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INSTRUCTOR: Stuart G. Walesh, Ph.D., P.E., F.NSPE, Dist.M.ASCE 

Course Length:  1 hour

Purpose and Background

Think about the business, government, academic, and volunteer organizations that you know well. Each can be placed in one of these three categories: surviving, or barely so; thriving or close to it; and exceling. While the “survivors” do just enough to get by, the “thrivers,” which constitute the majority of organizations, practice some form of continuous improvement.

The "excellers", a tiny fraction of all organizations, practice continuous improvement. They also frequently innovate. Innovation makes the difference. The “excellers” produce valued new products, processes, and services by combining what is already available, but largely, unseen in new combinations.

How do the "excellers" do this? They create innovative cultures and provide innovation tools. This webinar describes varied innovations from within and outside of civil engineering and sharing the culture and tool lessons learned. You, your organization, and those you serve will benefit = win, win, win, win.

Primary Discussion Topics

• Innovation enables organizations to excel
• 6 obstacles to innovation and how to overcome them
• The positive and negative impact of organizational culture
• 9 instructive innovation case studies
• 10 innovation tools illustrated with examples

Learning Outcomes

• Define innovation and distinguish it from continuous improvement
• Apply innovation tools
• Deal with obstacles to innovation
• Explain the characteristics of surviving, thriving, and excelling organizations
• Find innovative solutions to existing problems

Webinar Benefits

• Recognize oft-hidden obstacles to innovation
• Learn about the thorough double-diamond thinking process
• Apply innovation tools
• Overcome design fixation (Einstellung Effect)
• Replace a fixed mindset with a growth mindset
• Make better use of personnel and material resources
• Do what has never been done
• Provide more value to clients and stakeholders

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

Intended Audience

• CEOs/executives
• Public, private, academic, and volunteer sector personnel
• Engineers, technologists, and technicians in all disciplines
• Paraprofessionals and support personnel
• Members of other professions and vocations

Webinar Outline

• Innovation defined
• Nature or nurture
• Obstacles to innovation - remove them
• Innovation examples and related tools
• Street - store stormwater
• Sewage pumping station - middle of a park
• Assembly line - inspired by a stock yard
• Train = stimulated by a bird
• Bar code - written in the sand
• Building - constructed in two days
• Bridge - slid out of the way
• Water quality - use artificial floating island
• Panama Canal - a railroad project
• Vision - most powerful of six senses
• Mindset - fixed vs growth
• Your toolbox: Double diamond, what if, fishbone diagramming, mind mapping, Medici effect, anti-design fixation, borrowing brilliance, biomimicry, take a break, mindset

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion

To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short on-line post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]