Targeted marketing and innovation support
for knowledge organizations

Welcome to Targeted marketing and innovation support: for knowledge organizations. As an innovation professional, you have received this quarterly newsletter because you have either participated in a Calibre activity or you have requested information from us or from one of our associates on marketing and innovation support. Subscribers get discounts to Calibre events and regular free work tools. If you do not wish to receive our innovation alerts, please unsubscribe below.

Milan workshop probles 'great marketing ideas': effective assessments

A Calibre Communications workshop sponsored by Netval, TII, and Proton Europe drew 15 international professionals to Milan, italy on 14-16 May 2009. The topic, '10 great ideas for marketing innovation' gave participants strategic and tactical marketing examples and job tools they could put to use in their own organizations. One of the '10 great  ideas' concerned how the success of our projects and processes should be measured in time- and resource-pressed knowledge organizations.

Despite pressure on executives to get results fast, experts like Robert Cooper agree that one of the best things they can do to make sure innovation happens effectively in the organization is to put in place the right, specific, quantitative success metrics. This is particularly important when managing high-risk change projects effectively. When should we begin measuring progress? While we should not impede the momentum of projects and campaigns, we need to apply metrics at various stages of the project, to find out how the project is going, what impact it has had, and whether modifications are needed. For example, we need to look at whether the project is consistently delivering on:

• Clear objectives
• Clear benefits
• Evidence the project is worth the effort
• Specific action plans
• Reduced risk
• Clear roles and responsibilities
• Involvement by stakeholders
• Resource management
• Energy and commitment
• Adequate presentation and persuasion skills to disseminate results

What should our metrics be? There is no one answer that will suit all organizations. We must choose metrics and assessment methodologies for their potenial to measure success on vaious levels important to our organization. For example, Calibre applies multilevel success metrics to its longer-term training partnerships, based on Kilpatrick's 1998 training workshop measures. Training  success is evaluated in the following ways:

1. Reaction:  Get feedback from users throughout the training activity using open-ended questions for qualitative data and closed questions for quick, quantitative feedback
2. Learning:  We measure skills, knowledge and attitudes before and after the project. Observe, when you can, how skills in the workplace or in a specially-designed demonstration, are changing. If you can't observe, devise tests to assess knowledge of principles and facts.
3. Behaviour: Find out if the project has influenced the way a job is done. Are the knowledge and skills learned being transferred into the workplace?  Again, before and after assessments will give the most accurate picture.
4. Results:  Compare data before and after the training activity to get information on business impacts, leaving sufficient time for the project to take effect before you measure outcomes. If possible, repeat the exercise at intervals to see how the benefits are sustained.

Participants at the Milan workshop used innovation audits and othr assessment tools to rate their organizations, concluding that their organizations--mostly universities--generally supported innovation well. However, they considered continuing training and job tools to help  improve communication, market insights, and to manage stakeholders more effectively were needed. Emerging businssmodels such as social entrepreneurship (see story below) were perceved as positive alternatives to some discredited practices. Future issues of Calibre Communique will focus on some of the other 'great ideas for marketing innovations' discussed at the workshop.

Encouraging young social entrepreneurs really works!

Calibre Communications Principal Judith Mercure joined the judges' panel at the 19 April SE Asian regional competition of the Global Social Venture Competition in Bangkok, Thailand. We quote R Paul Herman, HIP Investor Founder and GSVC veteran, on the importance and outcomes of the recent Competition:

“For the first time since the founding of the Global Social Venture Competition at the Haas Business School in Berkeley in 1999, the Southeast Asia region took the #1 prize (after two previous years in the top 3). Winning will accelerate two compelling business ventures that have the potential to serve society and make a profit this year. These ventures were recognized with the GSVC competition top prize overall (and US$25,000), awarded to Indonesia’s EcoFaeBrick team (turning cow dung into ceramic bricks). The Social Impact Assessment Award went to New Zealand’s BrightmindsLab (delivering online software tools to help young mental-health and autism patients).

"These wins are particularly noteworthy as previous GSVC winners, including WorldOfGood.com (global fair-trade, with eBay as a partner) and RevolutionFoods.com (healthy school lunches) are now thriving businesses, with millions in revenue. It seems quite possible that we can look forward to hearing similar news from EcoFaeBrick and BrightMindLabs in the near future!”

R. Paul Herman, CEO and Founder, HipInvestor, http://www.hipinvestor.com/)

Sharp sites: Visit some former GSVC winners to see how social entrepreneurs create profitable businesses!

• Providing Fair Trade gift alternatives, order online with e-bay:  www.worldofgood.com
• Providing fresh, tasty, organic breakfasts and lunches to school kids in the Bay Area and around LA, California: www.revolutionfoods.com