mindset Archives

The Mindset, Skillset, Toolset for Innovation

December 23, 2020December 23, 2020 Cameron D. Norman 921 Views complexity, Dave Snowden, design thinking, evaluation, innovation, mindset, psychology, skill, systems thinking, toolkit

What does it take to innovate? We look at the basics and what they mean for individuals and organizations looking

innovation psychology

Knowing the Race Your Running

October 1, 2020October 1, 2020 Cameron D. Norman 543 Views finite game, infinite game, mindset, resilience, self-care, Simon Sinek

To run a long-haul race with no visible end means to care for yourself and know that is the race you are running.

innovation systems thinking

The Constant (Innovation) Gardener

July 27, 2020July 27, 2020 Cameron D. Norman 495 Views design thinking, developmental design, developmental evaluation, garden, innovation, mindframe, mindset

A gardener’s mindframe is what distinguishes a true innovator from the rest. We look at four qualities which show how.

innovation

Innovation Psychology

September 17, 2019 Cameron D. Norman 565 Views censemaking, culture of innovation, innovation, innovation lab, mindset, organizational psychology, psychology

Highlights on innovation psychology inspired by the Censemaking Newsletter. Today we dive a little further into some of the headlines

evaluation innovation systems thinking

Developmental Evaluation’s Traps

April 19, 2018April 19, 2018 Cameron D. Norman 1022 Views change, complexity, culture of innovation, developmental design, developmental evaluation, evaluation, innovation, language, Michael Quinn Patton, mindful organizations, mindset, organizational development, psychology, sensemaking, Seth Godin, social innovation, Star Wars, Sting, systems thinking, VUCA

Developmental evaluation holds promise for product and service designers looking to understand the process, outcomes, and strategies of innovation and

evaluation innovation systems thinking

A mindset for developmental evaluation

September 7, 2017 Cameron D. Norman 1151 Views child rearing, children, complexity, design, developmental evaluation, evaluation, mindset, program evaluation, psychology, strategy

Developmental evaluation requires different ways of thinking about programs, people, contexts and the data that comes from all three. Without

psychology systems thinking

The healing power of curiosity

July 9, 2016August 2, 2016 Cameron D. Norman 611 Views Arthur Zajonc, Black Lives Matter, Brexit, community psychology, contemplative inquiry, love, mindfulness, mindset, protest, psychology, race, Toronto, United Kingdom, United States

It has been a heavy few weeks in the world. In times like this we often raise our voice to

innovation systems thinking

Grounding Your (Mindful) Organization

November 12, 2013 Cameron D. Norman 644 Views Alex Osterwalder, business model canvas, business models, CENSE Research + Design, complexity, Detroit, grounding, mindfulness, mindset, organizations

Building a mindful organization requires a sense of understanding where you are, where you came from and where you’re going.

evaluation systems thinking

The Forward Orientation Problem With Complexity

June 26, 2012June 26, 2012 Cameron D. Norman 608 Views complexity, contemplative inquiry, developmental design, developmental evaluation, mindfulness, mindset, perception, program planning, science, social innovation, time

These approaches combine inward reflection — reflective practice — with an openness to the data that comes in around them without imposing an order on it a priori. The orientation is to the data and the lessons that come from it rather than its directionality or imposing values on what the data might mean at the start. It means slowing down, contemplating things, and acting on reflection not reacting based on protocol. This is a fundamental shift for many of our activities, but may be the most necessary thing we can focus on if we are to have any hope of understanding, dealing with, and adapting to complexity.
All the methods and tools at our disposal will not help if we cannot change our mindset and orientation — even in the temporary — to this reality when looking at complexity in our work.