Innovating from the Future – Part 4: Co-Creating: Crystallizing and Prototyping the New (Spirit of Design Thinking and Mindfulness)

The aim of co-creating is to build landing strips for the future through prototypes that allow us to explore the future by doing. The prototypes evolve based on the feedback they generate.

The ‘observe,observe,observe’ of the co-sensing phase becomes ‘iterate,iterate,iterate’.

This method is inspired by design thinking and blended with presencing principles to make it relevant to profound shifts in social fields.

Outcomes of Co-creating:

1. A set of refined prototypes – living microcosms of the future-that have generated meaningful feedback regarding the guiding questions and objectives of the lab.
2. A set of connections with stakeholders and partners that are relevant for taking the prototype to pilot and scale.
3. Enhanced leadership and innovation capacities for dealing with disruptive innovation.
4. A team spirit that could help change the leadership culture in the company
5. Creative confidence among the team members to take on big and complex projects.

PRINCIPLES:

1. The Power of Intention: Crystallize your Vision and Intent
2. Form Core Groups: Five People can change the World
3. Create a Platform or Place for Innovation
4. Build a 0.8 Prototype (Work in Progress Models)
5. Iterate, Iterate, Iterate: Always be in Dialogue with the Universe
6. Seek it with your Hands: Integrate the intelligence of the Head, Heart and Hand

7 Rs of Prototyping

1. Is it Relevant? Does it matter to the stakeholders involved? Is it truly relevant individually, institutionally and socially?
2. Is it Revolutionary? Is it new? Is it transformative to the system?
3. Is it Rapid? Can you do it quickly? Can yo develop experiments right away with enough time to get feedback and adapt(and thus avoid analysis paralysis)?
4. Is it Rough? Can you do it on a small scale? Can you do it at the lowest possible resolution that allows for meaningful experimentation? Can you do it locally. to let the local context teach you how to get it right?
5. Is it Right? Can you see the whole in the microcosm that you are focused on? Does this idea allow you to put the spot light on the most critical variable?
6. Is it relationally effective? Does it leverage the strengths, competencies and resources of the existing networks and communities?
7. Is it replicable? Can you scale it? Any innovation in business or society hinges on it replicability and whether it can grow to scale.

Next write up: Co-Shaping: Grow Innovation Eco-Systems

This write up is based on Theory U by MIT Prof. Dr. Otto Scharmer

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