There are plenty of organisations that have fully embrace innovation as the essence of their business model. An example is 3M defines innovation as “New ideas plus action or implementation which results in an improvement, a gain or a profit“. It is not enough to have a good idea only when you act, implement and execute you really innovate.

People is the most important factor of innovation not only the idea or the execution, innovation not only happen, people make it happen. Innovation Network definition of innovation is a lot more complete: “People creating value trough the implementation of new ideas“.

Tom Kelley from IDEO defines 10 personas to give the personal touch of innovation:

1. The Anthropologist learns by observing other people, how they behave and interact physically and emotional with products, services and other people. They do not judge, they observe, they empathise.

2. The Experimenter prototypes new ideas by experimenting, learning, improving based on a process of trial and error. They are best in to take words to sketch, to model and new offering.

3. The Cross-Polinator brings experiences from other environments like organisations, industries, cultures, countries then translate those into innovative solutions. Organisations can hire lots of people with diverse background, cultures and geographies.

4. The Hurdler knows that the path of innovation is not only one step but a journey that takes time and resources, there will be obstacles that need to be need overcome, this persona understands the importance of perseverance and is willing the bend the rules. This person does more with less.

5. The Collaborator helps to bring cross functional teams together and get things done, he often leads from the middle. You can collaborate working not only within the organisation but with clients and customers

6.The Director brings people together, sparks their creative talent, guide them with a great destination postcard and motivate them. There is an old adage in Hollywood “Directing is 90% casting”, great directors build a team of people who need little direction and can lead by example.

7. The Experience Architect designs experiences that go beyond the functionality and act also the emotional part to connect deeper with people. When companies can copy products and services, the price is not the truly differentiator but the experience created around.

8. The Set Designer creates the environment where innovation is created, where teams can do their best. This environment is the physical space that influence behaviour and space.

9. The Caregiver anticipate customer needs and are ready to go to look after them. They always go beyond the mere basic service.

10. The Storyteller builds credibility, triggers emotional connections, good stories help make order out of chaos.

Read more: Tom, Kelley. “The Ten Faces of Innovation: Strategies for Heightening Creativity” Doubleday