Paula
Mertens
Innovation Champion at Live Innovation Lab
"How to train your Innovator's Mindset"
"How to train your Innovator's Mindset"
Thu June 10 - 8:30 AM EDT/New York (See in local time)
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05//2025 8:30 AM
05//2025 08:50 AM
America/New_York
#WTGC2025
"How to train your Innovator's Mindset"
#WTGC2025
"How to train your Innovator's Mindset"
https://www.womentech.net/ringcentral
https://www.womentech.net/ringcentral
"How to train your Innovator's Mindset"
"How to train your Innovator's Mindset"
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Session: How to train your Innovator's Mindset
We all have heard the word innovation. Everyone is talking about it. Today, most organizations see innovation as the key to growth and even to survive in a constantly changing world. But what is innovation, really? How do we unfold the meaning of this popular yet abstract word? What makes a successful innovator? Are innovators born? Is it possible to accelerate innovation?We will explore in this talk the elements of innovation, how we can all become innovators, and the role of technology.
The Innovator's Mindset is the heart of innovation. In the Innovator's Mindset model, we explore three conceptual components (People, Ideas, and Things) combined with key innate human traits that help us drive innovation.
To train the innovator’s muscle, we framed these elements within eight mindsets and their corresponding set of tools.
Mindsets :
PEOPLE
Open Minded Listener: actively willing to consider different ideas or opinions, non-judgemental, receptive, and reflective.
Empathetic Teammate: proactively develops human connections by understanding the emotions, the points of view, the needs, and the context of others.
IDEAS
Curious Learner: inquisitive thinker eager to acquire knowledge and skills with a deep desire to explore, experiment, and engage.
Connection Builder: able to identify relationships among broad, unrelated objects and ideas in order to overcome ideation roadblocks and identify opportunities.
THINGS
Creative Explorer: trains own creative skills by testing unexplored approaches which empower creation and build up confidence when expressing trying things out.
Fearless Doer: challenges preconceived notions by daring to engage with the unexpected in order to experiment, fail, learn and try again.
INNOVATOR
The core of all mindsets
Resilient: able to recover from difficult situations and adapt quickly to changing conditions while finding meaning in adverse experiences.
Purpose-driven: being aware of your unique skillset, experiences, and background to engage in innovation endeavors fueled by your inner drive and passions.
Key Takeaways
- Innovation is not an AHA moment, it is a process and the innovator's mindset is the heart.
- We are all capable of being innovative, we just need to train our innovator's "muscle"
- Take action: develop your sense of curiosity, observation and experimentation
- Innovation is finding the non-evident connection between people, ideas and things to create a greater value.
- Technology is one of the best tools to connect people, ideas, and things, thus drive innovation. Technology is a magnifier of human intent; when it is applied with empathy and thoughtfulness, it can substantially improve our lives.
Bio
Process engineer, design thinker practitioner, and certified Scrum Master with over 12 years of international experience in start-ups and large organizations in the chemical and biotechnology industry. Co-founder of a Biotech start-up. Parallel to my engineer career, I have been active in the field of Social Entrepreneurship. In 2019 I joined Live Innovation Lab in the mission to ignite an interest in innovation to make it accessible to all, empowering, educating, and inspiring STEM & Business innovators, upcoming startups, intrapreneurs, and leaders to create a more diverse, sustainable, and innovative future. I’m co-creator of Playnnovation™ and Innovator’s Mindset Model, frameworks that empower individuals and organizations to innovate with purpose.