This document lists 20 ideas and insights about innovation that were gathered from a LabWorks conference in London. Some of the key ideas discussed include: - Innovation labs need to become a main way that public services are designed and tested rather than just playing a marginal role. - Design has the power to change lives more than lengthy reports. Innovation should focus on how services feel, not just whether they work. - Labs should develop their own approaches to innovation based on their unique organizational culture rather than copying others. - Innovation should focus on facilitating others and turning problems into opportunities rather than just training people.

1. 20 Innovation Ideas
From Lab Works
Gathered from #LabWorks, London 9th and 10th July 2015

2. Labs need to move from being awesome but
marginal players to become a main way we design
and test public services
Mainstreamed Innovation

3. @christianbason
On public service design:
It’s not about just what works.
It's about how it feels.
What about magic?
Enchantment?
Experience?

4. Sometimes the greatest
contribution we can make is
taking the worst ideas off the
table
@derekbmiller

5. Design has the power to
change lives in a way that a
250 page report does not
@christianbason

6. @B_I_Tweets on how we
all think our ideas are
good ones:
We are guilty of ‘optimism
bias’
Let's reserve describing
ideas as "good" until we've
seen how they interact with
the real world.

7. More transparency
More rigorous sharing of data
More peer review with shared testing of
theories
More creative engaged conversations -
with more people.
@LeadbeaterCh on how we can have
more impact:

8. Innovation Labs could be seen as an insult to
every other employee - unless you make them
the innovators - @nicklansley

9. The challenge is to turn wicked problems into
wicked opportunities - @wdeggers

10. You need to be clear why you want a Lab.
Just because it's sexy and you can doesn't
mean you should.
Andrea Kershaw of @ideo on Innovation Labs:

11. Forget copying others - you should develop your
approach to innovation based on your own
organisational culture

12. “Innovation envy” – once one leader has seen
and felt the benefits, others will want a bit of
what they’ve got - @jmsndrsn
Best way to create an appetite for
change in leaders?

13. The thing we need most in public policy is
intrinsically motivated people.
The way we currently measure destroys that.
@snowded

14. If you can't explain your projects
coherently in 10 seconds to the rest of the
business, the lab isn't hitting the mark.

15. What you want from your
innovation lab is disruption
but not mayhem. By
disruption I mean thinking
across silos.
@GoldsmithOnGov

16. Innovation is not about training the
trainers
it’s about facilitating the
facilitators - @tprehn

17. Whenever there's a problem, see who has
already been working to solve it.
Almost always – you’ll find someone.
@geoffmulgan

18. Approach problems
with creativity.
We aren't all hammers, our
problems aren't all nails –
@GoldsmithOnGov

19. Design already exists in real life systems. Labs
need to fit better with what is already there –
@derekbmiller

20. Instead of talking about failure we should
shift the discussion to lessons learned and
how we manage blame - @carriebish

21. It doesn't matter if innovation is disruptive
or incremental, so long as it makes a
difference - @jmsndrsn

22. 20 Innovation Ideas
From Lab Works
Follow @paulbromford and @bromfordlab for more www.bromfordlab.com