Innovation is being stifled

Leadership teams face constant demands from firm owners to resolve a wide range of strategic issues, including: 

• Changing client needs 
• Employee turnover 
• Greater efficiency 
• New technologies  
• Skills and capabilities 

The tools being used when developing strategy were the subject of recent Forum research. The most popular may be familiar and simple but they are also analytical and risk averse, so tend to stifle innovation and creativity. Design sprints (derived from design thinking) are different.

Why design sprints?

Design sprints use co-creation to find solutions to complex problems. Adapted sprints formed the core of a £1m Government-funded research study into the extent that collaborative design techniques could increase the AI readiness of UK professional services firms. The study discovered that sprints are a very useful and practical way for leadership teams in any sector anywhere to re-think and resolve almost any business opportunity or challenge.

A significant part of the reason why design thinking has been so successful in recent years is the spirit of curiosity and innovation that it engenders. Not only do workshop structures and individual sprint steps survive being adapted or swapped around, they can thrive on such creativity. 

A blueprint for your own sprints

Think of the Fast-track Innovation™ Guide as a blueprint for conducting DIY sprints - with leadership teams, front line advisers and business professionals working together to bring your future firm to life: 

• Access best practice from peers 
• Define sprintable challenges
• Select sprint teams
• Explore plausible futures 
• Create innovation roadmaps
• Cascade choices to the front line
• Observe behaviour change 

The Fast-track Innovation™ Guide is constantly evolving based on new research studies and experiences & enhancements suggested by sprint participants.

To register for the Fast-track Innovation™ Guide, please complete the Fast-track Innovation™ Guide request form. There is no cost involved. If already registered, click here.

Enhanced services

Consultancy & training: Research team members and selected consultants are available to lead, observe or advise on any aspect of DIY or bespoke sprints. This includes conducting ‘Train-the-trainer’ workshops to develop internal expertise in running sprints. These commercial services are organised exclusively through the Forum.  

Bespoke sprints: Member firms can also request private bespoke sprints hosted by the Forum. This involves HighQ and Miro templates to set up and run sprints; tasks selected from proformas; and activities monitored through a management reporting system. 

Once the new sprint has been created, teams can be allocated to tasks, workshops planned, blogs shared, and adjustments made to tasks and reporting criteria. A pdf report with observations and links to the outputs at each sprint step can be downloaded at any time and also shared with management on an agreed basis.

Following a one-month trial from the validation date of the first sprint for a country, each new sprint for that country incurs a sprint usage fee of £1,000 + VAT. 

To request a new sprint, please complete the Bespoke sprint request form. Team members should only complete the Bespoke sprint team request form once notified of the unique sprint number by the sprint facilitator.