This presentation provides advice that facilitators can give to Observers to help them improve their effectiveness.

1. Innovation Through Understanding®
1
Innovation Games®
For Customer Understanding
The Innovation Games® Company, Inc.
Copyright © 2013
by Luke Hohmann

2. 2
Introduction
The purpose of this deck is to help prepare
Observers to help create a high-impact result in an
Innovation Games® session.
Simply put: You’re job is to Observe. Take good
notes. Don’t inject your opinions into the process.
We’ll have time for opinions when we’re post-
processing results.

3. 3
2 – 6 mon 1 wk6 - 12 wks 1 – 3 wks1 – 2 wks
Innovation Game Production Process
Process
Game
Results
Send Letter
to
Participants
Phase One
Five W’s
Phase Two
Invite & Prep
Final
Prep
Process
Observer
Note Cards
(same/next day)
Action!Preparing
Playing
Post-Processing
Although your role as an Observer is primarily associated with the
day of the event, you should know that producing a successful
Innovation Games event typically takes several months of planning.

4. 4
The Innovation Games® Team
Role Description
Greeter Greets participants, invites them into the session, establishes a warm rapport.
Typically the “executive” who “owns” the offering that is the subject of the
game.
Facilitator(s) Facilitators guide participants through the games, answering questions, and if
necessary making real-time adjustments to the game plans in order to best
realize the goals of the session.
We prefer that only facilitators answer questions to maintain consistency in
the answers.
Helper “gopher” for the facilitator. Is ready, willing, and able to help with anything
that might be needed.
Observers Observers watch participants, taking notes on index cards. These cards will be
collected and processed after the session.
Observers should refrain from speaking with participants.
Photographer One observer should be the designated photographer, taking lots and lots of
photos of the event.

5. 5
Organizing The Team
• We recommend cross-functional teams so that we
can have different perspectives on the session
results.
• Sources for Observers include:
– Technical support
– Development / Engineering
– Channel partners
– Sales and Marketing

6. 6
How to Be a Good Observer
• Write down anything you hear or
see that you think is important
– Verbal: What do users say?
– Non-verbal: How do users react?
• Quotes, body language, etc.
• Write one observation per card in a
way that allows each card to “stand-
alone”

7. 7
Observer Do’s and Don’ts’s
DO
• Identify who said what:
Donna agreed with Satish that API
versioning is critical to CIOs
• Maintain your energy and
focus. Observing can be
hard work. Let us know if
you need a break.
DON’T
• Use your laptop or phone
• Make interpretations:
The daily reminders should be
thrown out because Group 3
hates them.
• Judge the participants:
Jaime obviously has unrealistic
weight-loss goals, so why should
we listen to him?
• Join the group to “help” or
“fix something” or “just
explain a little”
Portions from Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D.

8. 8
• A chance for your team to
capture their insights while fresh
• Group according to logical
categories
• Prioritize: what is most
important?
• Include all cards (negative and
positive)
• Examine each observation
• Questions
– Are there any trends?
– Is proposed solution viable?
Analyzing Observer Note Cards

9. 9
Contact Information
We’d love to hear from you!
Contact us at: info@innovationgames.com
Innovation Through Understanding®

10. 9
Contact Information
We’d love to hear from you!
Contact us at: info@innovationgames.com
Innovation Through Understanding®