196: Andy and Andi Simon—Innovation Games® Are What You Need To Imagine Your Future

Hear how to use this time of crisis to re-think, re-create and soar

During the economic disruption tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are indeed living in chaotic times. But chaos is also an opportunity to work in new ways, re-creating our companies and ourselves for the future. Tomorrow is going to be very different from yesterday. The challenge for us all, however, is that we are uncomfortable with uncertainty. So stop, pause and give yourself a moment to re-group. Rather than flee the fear, turn this into a time to use new tools to think about how you could do things better, not how you’ve always done them. Please join us!

The “new normal” may become the normal normal

Let’s see how we can adapt ourselves, our communities, our companies, our staff and our customers to the new normal, for however long it remains with us. Perhaps even forever. That is what we have been hearing out in the market among clients and prospects, friends and colleagues. They are actually liking many of the new ways of getting their jobs done. And some of our friends love having more time with children and spouses or partners.

Something big is happening

This is why we wanted to do a podcast about how to adapt to these fast-changing times. It is the first of several we are going to share with you, and they will focus on tools we use with many of our SAMC clients that could help you respond creatively to today’s changes.

We could almost see changes coming before the pandemic. We kept talking about the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Freelancer Nation, and the growing affection for remote work. And then, voilà, it was here.

There is nothing better than a crisis to accelerate the changes taking place already in our society

As we look into our future, what are we imagining? Well, there are entirely new channels of distribution emerging. There are already new ways to use blockchain to help in the supply chain. We see people launching blockchain solutions to ease access to new pharmaceutical companies and medical device vendors. More will follow.

We see a lot of new families embracing home-based schooling, albeit reluctantly but still effectively. One of our friends moved all of his behavioral health clients onto a remote model so they can access mental health services via their iPhones, and it is working.

Then there are new industries emerging around COVID-19 testing and protection. Our healthcare workers are learning how to reallocate their resources to sustain their hospitals and specialty practices which are waiting for elective surgery and in-office care to return. College presidents tell us how they aren’t sure they need their campuses, at least as they have used them in the past. Manufacturing clients are trying to keep their supply chain operating as it responds to the shifting needs of end-users and tries to resolve difficulties with raw material sources abroad.

When all is said and done, all that matters is that we stay healthy and use this time to be creators

The one thing about looking into the future is that the future is going to create itself. For you and your company, this is a great opportunity to think about how this applies to you as well. It is a wonderful time to think about possibilities. At SAMC , we love to play Innovation Games® when we are looking at the future. It often frees us from what we think today and lets our imaginations flow to what could be in the future.

An innovation game that works well is called Reverse Everything

What this particular game forces you to do is to take everything you used to do and not do it any longer. And, things you never did, you are going to do lots of in the future. Remember, it’s a game so let your imagination flow.

What’s truly freeing for people is that they get to create new ideas about what they can do tomorrow without the burden of what they did in the past. For a restaurant, Reverse Everything might look like this:

As you can see, things you did before, you no longer do. Things you did not do yesterday, you do a lot of tomorrow. And then let the ideas flow. We have a very good friend who owns restaurants and a hotel, and he is trying to reinvent them. Some of the ideas above are very relevant for him and could be for you as well.

We will tell you more about this in the podcast, so listen in. And there are dozens of blogs and presentations available on our website.

We are big believers in testing

You don’t really know it’s going to work. These are new times. And you are crafting new solutions. So test the ideas and learn from your tests.

One thing we do know is that change can be an opportunity or a threat

See how you can use it to your advantage so that you can enjoy a safe, healthy journey into the future. As always, we are here to help you along the way.

About Andy and Andi Simon

Partners in life as well as in business, Andy and Andi Simon are principles/owners of Simon Associates Management Consultants (SAMC). Using the tools and methods of corporate anthropology, Blue Ocean Strategy® and Innovation Games, they specialize in helping companies who want or need to change to “see” unmet needs and opportunities that are all around them. As business change management advisors, they are uniquely equipped to suggest ways you and your business can change, adapt and pivot, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis, to achieve even greater success.

More on how Innovation Games can help you rethink the future: