Workshop Overview
Innovation isn’t accidental. It’s a practice. In this transformative 45-minute workshop, teams discover how to deliberately cultivate breakthrough thinking by embracing constraints as creative partners rather than obstacles.
Built on Babson College’s proven Act-Learn-Build framework, participants will experience innovation as an intentional, iterative practice that can be developed and strengthened over time. We’ll explore how the most resilient organizations thrive through challenges.
Through hands-on application of design thinking principles, your team will practice the art of seeing limitations as launching pads for creative solutions. This approach focuses on developing practical skills and mindset shifts that turn workplace constraints into competitive advantages.
Participants will learn to Act with empathy and experimentation, Learn through pattern recognition and insight gathering, and Build sustainable innovation practices that can be implemented immediately within existing organizational structures.
This workshop is designed for teams ready to move beyond traditional problem-solving toward intentional innovation that creates value for all stakeholders.
Why "The Practice of Intentional Innovation"?
This workshop recognizes that innovation thrives when it becomes a deliberate practice rather than a hopeful accident. By integrating Babson’s Act-Learn-Build methodology with design thinking principles, participants develop repeatable processes for intentionally seeking opportunity within obstacles, purposefully designing responses that create multiple forms of value, systematically building innovation capabilities that strengthen over time, and thoughtfully connecting creative solutions to organizational mission and impact.
The result is better problem-solving and the development of an innovation mindset that becomes a sustainable organizational asset.
Learning Outcomes
1
Master Intentional Problem Reframing Participants will practice the Act-Learn-Build cycle to deliberately transform at least one current workplace challenge into a concrete innovation opportunity, developing skills for systematic opportunity identification within constraints.
2
Build Your Personal Innovation Practice Develop a customized methodology for consistently leveraging limitations as creative catalysts, including specific techniques for resource optimization, stakeholder engagement, and solution design that can be refined through repeated application.
3
Activate Strategic Creative Thinking Learn evidence-based approaches for maintaining innovative thinking during high-pressure periods, including structured ideation methods and collaborative frameworks that support both individual creativity and team innovation capacity.
About the Instructor
Molly McKinley, the owner/founder of Redtail Creative, teaches entrepreneurship and innovation as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Meredith College. She is a public relations and integrated marketing strategist with over 25 years of experience launching new products and brands.