Introduction
We’re living in an era of unprecedented disruption. Everything – people, products, and data – is becoming more interconnected, making the challenges we face as a planet more systemic and complex than ever before.
Traditional approaches to innovation often overlook the ripple effects within complex systems. Take coffee pods, for example. While they are often marketed as a convenient way to make a consistent cup of coffee and have been successful in generating recurring revenue for companies like Keurig, the pods themselves are often made of plastic that cannot be recycled, generating huge quantities of waste worldwide.
At Innovation North, we believe organizations need to take a systems approach to innovation – one that goes beyond profits and considers organizations’ role(s) within wider systems. That’s why we developed the Compass, a tool that integrates systems thinking with design thinking to ensure that organizations tackle complex problems by keeping the system in view. It will support organizations in generating solutions that contribute to higher profits, more prosperous communities, and more resilient ecosystems in the long run.
Developed over five years with experts from Ivey Business School and leaders from 30 top Canadian companies, the Compass guides organizations through a systematic process of problem-solving. Like a physical compass that helps navigate unfamiliar terrain, the Innovation North Compass is designed to help guide organizations through the increasing complexity and disruptions they face.
The Compass is unique from other innovation or problem-solving tools because:
- It keeps the end in view through the entire process. It is guided by a North Star and a Near Star, which reflect the organization’s long-term purpose and near-term goals.
- It is highly iterative due to the ability to move readily among its four spaces: Problem, Awareness, Ideas, and Actions. The first time through the Compass, you will want to spend a bit of time in each space. Afterwards, you will move back and forth dynamically, until you have a clear set of actions you want to execute.
- It encourages collaboration – particularly in the Ideas and Actions spaces, which nudge innovators to work with others beyond their organization to tackle the problem together.
There is no single action that can tackle complex problems. Complex problems often require multiple interacting solutions – what we call an ecology of actions. These actions are often small nudges, tests, and pilots that can catalyze new products or services.
Maple Leaf Foods exemplified this in 2018 when they announced their vision to become the most sustainable protein company on earth. This change in identity had numerous impacts on their business – from expanding into plant protein to prioritizing animal care and developing sustainable packaging.
Ready to innovate with impact? Explore how the Innovation North Compass can guide your organization through complexity and disruption. Use the Compass worksheets to get started.
Start With the North Star
If you’re just embarking on an innovation project, first identify your organization’s North Star. This will ensure that your journey builds strategic coherence and does not go off course. Each new action should push the organization towards a higher, long-term goal that aligns with a purpose beyond profits.
Iterate Through Each Space of the Compass
Once you’ve located the North Star, then work through the Compass. It doesn’t matter where you begin, although our team tends to start by framing the problems. The first time through, we move with some speed through each of the spaces: from problems, awareness, ideas, and actions in the first round. But, after we go once through, we move back and forth among the spaces, spending the most time building awareness.
As you explore the systems landscape, you’ll gather more and more insights that will shape where you go next.
End with the North Star
Once you have a set of actions that you want to execute, look back at the North Star to ensure that you haven’t inadvertently lost your way.
Watch the video below to see the Compass applied to the challenge of product returns:
Below is a downloadable and printable set of worksheets you can use to apply the Compass:
