Innovate for Impact – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Tracey Newman and Dan Bentley speak with Allison Wainwright, the CEO of Family Life.

The discussion explores the innovative, community-centered approaches of Family Life's strategic focus on community listening, designing community-driven solutions, empowering local leaders, and collaborating with other place-based organisations to drive systemic change.

Here is a taste of what Tracey and Dan cover in the conversation:

• Family Life focusing on supporting families and building community networks and has a deep interest in working with children and helping them thrive.
• Talks about the common anxiety people have about community support for vulnerable individuals and the importance of practical ways to create community models of support.
• Highlights the importance of community abundance and the need to shift from a scarcity mindset to recognising community solutions.
• Discuss the importance of a social contract with the community and embedding community listening in strategic planning.
• Family Life has a formal community listening program, including community listening tours to understand the impacts of events like COVID-19.
• Explains the methodology of gathering data and hosting events to sense-make community challenges and strengths.
• Family Life uses a backbone function to help drive community solution plans and connect people and organisations.
• Creating Capable Leaders program, which helps community members develop the skills and confidence to make a difference and Young Leaders for Change Program, which focuses on upskilling young people in community leadership.
• Family Life uses technology-based tools like Map Your World to help community members map and address local issues.
• Allison highlights the need to move away from competition and work together to support community better.
• Allison introduces Family Life's innovation pillars, which include community activation, addressing loneliness and social isolation, and supporting families.
• Emphasises the importance of a curious lens and asking "I wonder" questions to drive innovation and community-centered work.

Links from the episode:

• Family Life: Click here
• Allison Wainwright LinkedIn: Click here
• Innovate For Impact Workshop: Click here
• The Impacto Consulting website: Click here
• Impacto Consulting on LinkedIn: Click here

In this episode, Tracey Newman and Dan Bentley speak with Matt Barnes, the Owner of Rogue Creatives and Podcast Host of Creating Good.

Matt shares about innovative ways for organisations, especially nonprofits, to effectively tell their story and connect with supporters. Matt shares his strategic storytelling framework and insights on reframing nonprofit storytelling to focus on the organisation's expertise and mission rather than just highlighting problems.

Here is a taste of what Tracey and Dan cover in the conversation:

•  Rogue Creatives' strategic storytelling framework helps clients identify their unique character and story.
• Challenges nonprofits face in storytelling, including the need to spend money on marketing and branding.
• Importance of reframing nonprofits as conduits for change, not just begging for money
• Examples of how changing the tone of storytelling can lead to increased donations and support.
• Collaboration and learning from each other to solve problems more effectively.

Links from the episode:

• Rogue United website: Click here
• Creating Good website: Click here
• Innovate For Impact Workshop: Click here
• The Impacto Consulting website: Click here
• Impacto Consulting on LinkedIn: Click here

In this episode, Tracey Newman and Dan Bentley discuss how developing an innovation strategy can help organisations to achieve their mission.

Here is a taste of what Tracey and Dan cover in the conversation:

• Mission without strategy can be overwhelming, but with a plan, it's achievable.
• Innovation strategy, focusing on bridging the gap between current state and desired outcome.
• The importance of logic, program logic, theory of change, and different perspectives in achieving the desired goal.
• Importance of having a clear strategy for achieving a mission, including identifying key indicators and outcomes.
• The need to measure progress and adjust the strategy as needed to ensure alignment with the desired outcomes.
• Collaboration with clients and stakeholders is crucial for effective innovation.
• Linking innovation efforts to a clear mission goal is essential.

Links from the episode:

• The Impacto Consulting website: Click here
• Impacto Consulting on LinkedIn: Click here

In this episode, Tracey and Dan are joined by Laura Breslin, National Manager Service Design & Innovation at Mission Australia. Laura discusses how Human-Centred Design enables their organisation to innovate and learn more about the wants and needs of their clients.

Here is a taste of what Tracey Dan, and Laura cover in the conversation

• How and why did Mission Australia start the process of innovation with Human-Centred Design?

• Why did they choose a “starting small approach” and what does it look like?

• Laura shares her favourite takeaways from the process along with the ones that didn't work out quite as well.

• How do they get their clients and their team involved in the process?

• The importance of ensuring Co-Design or Human-Centred Design is a win / win for participants and the organisation.

Links from the episode​

• The Mission Australia Website: Click here
• The 'Innovate for Impact Self-Assessment': Click here
• Impacto Consulting on LinkedIn: Click here

In this episode, Tracey and Dan discuss the most prevalent objections to collaboration that leaders encounter when trying to embed co-design, and how to overcome them. 

Here is a taste of what Tracey and Dan cover in the conversation

• What are the top 3 objections mentioned by people involved in co-design for their organisation?
• Understand the different types of objections and how to respond to them.
• Various approaches and strategies you can use to overcome objections and keep your organisation moving forward as you work to create the collaborative, innovative, impactful organisation you desire.
  
  

Links from the episode​

• The 'Innovate for Impact Self-Assessment': Click here
• Impacto Consulting on LinkedIn: Click here

In this episode, Tracey and Dan are joined by William Crowley, the CEO of Northern Coalfields Community Care. William shares his recent experiences with improving the client experience for all individuals who use his organisation’s services in the communities they support.

Here is a taste of what Tracey, Dan, and William cover in the conversation

• How William and his team started on their innovation journey and why they started with a client-centricity approach.
• The challenges and practices faced by an organisation with client-centered innovation.
• How to establish the ideal environment so that your team feels safe when innovating.
• Improving the pace and quality of client-centred innovation by setting targets and addressing conditions for innovation.
• A simple example of innovation is adding things into your pre-existing processes that significantly improve them.
  
  

Links from the episode​

• Northern Coalfields Community Care website: Click here
• The 'Innovate for Impact Self-Assessment': Click here
• Impacto Consulting on LinkedIn: Click here

In this episode, Tracey and Dan talk about what prototyping is, how to do it, and how to use it to better execute creative ideas in the environment we work in.

Here is a taste of what Tracey and Dan cover in the conversation

• What is prototyping, and how can it be used in the sector? 
• Different types of prototyping: Low fidelity vs High fidelity 
• What benefits does prototyping bring, and when should it be used?
• Examples of ways they’ve used prototyping on past projects
• The importance of prototyping and making it accessible in daily life
• Ways of obtaining feedback from people so that you can easily incorporate it into your creation process
  
  

Links from the episode​

• The 'Innovate for Impact Self-Assessment': Click here
• Impacto Consulting on LinkedIn: Click here

In this episode, Tracey and Dan talk about how you can implement better ways of working into your organisation when you feel like you are already overloaded and juggling too much change in your ‘business as usual’.

Here is a taste of what Tracey and Dan cover in the conversation

• The philosophy that our top clients use to change the way their organisation works
• What to look for first when you want to introduce a change into your organisation
• The importance of identifying the things that are no longer serving you well, that you should stop doing, in order to focus on things that will drive your organisation forward
• What are some ways you can adjust to the changes in your organisation? 

Links from the episode​

• The 'Innovate for Impact Self-Assessment': Click here
• Impacto Consulting on LinkedIn: Click here

In this episode, Tracey and Dan discuss 5 different strategies to get ‘unstuck’ if you’re stuck with innovation. Here’s how to get around those roadblocks and boost innovation in your organisation.

Here is a taste of what Tracey and Dan cover in the conversation

• What to do when you’re stuck with innovation?
• How to create space for creativity
• How can you reassessing your organisation’s goals help you to tap into new ideas?
• How do you make the first step easy?
• The benefits of getting out of the office and spending time with clients
• The importance of asking the right questions and listening to answers.
  
  

Links from the episode​

• The 'Innovate for Impact Self-Assessment': Click here
• Impacto Consulting on LinkedIn: Click here

In this episode, Tracey and Dan share an overview of the concept of systems thinking, why it is a critical perspective to consider whilst innovating in this sector, and practical ways you can apply it to your work. 

Here is a taste of what Tracey and Dan cover in the conversation

• What exactly does "Systems Thinking" mean and why is it important?
• Examples of organisations that utilise Systems Thinking and the benefits of using it.
• How do you use Systems Thinking in your work?
• What consequences can result from not thinking at a systemic level?
• Useful tips on how to create and use a systems map.
  
  

Links from the episode​

• The 'Innovate for Impact Self-Assessment': Click here
• Impacto Consulting on LinkedIn: Click here