Answer: Memorial's new Innovation Center is not:

1. Normal expense reduction management. There are already tools, processes and line accountabilities for doing these daily cost/financial responsibilities.

2. Another CQI/TQM Process. Quality Improvement is basically about reducing practice variation and the elimination of errors and rework. Innovation is often the rapid sequence of many failures and experiments in order to develop a new innovative service or product.

3. Generating a large volume of ideas that do not have owners or champions who have the drive and passion to begin moving them through a defined process towards implementation. We are not interested in developing an Idea Refuge Center for stray, homeless ideas.

4. Innovations that do not add value to our customers or are implemented just to be different. We need to re-engineer all our systems backwards from the customer's point of view so as to add value and create a really WOW! Memorial Experience for all those we serve.

5. Generating big losses instead of profits just to gain experience in a new area. There are great ways to rapidly prototype, experiment, and reduce risks up-front when the losses are smaller and more frequent in order to minimize the total losses that do occur during the innovation process.

6. A few really smart people who will quickly come up with the next Post-It-Notes, velcro, or E-Bay. Everyone needs to become involved in the innovation process and feel like they have the access and potential to contribute new ideas, help develop the conditions that foster idea flow, or help implement new innovations all around Memorial.

Question 2: How do I begin to generate a flow of good ideas?

Answer: There are lots of good tools that you may find are really helpful in generating new ideas and to begin seeing new connections to existing ideas and services. There is a very good description of "The Perfect Brainstorm" (The Art of Innovation, pp 55-66) as well as "Ten Creative-Connections Powertools" (The Seeds of Innovation, pp. 49-66). Additionally, the use of the "5 Multiple Lenses to Generate Opportunities" (Whirlpool Innovation Training, pp. XX-YY) can be helpful in discovering new ideas and new connections between ideas.

Question 3: What should I do with my good ideas? What is the process to be followed to successfully implementing them?

Answer: First of all, ideas need to have owners or champions that can drive the development of an idea with passion and enthusiasm. Next, a well defined process should be followed in order to recruit the necessary support and resources. More complex and larger new business start-ups will benefit from following a well defined opportunity brief or business plan. Training will be provided on both WOW! Projects as well as new business start-ups so that with the process will be well understood and supported.

Question 4: Where do I get some support, coaching or advice about my idea and the process to follow?

Answer: Memorial intends to use the existing management system to support and develop innovation. All leadership will be adequately trained in both WOW! Projects, Ninthhouse Innovation and the Circle of Innovation that makes extensive use of the Tom Peter's Group materials and writing. Additionally, a small group fo 3-4 W-Mentors can provide additionally mentoring on the processes to be followed and both internal and external resources (site visits, partners, case studies, etc.) Finally a small group of full time or independent contractors will be available for mentoring the new revenue/new business start-up process.

Question 5: Where and how do I get resources to begin to test or tryout my new ideas?

Answer: As a result of Memorial's Innovation Policy, a sum of money is set aside each year to invest in helping create a WOW! Memorial Experience as well as to assist in new business start-ups. All areas of Memorial will have direct access to financial resources to engage in rapid prototyping, experimentation, and site visiting. Generally anyone can have access up to $5,000 to begin to test and implement good ideas that add value to our customers. Larger projects or cross departmental initiatives need to be coordinated to plan and make best use of available resources and to prioritize larger innovations.

Question 6: Isn't there a tremendous amount of risk and a high failure rate with innovation? Isn't this a radical departure from Memorial's past culture of reducing errors, mistakes, and getting it right the first time?

Answer: The world and our customers have changed dramatically in the last few years and Memorial is like many other organizations that need to change quickly in order to continue to be successful in the future. We can reduce the level and amount of risk by better utilizing rapid prototyping, site visits, and well as thought out business planning. However, the business of Innovation is inheritably messy, uncertain, unpredictable, and at times illogical. There are not shortcuts, no easy microwave version that will completely eliminate risk or a high failure rate. By using some of the experiences of other organizations and partnering with some innovative people, we can achieve impressive results over a long period of time.

Question 7: What customer group should I focus on first? Since Memorial defines its customers as 4 P's and E (Patients, Physicians, Payors, Public and Employees) should we prioritize the customers in any way?

Answer: The primary target is the external customer and to create the greatest experience possible for our patients, and their families. This is especially true for those front- line areas that have daily contact with patients, families, and visitors. Internal customers are also important but supporting those who treat or care for our patients should be the guiding principle.

Question 8: How do I get time away from my regular job to work on new ideas and implement innovation?

Answer: In general, all areas implementing WOW! Projects will be expected to incorporate this new direction within its normal staffing and budget requirements. Think of Innovation as a verb (rather than a noun or a thing) and as the way we serve patients and create raving fans and customers. Improving patient satisfaction scores will often be the first areas that we currently measure, incent, and reward. Over time it will be necessary to move beyond the most obvious and most typical ways to raise Press-Ganey scores and begin to be far more creative and imaginative in how we create the real WOW! Experience.

Those intrapreneurs needing to spend more time on developing new business start-ups will be given 120-180 days off of their regular jobs to work full-time developing the opportunity briefs or business plans. Once the project gets approved past a certain point or gets placed in the Cryo-preservation Tank (we never kill any good ideas) the person will return to his/her former job with a small lifestyle incentive and lots of recognition.

Question 9: Are there any areas that are off limits or are exempt from this new Innovation process and policy?

Answer: Yes, there are a number of areas:

1. Laws and legal requirements
2. Safety and Health standards (Nuclear Regulatory Commission, CDC, etc.)
3. State licensor and certification requirements
4. JCAHO standards
5. Collective bargaining agreements