Strategic Innovation Toolkit for Managers from Coursera

Does your business culture nurture innovation, or stifle it? Are you looking for ways to build your business creatively but find daunting constraints at every turn? This course is designed to help you understand the forces that limit innovation, identify those barriers in your own business culture, and break free of them to realize the full value of your imagination. You’ll learn new skills and strategies that you can immediately apply to drive innovation in your group or organization, and you’ll build an understanding of the six most common constraints on innovation in both individual and group settings—that is, the six ways that creative thinking is often sabotaged before it can produce results. You’ll also learn to recognize stakeholders who are actively invested in stopping your ideas in their tracks. Finally, you’ll examine societal and technical constraints that you’ll need to overcome to foster a forward-thinking culture. Through case studies and interactive exercises, you’ll learn how to generate and implement great ideas in your organization, build your organization’s capacity for innovation, create an innovative culture, lead innovation projects and teams, recognize big issues lurking on the horizon before they become constraints, drive adoption of great ideas, develop and manage an innovation portfolio, and innovate to stay relevant and competitive in a fast-changing landscape.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Teaches critical skills for leading and guiding innovation strategies

Identifies and teaches methods for overcoming constraints on innovation

Uses case studies and interactive exercises for practical implementation of learning

Provides a solid framework for developing an innovative culture within organizations

Taught by instructors with real-world experience in innovation and business leadership

Empowers participants to drive adoption and manage portfolios of innovative ideas

Reviews summary

Valuable framework for innovation

Learners appreciate the framework provided by the course for fostering innovation and overcoming barriers. They report that the course's exercises and case studies help them implement ideas in their organizations.

Exercises help implement ideas in organizations.

Course provides valuable framework for innovation.

"Fantastic Course! A framework that makes sense!"

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Strategic Innovation Toolkit for Managers with these activities:

Compile a collection of innovation case studies

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Gather and analyze real-world examples of successful innovation to learn from their strategies and outcomes.

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Search for and collect case studies from various sources.
Summarize the key insights and lessons learned from each case study.
Organize the collection based on common themes or industries.

Read 'The Innovator's Dilemma' by Clayton

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Gain insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by organizations in the face of disruptive innovation.

View The Disruptive Innovation Set (2 Books) on Amazon

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Read and summarize the key concepts of the book.
Identify examples of innovator's dilemma in real-world businesses.

Practice identifying barriers to innovation in business settings

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Complete repetitive exercises to solidify the ability to recognize and identify common barriers to innovation in business.

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Review the six common innovation constraints covered in the course.
Find real-world examples of each constraint using news articles or case studies.
Generate a list of potential solutions to each constraint.

Three other activities

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Develop a blog post or article on innovation best practices

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Synthesize knowledge gained in the course and share insights with a wider audience, reinforcing understanding and establishing credibility.

Browse courses on Innovation Management

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Research and identify key best practices in innovation.
Write a well-structured blog post or article outlining these best practices.
Publish the content on a relevant platform and promote it.

Attend a workshop on innovation management

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Develop skills and refine knowledge of innovation management principles and practices through a structured workshop.

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Research and identify relevant workshops on innovation management.
Register and attend the workshop, actively participating in discussions and exercises.
Apply the concepts learned to personal or professional projects.

Participate in an innovation challenge or competition

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Engage in a real-world setting to test and apply innovation skills, collaborate with others, and receive feedback.

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Identify and research relevant innovation challenges or competitions.
Form or join a team and develop a creative solution to the challenge.
Submit the solution and present it to a panel of judges or experts.
Reflect on the experience and incorporate learnings into future endeavors.

Career center

Learners who complete Strategic Innovation Toolkit for Managers will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Innovation Consultant

Innovation Consultants help companies develop and implement new products, processes, and services. This course would be helpful for Innovation Consultants because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to drive innovation in their organizations.

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Product Manager

Product Managers are responsible for the development and launch of new products. This course would be helpful for Product Managers because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to generate and implement great ideas in their organizations.

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Business Development Manager

Business Development Managers are responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities. This course would be helpful for Business Development Managers because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to build their organization’s capacity for innovation.

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Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers are responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns. This course would be helpful for Marketing Managers because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to create an innovative culture.

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Project Manager

Project Managers are responsible for planning and executing projects. This course would be helpful for Project Managers because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to lead innovation projects and teams.

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Operations Manager

Operations Managers are responsible for the day-to-day operations of a business. This course may be helpful for Operations Managers because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to recognize big issues lurking on the horizon before they become constraints.

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Sales Manager

Sales Managers are responsible for leading and motivating sales teams. This course may be helpful for Sales Managers because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to drive adoption of great ideas.

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Account Manager

Account Managers are responsible for managing relationships with key customers. This course may be helpful for Account Managers because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to develop and manage an innovation portfolio.

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Customer Success Manager

Customer Success Managers are responsible for ensuring that customers are successful with a company’s products and services. This course may be helpful for Customer Success Managers because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to innovate to stay relevant and competitive in a fast-changing landscape.

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Business Analyst

Business Analysts are responsible for analyzing business needs and developing solutions. This course may be helpful for Business Analysts because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to identify and overcome constraints on innovation.

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Data Analyst

Data Analysts are responsible for collecting, cleaning, and analyzing data. This course may be helpful for Data Analysts because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to identify and overcome technical constraints on innovation.

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Software Engineer

Software Engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining software systems. This course may be helpful for Software Engineers because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to overcome technical constraints on innovation.

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Hardware Engineer

Hardware Engineers are responsible for designing and developing hardware systems. This course may be helpful for Hardware Engineers because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to overcome technical constraints on innovation.

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Mechanical Engineer

Mechanical Engineers are responsible for designing and developing mechanical systems. This course may be helpful for Mechanical Engineers because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to overcome technical constraints on innovation.

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Electrical Engineer

Electrical Engineers are responsible for designing and developing electrical systems. This course may be helpful for Electrical Engineers because it would provide them with the skills and strategies they need to overcome technical constraints on innovation.

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