Idea Connection Systems trainers Andrew Harrison (far right) and Gary Wilhelmi (standing, third from left) with innovation and culture workshop participants in Kuwait.

Western companies like Idea Connection Systems Inc. (ICS) aren’t alone in working to transform older models of corporate culture into optimized incubators of innovation and human potential. Eastern and Middle Eastern organizations have been quietly watching from a distance – now want to become part of the new wave of innovation and transformation sweeping the globe.  The Kuwait Foundation for Advancement of Sciences (KFAS)-wanting Kuwait to integrate lessons from western business counterparts-hosted Dallas resident and Vice President of ICS-Gary Wilhelmi and Rochester resident and ICS Innovation Ambassador- Andrew Harrison to train a carefully selected group of Kuwaiti business leaders on how to promote a sustainable culture of innovation and learn the core principles of innovation.

“We were excited by the inquisitiveness and receptivity, and particularly impressed by the gender diversity of business leaders selected for the workshop,” Wilhelmi said. “They are facing many of the same issues as their peers in the U.S. so the core human principles of innovation apply equally well in Kuwait.”

The workshop featured Idea Connection Systems’ innovation instrument called the Innovation Strengths Preference Indicator® (ISPI) which helps participants understand and leverage individual natural strengths for innovation.  “Through a deeper understanding of your own personal invisible traits, you are better able to enhance communication, improve problem-solving, have better team building and develop stronger leadership skills” –says the inventor of the ISPI and ICS’ Founder and CEO, Robert Rosenfeld.

KFAS learned about ICS and the ISPI and saw an opportunity to provide Kuwait business executives with an intensive and in-depth learning on how to spur innovation within a conservative hierarchical culture. Idea Connection Systems has delivered workshops on innovation in Kuwait, Barcelona, Vienna, Mumbai, London, Scotland, Sydney, Sao Paolo, Rio De Jenaro, Antwerp, Brussels, Dubai, Canada and across the Americas.

“After the course, I went back to work as a motivated person ready to start the change. You both (Wilhelmi and Harrison) have created a positive difference.” said Sabikah Al Fazee, Senior Recruitment Officer at Boubyan Bank, “

“Kuwait has a very different culture than the U.S. but, as people, we discovered that we are really more similar than different.    We had an opportunity to go shopping at a mega-mall and experience a typical day for the Kuwaiti people; and it is nothing like what is depicted on western TV or in US news outlets. This is a beautiful country and its people share similar joys and business hurdles that I see in cities across America.” Shared Harrison upon returning to his Rochester based office.

Trending globally, companies and organizations of all sizes are increasingly recognizing the need for innovation and realize they don’t actually know how to make innovation occur.  World-wide organizations are learning the human aspect is the missing element and what has been blocking their innovation success.  Many US and Western consulting firms help companies discover that “spark” of innovation but don’t focus on the human element of innovation; which is a core component of making innovation and critical for sustained innovation.  Idea Connection Systems, which was founded in 1988, has become an industry and academic leader because of their dedicated focus on the human element of innovation and the invisible elements of human dynamics.

In its second year, ICS’ Innovation Culture program for KFAS continues to be a great success and is gaining momentum within Kuwait businesses.  KFAS continues to encourage Kuwait business leaders to take their lessons back to their organizations and is in talks with Idea Connection Systems to return to Kuwait for additional workshops that would be tailored for specific companies’ innovation goals.

Abdulrahman Almunayes, Innovation Program Leader for EQUATE Petrochemical Company who participated in the workshop; while reflecting on his new learnings responded with, “Thank you for your gift”.

About the Innovation Strengths Preference Indicator®

The Innovation Strengths Preference Indicator® (ISPI) will allow you to see the invisible dynamics of your people, team, and organization to realize your true innovative potential.
The ISPI highlights 12 orientations that compose an individual’s predispositions for a certain type of innovation. It makes visible the way an individual prefers to solve problems and what impacts their motivation, passion and decision-making. The ISPI also shows how one prefers to work with others and deal with control. These orientations impact innovation results.

The ISPI is taken online at Idea Connection System’s dedicated secure website and consists of 50 questions that take 15 to 20 minutes to complete. You can take the ISPI as an individual or create an organizational or team specific database.

Creativity and Innovation practitioners gather at 35th Annual AMI meeting in Greensboro NC

Idea Connection Systems journeys to Greensboro NC for 35th Annual Innovation meeting. The Association for Managers of Innovation (AMI) held their spring 2016 meeting at the Center for Creative Leadership-Greensboro NC Campus and focused around the theme: The Maker Movement.

The Makers Movement proves to be huge hit at innovation annual meeting.  Innovation professionals and leaders who manage the innovation efforts at several of the world’s largest organizations gathered at the Center for Creative Leadership –Greensboro NC Campus for the 36^th Annual Association for Managers of Innovation meeting.   The Association for Managers of Innovation (AMI)- a pioneering 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization comprised of committed individuals who foster and leverage creativity and innovation in organizations and society held their Spring 2016 meeting focused around the theme “The Makers Movement.”

Attending this meeting of Innovation practitioners were delegates from Rochester, NY based innovation consultancy; Idea Connection Systems Inc.® (ICS)  lead by  ICS Founder and CEO and AMI Co-Founder Robert Rosenfeld.  Robert Rosenfeld, who also serves as the Center For Creative Leadership’s first ever “Innovator in Residence”, was joined by ICS’ Innovation Ambassador –Andrew Harrison for this multi-day event and contributed to the overall discussions, and networking among industry practitioners.

“The Association for Managers of Innovation is something we innovators needed badly.   When we get together it is really great to be with other true practitioners of Innovation.  We all faced similar challenges and turned to each other for aide as we go about the work of making innovation happen.   We created our own community of practice.  AMI continues to be a very pragmatic way to learn how we actually go about transforming creativity in to innovations. “ –Robert Rosenfeld, ICS Founder and CEO, Co-Founder of AMI and CCL first ever Innovator in Residence

In 2015 AMI was presented with an award as one of the leading innovators for 2015 among Associations and Not For Profits in the Washington, DC area- the campaign to select these innovators was spearheaded by the American Society for Association Executives (ASAE).

 As an outgrowth of the Center for Creative Leadership’s annual Creativity Week series, AMI was conceived in 1981 as a “by invitation” network of innovation practitioners.  At the time of its inception, practitioners of innovation had a need to exchange ideas and were eager to find meaningful help from other innovation practitioners who were actively engaged making innovation happen.   AMI Co-Founder and President- Stanley S. Gryskiewicz-for the past 35 years has encouraged old and new  members to use AMI’s creative processes to find innovative solutions to problems within their companies and business activities, while protecting the initial values and membership criteria for joining AMI.  Gryskiewicz and Rosenfeld created a new safe community of practice that the innovation industry badly needed.

“In today’s society there is so much technology that we can get lost in our heads, on our phones and at our computer screens. Having tactile and tangible work freed my brain up for new ways of thinking and doing… As a first time attendee to AMI, the diversity of thought in the room was incredible. There were innovation leaders and practitioners from all industries and sectors. We used the collective brainpower to help solve both societal and organizational problems. AMI was a great experience.” -Andrew Harrison, ICS Innovation Ambassador

In order to preserve the direct connections and community culture fostered by AMI,  membership is limited to 200 members with a maximum of two (2) members from any one (1) organization.  Additionally this carefully selected membership base is limited to those who are practitioners in the field of Creativity and Innovation in their organizations.  Although no formal training is required, members must have some background in Creativity and Innovation be a active practitioner within the industry.

Over the course of 36 years in which AMI has existed, Robert Rosenfeld shares with fellow members his company’s insights and proprietary tools.  Idea Connection Systems focuses on the human dynamics of innovation and the human element that is critical to examine in order to make innovation occur.   ICS is dedicated to helping organizations of all sizes achieve sustainable innovation.  Using ICS proprietary tools such as the Innovation Strengths’ Preference Indicator® (ISPI); ICS  and innovation professionals are able to best harness the human aspects that are critically required for innovation to occur again and again.  The ISPI was created by Robert Rosenfeld and is one of the only innovation tools available that provides a” whole person” approach to understanding how individuals innovate and identifies individual strengths for innovation.  The Innovation Strengths Preference Indicator® offers 3 dimensional insights by looking at the Affective, Conative and Cognitive aspects of personality where most other instruments only offer two dimensional views at most.  The ISPI highlights an individual’s predispositions for a certain type of innovation. The ISPI makes visible the way an individual prefers to solve problems, what impacts their motivation, passion and decision making, as well as how they prefer to deal with control and work with others.

Both Idea Connection Systems Inc.® (ICS)and Association for Managers of Innovation® (AMI) provide innovation professionals the ability to connect on Creativity and Innovation with peers that no other platform is able to do.   The next AMI meeting will be held in Fall 2016, Ann Arbor, MI (October 26-28), Meeting Theme: Terroir. AMI Member Hosts: Menlo Innovations and Society for College and University Planning (SCUP).  To learn more about attending this meeting contact AMI or Idea Connection Systems.

Our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible.
It is in this spirit we say, simply but sincerely…
Thank you and wish to share this video message which inspires our daily work.

Organizations need innovation like plants need water; without it, they will die. Great innovations are always the result of blending the right technology, the right business model, and the right people. But in the end, it always comes back to people. -Robert Rosenfeld

ICS’s Chris Foti shares his thoughts on a recently shared story from the Founder and CEO of Dancing Star International.   ISPI Certified Practitioner, Deborah Huisken published a blog posting about an experience early in her career in which an employer who was able to capitalize on a good employee who may have otherwise left the organization.   According to Foti; retaining high quality talent requires a solid understanding of their strengths and finding a role for them that allows their abilities to be fully utilized. Beyond their resumes and learned skills, people have unique combinations of traits that allow them to excel at different types of innovation and problem solving. Huisken highlights a key principle to understanding the Innovation Strengths Preference Indicator® and points out “Different types of people with different combinations of skills, strengths, talents, abilities, creating different pieces of the puzzle.  Sometimes different types of people who might struggle to understand or respect each other, because they see the world so differently. Yet it is within that very difference that their strength lies.”

Deborah Huisken is a wonderful example of how our Certified Practitioners continue to help inform professionals at all levels of an organizations, just how critical people are to innovation and actualizing organizational success on the innovation relay race.  Her posting is a great quick read.

Click here to read Deborah Huisken’s full article

Idea Connection Systems launches division

HumanGrid gives companies the ability to administer personality assessments directly

Idea Conection Systems Inc., has been building experience with workforce development tools for more than 20 years.  Now the company is looking to spread the knowledge locally with the help of a new venture.  The  company traditionally has worked with large organizations, offering personality assessment tools to clients around the world.  But its new product has Idea Connection Systems focused on Rochester.

Its new division, HumanGrid gives companies the ability to administer these personality assessments directly, offering a more cost-effective system to a wider audience.  “This is something that can help build better communication and break down the barriers of communication,” said Andrew Harrison, whose title is listed as Innovation Ambassador.  “We want to be able to take our expertise and what we’ve learned along the way and help Rochester businesses and Rochester consultants.”

HumanGrid’s roots can be traced to the founding of the company by Robert Rosenfeld, who patented a tool known as the Innovation Strengths Preference Indicator to identify how human elements influence innovation and problem-solving preferences, the company officials noted.  Read the whole article at http://bit.ly/1o1yjjz

RBJ Print subscribers can find the whole article on Page 7.

The European Forum Alpbach (EFA) is a non-profit association based in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1945 as ‘International Summer Seminars’, it is independent of ideological, religious or political worldviews. This is one of the most prominent gatherings of international thought leaders for the European Union and is annually attended by heads of state and diplomats, business and academic leaders, and students of leading world universities.  The European Forum Alpbach is an interdisciplinary platform for science, politics, business and culture. The annual European Forum Alpbach and associated events throughout the year address the relevant socio-political questions of a global society and community.

EFA connects international decision-makers from all sectors of society with an interested audience and committed young people. The EFA goal is to create a dialogue across the generational, ideological and other lines that divide us.

click here for full PDF view: AlpbachSucceedMag_RosenfeldAritcle

August 28, 2013 at the European Forum Alpbach – Bob Rosenfeld gives keynote address during European Forum Alpbach and receives Sustainable Entrepreneurship Award (SEA). “I am personally very honoured and humbled. To meet, discuss global challenges and innovations and work directly with thought leaders of Austria and European Nations collectively is a wonderful opportunity. As a SEA Ambassador, I will continue to promote the vision and mission of the European Forum Alpbach and SEA. I do this by leading and showing businesses and community leaders how to leverage human elements in entrepreneurships in a constantly changing world environment”, explains Bob Rosenfeld, who together with Marc R. Pacheco, State Senator for the state of Massachusetts have been appointed as the first international ambassadors of the Sustainable Entrepreneurship Award initiated by Christina Weidinger.

During the European Forum Alpbach 2013 Bob Rosenfeld provided a keynote address on the human element of innovation and creativity based on his book “The Invisible Element – A Practical Guide For The Human Dynamics of Innovation”. Following the closing ceremonies of the European Forum Alpbach, work has begun on translating Rosenfeld’s book “The Invisible Element” and the Innovation Strengths Preference Indicator® (ISPI®) into German and other languages.

This year, the international award for sustainable economic activities was presented for the second time at the HofburgImperial Palacein Vienna. The award promotes sustainability as a profitable business model in the economy and honours outstanding sustainable entrepreneurship initiatives.

“The SEA award is a platform that contributes significantly to bringing Europe and America closer together and give the topic a much more important stage at the international level,” states Rosenfeld emphatically. Bob Rosenfeld is also convinced that “We need organizations such as SEA in order to accept, appreciate and learn to use the differences between entrepreneurs and their unique culture.”

Christina Weidinger, Founder of SEA, welcomed the noteworthy support from the United States: “Marc R. Pacheco and Bob Rosenfeld are thought leaders and experts in their field. They will become important bearers of our joint message of sustainable entrepreneurship. Pacheco and Rosenfeld also contributed to the book “Sustainable Entrepreneurship – Business Success through Sustainability”, edited by Christina Weidinger, Franz Fischler and René Schmidpeter. This new book was presented for the first time on August 28, 2013 at the European Forum Alpbach.

*****

Idea Connection Systems® European offices contact:
Gertrude M. Neubauer
ICS Europe
+43 676 97 46 551
office(at)innovating(dot)eu(dot)com

About the Sustainable Entrepreneurship Award
Awarded for the first time in 2012, the Sustainable Entrepreneurship Award (SEA) is an international award honouring companies for their leading role in innovative projects featuring sustainable entrepreneurship. Sustainable entrepreneurship is characterised by an innovative, proactive management approach for solving relevant problems through profitable measures in harmony with society and the environment. SEA has become one of the leading sustainability awards in Europe in just one year. For further information, visit http://www.se-award.org.

About The European Forum Alpbach
The European Forum Alpbach (EFA) is a non-profit association based in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1945 as ‘International Summer Seminars’, it is independent of ideological, religious or political worldviews. This is one of the most prominent gatherings of international thought leaders for the European Union and is annually attended by heads of state and diplomats, business and academic leaders, and students of leading world universities.
The European Forum Alpbach is an interdisciplinary platform for science, politics, business and culture. The annual European Forum Alpbach and associated events throughout the year address the relevant socio-political questions of a global society and community.

EFA connects international decision-makers from all sectors of society with an interested audience and committed young people. The EFA goal is to create a dialogue across the generational, ideological and other lines that divide us.

EFA promotes the creation of a democratic society that is ready for the future. EFA events provide momentum for the development of European integration.

The Forum is made possible by the collaboration of many committed people. With the exception of the full-time organising team, they are all volunteers. EFA volunteers work in various programming boards, making sure that our standards of relevance and high quality are met. Moreover, they ensure that all their activities follow the ‘spirit of Alpbach’.

For further information on European Forum Alpbach visit: http://www.alpbach.org

About ‘Sustainable Entrepreneurship. Business Success through Sustainability’
‘Sustainable Entrepreneurship. Business Success through Sustainability’ is the name of the new business book released in the summer by SEA jury chairman and European Forum Alpbach president Franz Fischler, SEA founder Christina Weidinger and CSR expert René Schmidpeter. With the help of a number of theoretical and practical examples, these three editors explain the added value and advantages of the concept, showing how entrepreneurs can use sustainability, when correctly defined and implemented, to gain a clear edge over their market competitors and why Europe should lead by example when it comes to Sustainable Entrepreneurship. Fischer, Weidinger and Schmidpeter are supported by various high-profile international guest contributors who have provided accounts of their personal experiences and plenty of useful information regarding Sustainable Entrepreneurship. The President of the EU Commission José Manuel Barroso is among the guest authors, as are EU Commissioner Antonio Tajani, UN Messenger of Peace Jane Goodall, US Senator Marc R. Pacheco, world innovation leader Robert B. Rosenfeld, Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker and many more.

The book is indicative of the international debate that is currently being held on the subject.
~
Book: ‘Sustainable Entrepreneurship. Business Success through Sustainability’
Published by: Springer Verlag
Price: € 87.99
Edited by: Franz Fischler, René Schmidpeter, Christina Weidinger

About Idea Connection Systems
Idea Connection Systems® (ICS) is a trusted global innovation consulting firm that focuses on the human element of innovation.

Idea Connection Systems® was founded in 1988. ICS beginnings come from an intense desire to bring a clearer understanding of how innovation happens within organizations. ICS believes that central to understanding innovation and its impact on any organization is to truly understand and embrace the human element of an organization. Idea Connection Systems® works clients to implement innovation systems, which assist them to leverage and integrate all their potential talent within the organization. ICS maintains a belief in the principle of the double bottom line. Many business leaders are familiar with the “first” bottom line: profit. Businesses create profits that are then used to create more new business, new jobs and profit sharing. Profits can also be invested in the community to create “social capital” through and for civic, educational and religious institutions. Social capital can be defined as community connectedness, a network or a web of trusting relationships in a community, that make it possible for everyone to gain access to new opportunities to participate in the business enterprises that provide jobs and create new wealth.

Social capital is the “second” bottom line, which is funded by business and philanthropy. Both forms of capital – financial and social – feed each other to build profitable businesses and vibrant communities.

About Innovation Strengths Preference Indicator®
The Innovation Strengths Preference Indicator® (ISPI) is an instrument that will allow leaders and professionals to see the invisible dynamics of individual people, teams, and organizations in order to realize and leverage true innovative potential.

The ISPI highlights 12 orientations that compose an individual’s predispositions for a certain type of innovation. It makes visible the way an individual prefers to solve problems and what impacts their motivation, passion and decision-making. The ISPI also shows how one prefers to work with others and deal with control. These orientations impact innovation results.

The ISPI is taken online at a dedicated secure website. It consists of 50 questions that take 15 to 20 minutes to complete. ICS has made it possible to take the ISPI as an individual or create an organizational or team specific database. To learn more about the ISPI visit http://www.innovating.com. Registering for the ISPI can be done by visiting https://www.innovating.com/ispi/accounts/signup.

Further inquiry and contact information:
Idea Connection Systems
693 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607, USA
+011 585 442 4110
http://www.innovating.com
info(at)innovating(dot)com

Innovation Strengths Preference Indicator®
Business Development Director: Ben Trout
btrout(at)innovating(dot)com

The RIT course is scheduled to be offered in both the Fall of 2013 and Spring of 2014, with an additional 1 day ISPI student certification offered in the Summer of 2014.

Other colleges are and have been teaching courses, based on Rosenfeld and Wilhelmi’s 2011 book, The Invisible Element and Rosenfeld’s 2006 book, Making the Invisible Visible: The Human Dynamics for Sustaining Innovation, including Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Dates: February 27 and 28, 2013
Location: Rochester, NY

Lead Facilitator: Bob Rosenfeld, CEO of Idea Connection Systems, creator of the ISPI®, Innovator in Residence Emeritus at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), co-founder of Association for Managers of Innovation (AMI), and author of, “Making the Invisible Visible: The Human Principles for Sustaining Innovation”

Cost: For pricing, please contact Benjamin Trout, ISPI® Director of Business Development at btrout@innovating.com or +1.585.442.4110 ext. 3124.
Small business rates and volume discounts are available.
10% DISCOUNT AVAILABLE if we receive your order by Jan 21, 2013

To sign up for ISPI® Certification or for more details, please contact:
Benjamin Trout
Director of Business Development – ISPI®
Office: +1.585.442.4110 ext. 3124
Cellular: +1.585.330.0335
Fax: +1.585.442.8823
Email: btrout@innovating.com

Some of the organizations who are using (or have used) the ISPI® include: Hallmark, Raytheon, ExxonMobil, U.S. Army, NASA, U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense, Arch Coal, Daymon Worldwide, U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) and Kodak Eastman.
The ISPI® is used by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in their innovation programs.
Download the flyer:
CertFlyerFeb2013