I spoke about just that at this year’s Booking.com Annual Meeting, addressing an audience on the importance of blowing past the barriers that have been holding us back, making innovation something for everyone, every day. It’s our #OccupyInnovation outlook to the industry. My talk focused on three “to-dos” to accomplish this feat.

1. @moodimahmoudi
#OCCUPYINNOVATION

2. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

3. @moodimahmoudi
Reframe

4. @moodimahmoudi
September 17, 2011
Zuccotti Park, Wall Street, NYC

5. @moodimahmoudi
The Occupy movement grew into an international socio-politico-
economic movement against social inequality and lack of ‘real
democracy’ around the world, its primary goal being to advance social
and economic justice and new forms of democracy.

6. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

7. @moodimahmoudi
GLOBAL
#OCCUPY MOVEMENT
82 countries
951 cities

8. @moodimahmoudi
Alkmaar
Amersfoort
Amsterdam
Arnhem
Assen
Deventer
Doetinchem
Dordrecht
Ede
Eindhoven
Groningen
Harlem
The Hague
Leeuwarden
Maaskantje
Nijmegen
Rotterdam
Tilburg
Utrecht
Venlo
Zwolle
Cities subject to the
#Occupy movement:
IN THE NETHERLANDS TOO

9. @moodimahmoudi
“Democratic awakening”
Source: Washington Post on December 1, 2011
@moodimahmoudi

10. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

11. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

12. @moodimahmoudi
#OccupyMars
– Elon Musk, Tesla,
SpaceX, SolarCity,
PayPal, Hyperloop,
Real-life Iron Man
@moodimahmoudi

13. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

14. @moodimahmoudi
To #OCCUPY became synonymous with:
To lead
To enable
To achieve
To participate
To make happen

15. @moodimahmoudi

16. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

17. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

18. @moodimahmoudi

19. @moodimahmoudi
But how can we make this
work? How can we
#OccupyInnovation? How can
we democratize innovation
internally?
@moodimahmoudi

20. @moodimahmoudi
1. ACT LIKE A CHILD
@moodimahmoudi

21. @moodimahmoudi
Why do companies underperform?
We don’t ask enough questions!

22. @moodimahmoudi
This is me
with my mom!
May 1983
@moodimahmoudi

23. @moodimahmoudi
Most curious?
4 year old girls
Ask 390 questions per day
Source: The Telegraph, March 28, 2013. Study by Littlewoods.com

24. @moodimahmoudi
4-year olds ask really fundamental questions:
Why water wet?
Where does the sky end?
What are shadows made of?

25. @moodimahmoudi

26. @moodimahmoudi
And then no more “Why” or “What if” questions!
Creativity Crisis
“By the time we’re 18 years
old, we ask 80% less
questions.”
Newsweek, Creativity Crisis, July 10, 2010

27. @moodimahmoudi
Why?
In school, teachers want …
answers

28. @moodimahmoudi
Why?
At work, our boss wants …
solutions

29. @moodimahmoudi
Why?
And in the case of innovation,
everyone wants …
ideas

30. @moodimahmoudi
Design thinking best practices:
Innovation doesn’t start with ideas!
Its starts with questions that let us
capture previously unknown user
needs and insights!

31. @moodimahmoudi
“Previously unknown …”
This can be counter intuitive
for you guys.

32. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

33. @moodimahmoudi
4 – 24 Project
– Hal Gregersen
@moodimahmoudi

34. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

35. @moodimahmoudi
Write down
questions …
@moodimahmoudi

36. @moodimahmoudi
Anatomy of a Creative Question:
How might we [action verb] for a [user]
with [need], given that they [insight]?

37. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi
2. BE DISCIPLINED

38. @moodimahmoudi
Innovation almost never fails due to a lack
of creativity. It’s almost always because a
lack of discipline.
Deloitte Study
September 2015
@moodimahmoudi

39. @moodimahmoudi
What is discipline in context of innovation?
1. Observe & listen
2. Ideate & network
3. Try & experiment
4. Plan & scale

40. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

41. @moodimahmoudi
Insight-to-Venture
Design thinking & running lean

42. @moodimahmoudi
Doug Dietz,
GE Healthcare
GE Adventure Series
@moodimahmoudi

43. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

44. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

45. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

46. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

47. @moodimahmoudi@moodimahmoudi

48. @moodimahmoudi
3. LOVE METRICS
@moodimahmoudi

49. @moodimahmoudi
We need to start measuring
innovation performance with a
commitment to follow the data.

50. @moodimahmoudi
Make it rewarding: quantify success
Provides goals,
give guidance
(and knowledge),
measure progress,
setup for success.
@moodimahmoudi

51. @moodimahmoudi
BUT WHAT KIND OF METRICS?
How about the same type we use
to manage everything else in the
organization?

52. @moodimahmoudi
Project momentum
Kill fast

53. @moodimahmoudi
Project progress
Almost done?
Great job! Keep going.

54. @moodimahmoudi
Team performance
Discipline

55. @moodimahmoudi
NOW WHAT?
Where to start with #OccupyInnovation in
the organization?

56. @moodimahmoudi
§ Review/ contribute to the strategic themes defined in your functions
§ Start capturing user needs and insights related to themes
§ Articulate a strong creative question using these insights and needs
§ Ideate, prototype, and scale new value propositions
Achieving the unachievable

57. @moodimahmoudi
Work in 2-pizza teams – innovation is a team sport

58. @moodimahmoudi
1. IMPROVE
Develop customer-centric value
propositions that will have
impactful results for your
customers and partners while
improving profitability and
efficiency of your core business.
2. DISRUPT
Conceive radical and
transformational initiatives that
breakaway from your past
success and open the future.
Reimagine Booking outside-in.
Source:Forbes,TheWorld’sMostInnovativeCompanies,2015Ranking

59. @moodimahmoudi
Source: Forbes, The World’s Most Innovative Companies, 2015 Ranking

60. @moodimahmoudi
"Only those who risk going too far can possibly
find out how far one can go.”
T. S. Eliot - Poet