Innovation Through Cooperation

What happens when you put a group of our industry’s emerging leaders in a room together with a panel of Shark Tank judges? A fun and forward-thinking innovation experience focused on finding solutions to some of industry’s biggest challenges. Participants spent the day participating in an Innovation Shark Tank as part of the IIAW Emerging Leader’s Leadership Conference: Capstone Innovation event. Activities took place in Madison at the beautiful Edgewater Hotel. A group of Integrity participants and emerging leaders conference attendees engaged in creative collaboration — leading to solutions to help the independent agency system succeed.

The groups focused their efforts on developing solutions and a supporting business plan for several opportunities:

The purpose of the Innovation Shark Tank was to teach agents the process of ideation, which leads to the formation of innovative ideas and concepts. The session was led by a team from Integrity Insurance and ended with a tough panel of “Shark Tank” judges tasked with choosing their best investment opportunity.

Bobbie Collies, VP, Sales & Marketing at Integrity Insurance, who helped plan and facilitate to the exercise said, ““At Integrity, we have a passion for creativity and innovation,” said Integrity VP, Sales & Marketing Bobbie Collies. “Innovation Shark Tank gave us the opportunity to teach emerging leaders the importance of being innovative, ground-breaking and forward-focused. These are skills crucial for our industry which is changing at a rapid pace.”

At the IIAW, we are focused on providing our members with innovative solutions to succeed in today’s bricks and clicks marketplace. This dedication to innovation through cooperation doesn’t stop with providing our members with new products and services, but also helping them change their agency’s culture to encourage ideation and innovation.

Use these techniques to help your team develop new creative ideas to help your agency and its insureds during your next team building or strategic planning exercise.

• Rapid idea generation
• Assemble a group, spell out the basic ground rules for brainstorming (no criticism, wild ideas are welcome, focus on quantity, combine ideas to make better ideas) and then have people write out their ideas. Encourage to build on each other’s ideas
• Think opposite
• If you challenge assumptions and create an alternative scenario, you likely will trigger creativity and come up with a lot of new ideas that you’ve never had before. First write assumptions about your problem statement then write opposites (think 10x’s bigger, remove something critical, flip something around). Last step is to come up with solutions as if the opposite were true
• Pick your idea
• Gather all the ideas and group common ideas together. Individually, vote on the best idea that is a single, well-established answer to your opportunity statement
• Develop the concept
• Further develop your idea. Identify the customer, problem, solution and how success will be measured
• Make it fun!
• Brainstorming is a creative process. Design an event that breaks down the structure of your regular business environment

Finally, consider bringing the following tools to your next meeting for creative stimulation and brainstorming.

• Bring clay, play doh or Koosh balls. People will play with them and that’s good. Rather than be a distraction, they will help people be more divergent and open their thinking
• Offer fruit or a protein snack. Having a little something to eat keeps blood sugar up and helps people be more creative
• Research shows that listening to happy music increases creative performance on overall divergent thinking

This event would not have been possible without the support of our Exclusive and Partner sponsors. Thank you for helping us continue to bring important professional development and networking opportunities to the valued members of the IIAW.  

MATT'S MIXOLOGY

If you are looking for a flash of inspiration, it might be at the bottom of a pint of beer or your favorite cocktail glass. According to numerous published studies moderate drinking is good for creativity as it loosens the brain's controlling instincts and makes individuals feel spontaneous by freeing up the brain to think in a different way.

Try serving this refreshing summer cocktail at your next meeting or strategic planning event. Its sure to get those creative juices flowing (pun intended).

Strawberry Gin Smash

SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 pound fresh strawberries
• 2 cups gin
• 3 cups club soda
• Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Muddle the sugar and limes in a pitcher that holds at least 8 cups (64 ounces). Set aside 6 to 8 small strawberries and make a small slice in their tips. Hull and slice the remaining strawberries and muddle the slices lightly with the sugar and lime juice.
2. Stir in the gin and club soda and pack the pitcher full of ice. Add mint sprigs to garnish. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with a strawberry, slotted onto the edge of the glass.

RECIPE NOTES

Make-ahead: You can make this pitcher ahead; mix everything except the club soda and ice, then refrigerate overnight. A night in the fridge will also help the strawberries add more flavor and color to the drink.