideas 

Stay inspired! 

@NRCNA_engAging 38 
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS IN CREATIVE IDEATION: 

PROBLEM FRAMING 

IDEATION 

PROJECTS 

ROAD-MAPPING 

WITH GREGG FRALEY 

DALLAS, TX AUGUST 

26, 2019 

@NRCNA_engAging 

www.nutritionandaging.org 

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THANK YOU! 

@NRCNA_engAging 

www.nutritionandaging.org 

@NRCNA_engAging 40 
 

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Project ___________ Idea # _____ IDEA CONCEPT FORM 

Concept Cluster ___________ Final Rank _____ 

What’s the idea? Describe in as much detail as possible (if required add more detail on second page, please attach): 

Concerns?______________________________________ 

What’s the benefit to the consumer? 

Consumer 

Drawing 

Give your idea a “short handle” name (fun or 

exciting is good here): 

What are three basic steps for moving this idea 

into action? Write more steps if it makes sense. 

1) 

2) 

3) 

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Innovation Road Map: 2019 – 2022 (first pass) 

YEAR TIME FRAME PROJECT(s) NAMES PROJECT 

LEADER 

Completed/Success 

or Learning 

Experience 

2019 September - December 

2020 Two Project Cycles 

January 1 

July 1 

___________________________ 

___________________________ 

_____________ 

_____________ 

__________________ 

__________________ 

2021 Two Project Cycles 

January 1 

July 1 

___________________________ 

___________________________ 

_____________ 

_____________ 

__________________ 

__________________ 

2022 Three Project Cycles 

January 1 

May 1 

September 1 

___________________________ 

___________________________ 

___________________________ 

_____________ 

_____________ 

_____________ 

__________________ 

__________________ 

__________________ 

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