Tag Archives: imagineering

Continuous Improvement, Strategic Planning

Planning Matters!

strategic planning

According to data from the Project Management Institute (PMI), at least 40% of the ideal project life-cycle consists of planning!

Yet in too many instances, and often with good intentions such as ‘zeal for getting started quickly,’ people fail to effectively plan their improvement efforts.

As a result, if strategic plans do not deliver expected results it leaves senior leaders wondering what happened — was it a flawed strategy or poor execution?

To be successful, strategic planning requires a mix of imagination and realism — often referred to as Imagineering. Imagination to describe an innovative product or service, or a way to market for which there is little or no competition, and realism to make sure that there is a practical way of executing the strategy — i.e., engineer it back to reality.

Other steps for effectively crafting a strategic plan before launching an improvement project include:

  • Assess current reality and opportunities, both external and internal
  • Develop and communicate mission and vision
  • Define the gaps between “is” and “needs to be” and set the right goals
  • Develop, assess and select strategic alternatives
  • Compare best practices to ensure the strategy can be executed
  • Convert strategy into action, using strategy maps and a balanced scorecard
  • Launch and build high performance teams and work groups to execute the strategy
Creativity, imagineering, Innovation

Imagine What Could Be!

imagine
Imagine

Recent posts have focused on various aspects of defining problems or identifying waste. When engaged in these activities it can sometimes be difficult to separate the status-quo from problems or waste… in other words, we can become so accustomed to a process or method that we fail to recognize opportunities to improve it.

A popular definition of waste, and one we’ve used frequently over the years, is “the difference between the way things are and the way things could or should be if everything were right.”

Envisioning this ideal can be challenging, and we’ve found that “Imagineering” is an ideal process for making this type of determination, for goal-setting, developing the best project plans, and for putting improvement ideas into practice.

As you may know, Imagineering was popularized in the 1940s by Alcoa to describe its blending of imagination and engineering. It was also adopted by Walt Disney a decade later, and is often referenced as a means of achieving “blue sky speculation,” a process where people generate ideas with no limitations…, where they try to achieve what “could or should be.”

Over the years we have consistently found that well-executed Imagineering workshops help people unleash their organization’s true potential and achieve breakthrough improvements. Much more than traditional or simple brainstorming, the process starts with a strategic approach for imagining perfection, and ends with engineering this ideal state back down to earth.

You might consider the use of Imagineering as a means of generating innovative ideas and applying the principles to set goals and achieve breakthrough improvements.

If this concept resonates with you, then you might also find this short video of interest: “The Way Things Could or Should Be.“

Continuous Improvement, Identifying Waste, imagineering, Innovation, Working on the Right Things

The Way Things Could or Should Be

Our previous post discussed various ways of identifying waste, which can be defined as the difference between the way things are and the way things could or should be.

“Imagineering” is an ideal process for making this type of determination, and for goal-setting, developing the best project plans, and for putting improvement ideas into practice.

As you may know, Imagineering was popularized in the 1940s by Alcoa to describe its blending of imagination and engineering. It was also adopted by Walt Disney a decade later, and is often referenced as a means of achieving “blue sky speculation,” a process where people generate ideas with no limitations…, where they try to achieve what “could or should be.”

Over the years we have consistently found that well-executed Imagineering workshops help people unleash their organization’s true potential and achieve breakthrough improvements.  Much more than traditional or simple brainstorming, the process starts with a strategic approach for imagining perfection, and ends with engineering this ideal state back down to earth.

You might consider the use of Imagineering as a means of generating innovative ideas and applying the principles to set goals and achieve breakthrough improvements.