National Aeronautics and Space Administration

iGuide
The Employees Guide on How to Be Innovative at KSC
A product of Spaceport Innovators

This book is dedicated to

the people of the Kennedy Space Center
who have tried and succeeded
or tried and failed
to do things differently,
to make things better,
but mostly to those who tried
and kept on trying.
It is to that spirit that we pay homage.
It is with that spirit that we work.
It is that spirit that leads us on.

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Heres to the crazy ones, the misfits,

the rebels, the troublemakers, the
round pegs in the square holes
the ones who see things differently
theyre not fond of rules You can
quote them, disagree with them, glorify
or vilify them, but the only thing you
cant do is ignore them because they
change things... they push the human
race forward, and while some may see
them as the crazy ones, we see genius,
because the ones who are crazy
enough to think that they can change
the world, are the ones who do.

Steve Jobs

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CONTENTS
What will you find in this guide?
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6
7
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9
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12
18
30
42
60
78
94
94
95
96
96
97
98
99
100
101
102

What are KSCs leaders saying about innovation?

FOREWORD
PREFACE_Why Innovate?
SYMBOLOGY
INTRODUCTION_How do I use this Guide?
LEADERSHIP_Are you a leader or manager?
CONCEPT_What is Innovation?
CREATIVITY_How do I come up with a great idea?
RESEARCH_I have a great idea! Now what? A guide to research
COLLABORATION_How do I promote innovation in my team?
CULTURE_How do I make my organization and KSC more innovative?
COMMUNICATION_Now that I have a great idea, how can I convince others?
SPECIAL THANKS!
REFERENCES
AUTHORS
INNOVATION TOOLBOX
Six Thinking Hats
Mind Mapping
Brainstorming
POINt: Pluses, Opportunities, Issues, New thinking
Assisters-Resisters
Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
RESOURCES

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What are KSCs leaders saying about innovation?

NASA relies on pioneering innovators to push us further in all we do for the betterment of humankind. KSC
innovators have fueled many of our nations greatest accomplishments and Im excited to see that trend continue
with our current and next generation of exceptional KSC employees.
Nancy Bray (Director of Center Operations)
Innovation is foundational to GSDOs success. Our transformation to the premier multi-use spaceport of the
future hinges on our ability to use our prior experience and creative application to improve how we do business.
Mike Bolger (GSDO Program Manager)
Why is innovation important at KSC? Because if we remain stagnant and do not progress, we become obsolete.
Innovation is what NASA is all about. New ideas are what move us forward and fuel our quest for knowledge and
discovery. Innovation also helps us become more efficient, a critical attribute given our current budget environment and the challenging exploration goals that lay before us. I encourage everyone to help us find innovative
ways to continue our transformation to the spaceport of the future.
Bob Cabana (Center Director)
Weve accomplished some major transformation milestones over the last few years, but KSC needs to continue
to evolve and innovate to support a rapidly changing commercial spaceflight industry. KSC partners in small satellites, space tourism, and even point-to-point missions. These are becoming more important drivers, and we will
have to continue to change to lead industries launching those missions. Change is not only coming, it is here.
Scott Colloredo (Director of Central Planning and Development)
As we transform to a multi-user spaceport and support two new NASA human spaceflight programs, the need
for innovation has never been greater at the Kennedy Space Center. It is imperative that we not settle for doing
things the way they have always been done, and find new ways to safely execute our mission.
Russ DeLoach (Director of Safety & Mission Assurance)
Innovation is about viewing challenges in a unique way so that the solution set can be expanded and new capabilities emerge from that to address the next challenge. We are in the process of dreaming up and executing on
the KSC solution set that will address the nations and the agencys future challenges.
Kathryn Lueders (Commercial Crew Program Manager)

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At KSC, we are often times faced with seemingly impossible tasks. Just think if after the famous Scottish mathematician and physicist, Lord Kelvin said, Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible, everyone agreed and
gave up on the idea of human flight. Where would we be? Grounded for sure! Innovation is the key to meeting
KSCs challenges and essential to NASAs success.
Kelvin Manning (Associate Center Director)
Since KSC is embracing new work and new ways of doing things, it is critical that we have innovative ideas and
approaches to achieving a successful future.
Becky Murray (Director of Human Resources)
Innovation at KSC provides for organizational sustainability by making continual advancements and defining us as the worlds premier multi-user spaceport for both government and commercial customers.
Janet Petro (Deputy Center Director)
Curiosity coupled with the desire and opportunity to innovate is the pathway for new discovery in high performing
organizations. Without continuing innovation, KSC risks irrelevancy in todays competitive aerospace environment.
Pepper Phillips (Director of Engineering)
Innovation is important at KSC because, for the first time in nearly a generation, there is no checklist, no cookbook, no manual that defines all the next steps that lead America to putting boots on Mars. We all have to think,
each and every day, how can I contribute innovative solutions to the mission of the Kennedy Space Center?
Pat Simpkins (Director of Ground Processing)
Innovation is important at KSC not only because it is required to develop new technologies needed to further
exploration but also to change our business practices so we are affordable in todays competitive market.
Vanessa Stromer (Director of Information Technology & Communications Services)
I have noted over the years from working in academia, in industry, and with NASA that many people with technical
degrees have difficulty in being innovative seemingly from a fear of failure or fear of negative responses from peers.
The most innovative ideas seem to come from free thinking through what if scenarios. One of my professors talked
about how he came up with the most brilliant ideas while driving. When I worked in a laboratory developing new materials some of my best innovations similarly came from off-the-wall ideas I had while commuting to and from work.
Karen Thompson (Chief Technologist)

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FOREWARD
Special message from Scott Anthony author of The Little Black Book of Innovation
and regular contributor to Harvard Business Review

The most important thing on my mind in the

beginning [of innovation] is determining how
you are going to measure the creation of
value. Is it speed, engagement, productivity,
cost, or something else entirely? Then, you
want to think about who you want to focus
on as a customer. Is it other external
scientists, NASA employees, government
funders, taxpayers, or something else
entirely? Once you determine the measuring
stick and the customer, the rest should be
relatively close to plug and play!

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PREFACE
Why innovate?
On July 20, 1969, the United States accomplished one of the most amazing feats in the history of mankind. We
used science and sweat to design and build the largest, most complex machine ever attempted then launched
it to the moon. The Saturn rocket was something so different that it made an impact around the world. It was a
beautiful innovation. And it was one among thousands of innovations that helped make NASA a success.
With that first trip to the moon, NASA established itself as the undisputed leader in human spaceflight. After
Apollo, we pioneered low Earth orbit and the extended presence of humans in space using the Space Shuttle and
the International Space Station. But as the Shuttle Program ended, so too did NASAs prime position. Now, our
role is changing. Boosting commercial space on our shoulders and pushing the boundaries of what is possible for
human and robotic exploration in deep space has become NASAs strength. Embedded within this strength is a
choice we make to continually change things for the better. Its the American Way. And its the American Resolve;
the same resolve it took to develop the electric light bulb and create the iPad.
Charles Hall is a shining example of this resolve. In 1884, the Washington Monument was capped with the largest, single-cast piece of aluminum in the world at a price more expensive than silver. At the same time, twenty
year old Charles was carrying out chemistry experiments in his kitchen and woodshed. Only two years after the
monuments capping, Hall had a breakthrough. The Hall-Heroult process - as its now known - made aluminum
dramatically easier and 200 times cheaper to produce. Can you imagine if we could reduce the cost of space
travel by the same amount? Innovation, the lasting impact of our improvements, is the result of our decision not
to accept the status quo. We innovate because its the mechanism that connects our capabilities to our goals and
our passions to our dreams.
Innovation changes everything. Are you ready to play your part?

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SYMBOLOGY
Look for these icons to help you make the most out of this guide!

TIP
Useful information for applying the material
LEADER TIP
Useful information specifically for leaders
MORE INFORMATION
Additional references and resources
TOOL
Innovation methods and techniques
INTERNAL RESOURCES
NASA and KSC resources
QUOTE
Sound bites worth noting - good for bumper stickers!
MILDLY INTERESTING STUFF
Factoids and other tidbits

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INTRODUCTION
How do I use this guide?
This guide is a tool chest, not a cookbook. You wont find a simple how to be innovative recipe here, rather you
will find a suite of tools to help you build the foundation and framework for breakthrough thinking and doing.

You do not need to read the iGuide from beginning-to-end.

Each section is designed to stand on its own.

This guide is divided into five areas of emphasis assembled into an overarching structure - the Innovation House.
The Innovation House is where innovation resides. It is constructed using the suite of tools provided throughout
this guide and shelters principles, or 5 Cs, for finding better ways to develop and implement new ideas and
improve old ones.

CONCEPT
What is innovation?

COMMUNICATION
Now I have a great idea,
how can I convince others?

CREATIVITY

COLLABORATION
How can I make my team
more innovative?

CULTURE

How do I come up with a good idea?

How do I make my organization

and KSC more innovative?

BASIS

Why do we innovate?

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LEADERSHIP
Are you a leader or a manager?
NASA is in a new era.
The challenges facing our space program are different, and our imperatives for this program are different than
in decades past, said President Obama while at KSC in 2010. For 35 years, the goal of safely and successfully
processing, launching, and landing the Space Shuttle required much of our time and talent. Now, leaders must
think differently to set the stage for sustained innovation and prepare for an unpredictable future.
Typical direction-setting leadership can work well when the solution to a problem is known and straightforward.
But if the problem calls for a truly original response, no one can decide in advance what that response should
be. By definition, then, your role as a leader of innovation is not to set carrot and stick objectives. Its to create
a community willing and able to generate, develop, and try new ideas. Through patterned behavior and organizational structure where talented people work, you can draw out the slices of brilliance in each individual and
assemble them into innovations that represent collective genius. The question you must ask is not How do I
make innovation happen? but, rather, How do I set the stage for it to happen?
The stage for innovation can be intense. The rhetoric of innovation is often about fun and creativity, but the
reality is that innovation is hard work and can be a very taxing, uncomfortable process, both emotionally and
intellectually. Innovation usually emerges when diverse people collaborate to generate a wide-ranging portfolio
of ideas, which they then refine and evolve into new ideas through give-and-take and passionate debates. Thus
collaboration should involve discord. We may be inclined to discourage or minimize differences, but that only
stifles the free flow of ideas and rich discussion that innovation needs. The friction of clashing ideas may be
hard to bear. It can create tension and stressparticularly in groups of talented, energetic individuals who may
feel as if there are too many cooks in the kitchen. Leaders must manage this tension and communicate the
difference between wrong and different to foster an environment supportive enough that people are willing to
share their thoughts, but challenging enough to improve ideas and spark new thinking. This is the foundation of
the innovative community.
Once the foundation has been set, the innovation leader must then seek to sustain the community. Tomorrows
leaders of innovation must be identified and developed today. The problem is a people challenge rather than a

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technical one. For all NASAs brilliance, it can suffer from an innate desire to do things the way theyve always
been done. Individuals who understand that leadership is about creating community intelligence and creating a
safe environment for innovation are crucial to expanding and sustaining the innovation capacity within our Center.
Great leaders of innovation see their role not as take-charge direction setters but as creators of a context in which
others make innovation happen. The goal will always be to take whatever position enables the collaboration,
experimentation, and integration necessary for innovation. That shift in understanding is critical to fostering the
next generation of innovation leaders and must permeate the organization and its talent management practices,
because those with the potential to lead innovation are often invisible to current systems. Let them take roles that
put their skills on display and provide them with the experiences and tools they need to both unleash and harness
the genius around them.

All mankind waits upon our decision.

A whole world looks to see what
we shall do. And we cannot fail that
trust. And we cannot fail to try.
John F. Kennedy 1960

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CONCEPT
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Innovation: something different
that has impact
An idea alone is not an innovation
DaVinci dreamed but Edison did
be a doer and thus an innovator!

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CONCEPT
What is innovation?
If you google innovation, over 129 million locations across the World Wide Web have something to say; but
it wasnt always that way. The word innovation comes from the Latin word innovo, which means to renew or
change. From this root we can see that innovation is more about a process that is done to something that already
exists rather than introducing something completely new. This is the distinction between innovation and invention.
Until the 1950s, there was very little written about the term. Then, in that same decade we saw the emergence
NASA and Star Trek, the use of innovation exploded into modern literature. Coincidence? Probably, but you dont
boldly go where no one has gone before without innovation.
So, what is innovation?

Innovation
is
something different that has impact

Creative
Discovery

Blueprinting

Implementing

Measurable
Results

Innovation is something different that has impact. The person who determines whether or not something has
had impact is our customer. We can never forget that the customer is who we work for.

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CONCEPT

Think about how much time you spend with your customers.
Have a number in mind? Ok, now triple that time and truly get
to understand them. Remember, the customer determines the
impact of your innovation!

The customer is always right!

Harry Gordon Selfridge

The key part of this definition is the word impact. An idea alone is not an innovation. You have to actually DO
something (communicate and try it) to make it an innovation. You need to turn it from just an idea to a real thing
that has an effect on someone or something.

DaVinci vs Edison: Battle of the Millennium

Lets compare two great men: Leonardo Da Vinci and Thomas Edison. Both had great ideas, but which one was
the true innovator? DaVinci was a very influential genius (and the epitome of a Renaissance man), but how many
of his ideas did he actually implement? Edison, on the
other hand, held over a thousand patents in his name but
most importantly his inventions had a tremendous impact
on the world (electric light, sound recording, and motion
pictures to name a few). If you want to be an innovator,
you need to be like Edison and make your idea a reality!
How? Youre in the right place, read the rest of the guide!

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Big Idea:
Innovation is
about connecting
the dots and
having the
certainty to take
action

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CONCEPT

Did you know that as part of his campaign to discredit

Alternating Current as a safe source of electricity Thomas
Edison oversaw and conducted the electrocution of Topsy the
circus elephant? Youll learn more about using emotion to
communicate your idea effectively in a future chapter. Also,
we never said being an innovator makes you a nice guy.

Four Critical Mindsets that enable innovation:

1. Be externally focused
a. Go out and spend time with your customers
b. Know what they want, think, feel, and even what they cant articulate
2. Recognize that your first idea is wrong
a. Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face
b. Embrace a discovery driven plan
3. Release your inner Edison, and start sweating
a. Every wrong try is a step toward a solution
4. Break the sucking sound of the core
a. Create a safe place for innovation away from the current successful
organization business model

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I have not failed.

Ive just found
10,000 ways that
wont work.
Thomas Edison

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CREATIVITY
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Try often: More Ideas More Attempts
More Feedback = More Success
Diversify your perspective put on different
thinking hats
Invest time with your customers
Look for Intersections between existing or
old problems and fresh or potential solutions
Re-frame the problem
Pay attention to what others ignore
Ask lots of questions: Ask why, why not,
and what if
Change your Field of View and Scale of
Observation
Induce constraints (to produce focus)
Eliminate constraints (to broaden
perspective)
Always believe there is a solution
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Big Idea:
Creativity is
antithetical!
It requires
openness to
all possibilities,
while embracing
the constraints
that limit certain
pathways.
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CREATIVITY
How do I come up with a great idea?
Creativity is all about unleashing your potential to conceive new ideas. Innovation starts with creative discovery 1.
This is the part of the process where good ideas are born.
The more ideas we have for innovation, the more we can communicate via blueprinting, which is a full schematic
of what your idea will look like when you build it. The more blueprints we can communicate, the more opportunities well have to try them out by implementing. As we implement more ideas, we will have more opportunities
to receive feedback, which gets us to the measurable results and the impact that is necessary for an idea to
become an innovation. But it all starts with the idea, so, how do we come up with an idea, let alone many ideas?
Coming up with an idea, or at least the seeds from which creativity blooms, may inevitably require meetings.
These initial meetings in the process of innovation can take the form of fact-finding sessions, discussions with
customers, or brainstorming sessions.

It is not what people say at these

conferences [meetings or sessions], but what they inspire in
each other later on
Isaac Asmov
One key creativity concept is that of associative-dissociative thinking. The idea here is to consider a situation from
your customers perspective (something they associate with), but in a new light (something not associated with
it). This concept not only helps you develop ideas, but it can also help in communicating innovations in a way that
anchors it for the customers, while at the same time gets them thinking in new ways.

The Little Black Book of Innovation: How It Works, How to Do It

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How to improve your associational thinking

1. Questioning
a. Ask probing questions that impose or remove constraints
i. What would happen if it was legal for us to _______?
2. Networking
a. Interact with people with different backgrounds and ways of thinking
3. Observing
a. Watch the world around you for new stimuli
4. Experimenting
a. Consciously complicate your life by trying new things or going new places

When youre coming up with an idea, your goal is really to solve a problem. Make sure you solve problems that
matter to the right people, your customers! Often the hardest thing isnt finding the problem to solve, but understanding the people you want to solve the problem for. You need to view the problem from their perspective and
then tell them why your idea is important to solving their problem.

Your best ideas might be the ones laughed at by most people, but
remember, it doesnt have to matter to everyone, just to the people
that matter.

The first place to get ideas for innovation is with your customers (pretty obvious, right?). The more time you invest
in them, understanding their perspective, and empathizing with them, the better chance youll have for new ideas
that have an impact.

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CREATIVITY

Solving a problem is understanding the people

youre solving the problem for.

Creativity is just connecting things. When you

ask creative people how they did something,
they feel a little guilty because they didnt
really do it, they just saw something. It seemed
obvious to them after a while. Thats because
they were able to connect experiences theyve
had and synthesize new things.
Steve Jobs
There is, however, an antithetical point to make. New ideas come from fresh perspectives to old problems. So,
look for the intersections! Or, stated differently, cross-pollinate prolifically. If you open yourself to a wide variety
of unrelated people, places, objects, and ideas, you will have more things to connect to a potential solution. In
connecting the unexpected, unusual things may result. Even if the solution (product or service) is unusual, it may
find a new niche, or fill a niche when its created.

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And how do you know that this fresh perspective is going to work on the old problem? You dont, until you try! But
that takes us quite a bit further down the innovation road (to implementation). The point here is that good ideas
come from almost anywhere. The key ingredients are to seek out a wide variety of situations, to always have an
open mind, and always try to make connections towards new solutions. This makes any experience in your life a
potential solution to an old or new problem.

Seek Variety / Diversity - Open Your Mind - Make Connections

There are many examples of fresh perspectives leading to great

innovations. Did you know that Ford Motor Companys idea for a
moving assembly line was inspired by the animal disassembly lines
of Chicagos meatpacking operations? This technique significantly
lowered the unit cost of production of the automobile and led to a
manufacturing revolution that would define the 20th century. Fresh
meat led to a fresh perspective in car manufacturing!

Lets explore this concept one more time and create a new mission statement for KSCs Spaceport Innovators.
Lets take TV and movie classic Star Treks mission statement as inspiration. So then,
Our Mission
from Star Trek is

Our Mission
as Spaceport Innovators is

To explore strange new worlds

To explore strange new solutions

To seek out new life and new civilizations

To seek out new ideas and new intersections

To boldly go where no one has gone before!

To boldly try what no one has tried before!

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CREATIVITY

Star Treks mission statement is straight and to the point, but it communicates a lot about what the show was all
about. Try creating a mission statement for yourself and your organization using Star Trek as your starting point.
Its a fun activity and it might help you live long and prosper.
New solutions, or entirely new products or services, sometimes also require a change of reference. Why? Theres
never one right way to do something, and whats right today is most likely not correct tomorrow. Changing your
frame of reference, or re-framing the situation, may be required to solve a problem. Try physically or mentally
changing your point of view, by seeing the world from anothers perspective and by asking questions that begin
with why. Its a skill that can be improved with time.
Lets look at the below picture. This is a great example of a different frame of reference. The boy and the cat are
both physically looking at the same fish bowl, but their point of view is widely different. The boy is fascinated by
the strange creature living and swimming in the bowl; he might also be mesmerized by the green of the plant and
the translucent blue of the rocks. The cat, on the other hand, only sees one thing: food.

A different point of view

In the search for potential solutions, three rounds should be considered.
1. The 1st round of solutions will likely be obvious, knee-jerk solutions.
2. The 2nd round of solutions will be different, but may still be fruit not far from the knee-jerk tree.
3. The 3rd round (or 3rd third) of solutions finally gets you away from the familiar to open new domains of
potentiality.

Allow yourself the time to explore beyond

the initial reactions in problem solving.

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While opening yourself to broad dissociative or unrelated venues is useful to the creative process, it is at least
equally important to pay attention to the problem situation, including the environment in which it is immersed.
We are so used to tuning out seemingly extraneous aspects of our environments, that we may miss potential
avenues for the creative process to follow. We routinely tune out repetitive activities, only see what we expect to
find (recency bias), only look at eye level, and make assumptions. Instead, we should try:

Paying attention to what others ignore

Asking lots of questions
Changing our:
Field of View
Scale of Observation
Eliminating constraints to our approach

Constraints are an interesting concept in the

creative process in that they have the potential
to either enhance or stifle it. Sometimes highly
constrained situations, where there is high pressure, limited time, or limited resources, can provide focus and
stimulate creativity. On the other hand, eliminating constraints (i.e., bringing down walls or opening the senses)
provides the freedom to explore domains previously not considered. This is like re-framing the problem, which,
taken to the extreme, could be considered un-framing the problem.
This is not unlike the creative process taken by the creators of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The movie
chronicles the (very silly) adventures of King Arthur and his knights of the round table. In their search of the fabled
Holy Grail, the knights traveled on horses, or so they would have if budgets werent so tight. The original plan was
to have the knights ride real horses, but the producers of the movie couldnt afford them, so instead they had
the characters mime horse-riding while their porters walked behind them banging coconut shells together. This
budgetary constraint led to one of the most memorable and enduring aspects of the film.

Bridgekeeper: What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

King Arthur: What do you mean? An African or European swallow?
Bridgekeeper: Huh? I I dont know that
**Bridgekeeper immediately gets thrown off the bridge**
Remember, dont make assumptions, ask questions!
(If this movie quote doesnt make sense to you then that means you havent seen the
comedy classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail. So, go on, go see it, well wait here.)
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CREATIVITY

Constraints
Painful
Trade-offs

Severely Limited
Resources

Creative
Problem
Solving

Re-Frame the Problem

Need Horses > Need the Sound of Horses
Less is
More

Minimum Viable
Product

Faster
Customer
Feedback

Problem Constraints & Re-Framing

Remember that constraints can severely limit our resources, forcing us to make painful trade-offs, and develop
more creative solutions. Re-framing has us think that less is more, forcing us to strive for the minimum viable
product, and get feedback faster.
The next theme to consider in enhancing creativity is gamification, which is about rewards. In the short term,
rewards should be for efforts in trying new things, while in the long term, rewards should be for making progress
towards the strategic goals. Two aspects of this reward system are to constantly and instantaneously get feedback and make it engaging, if not fun.
In the example of a hybrid gas-electric vehicle, the dashboards instantaneous mile per gallon (mpg) meter guides
the drivers behavior towards maximizing the average mpg reading. In other words, understanding efforts and
progress help guide people towards the more strategic goals.

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Dashboard of a Hybrid Gas-Electric Vehicle

While its possible for a single person to be creative, a team of people has the potential for exponential growth
in creativity. This potential exists because of the diversity in thinking, experience, and working styles that each
individual brings to the table (see section on Collaboration). It may even be possible to increase your own creativity
but forcing yourself to take on different personas when engaging in the creative process.
When considering your options, once youve seemingly concluded your creative process, start over by thinking
about it from a different perspective, such as that of your customer, looking at it from a distance, or seeing it with
a broader scope. These hats that you wear can enhance the creative process.

The Six Thinking Hats2 technique allows you to look

at a situation from a number of important perspectives.

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CREATIVITY

Six Thinking Hats

Blue Hat - Process

White Hat - Facts

Red Hat - Feelings

Green Hat - Creativity

Yellow Hat - Benefits

Black Hat - Cautions

If Anything Can Go Wrong, Fix It!

Diamandis Law

Believing that there is a solution to your

problem is a critical step in finding one.
Tina Seelig

So, to synopsize these ideas on creativity in a highly constrained manner here is a six-word memoir:

Opening, connecting, constraining creates unusual impacts.

A six-word memoir (very short story) can be a powerful tool

to summarize and inspire conversation around a big idea.

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Learn more about the Six Thinking Hats in the Toolbox

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RESEARCH
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Look anywhere and everywhere for
information on your topic. Internet, print
resources, and observation are all important
resources to use when researching.
Check the credibility of your sources. Using
a simple set of questions (The CRAAP Test)
can help you determine the validity of the
information you have found.
Utilize a library. Librarians can help
with expert search, providing access to
databases, unique collections and more.

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Big Idea:
Research is a process
that requires patience
and thought. There is no
checklist to make certain
you have exhausted
every resource and
found the best research.
Research is more of an
art than a science. There
are steps you must take,
however, to thoughtfully
go through this process.
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RESEARCH
I have a great idea! Now what? A guide to research
There are two widely recognized types of research. Basic or Pure Research is usually done for the researchers
own curiosity with no known application for the results while Applied Research is usually performed with a
known application in mind. The intent of Applied Research could possibly be to improve an existing product or
idea. Serendipitous finds are more likely through Pure Research but they can happen any timeKeep an open
mind.
When performing research it is good practice to look anywhere and everywhere for information. To perform well
rounded, complete research you need to make sure your source information is diverse. Looking only at Internet
resources or only print resources may not give you a complete picture of your topic.
Both types of research begin in essentially the same way by gathering results from previous research on the same
or a similar subject. The lines are blurry but the majority of the research we do here would be considered applied.
It involves using existing technology in a different way or adapting practices or techniques from other locations to
a local need. Some of the problems you run into, when searching specifically for existing practices, are of a legal
nature, often, involving patents, copyrights, or proprietary information. Even if the technique itself isnt secret it
may only be included in the company documentation or standard practices which are generally internal.

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Searching the Internet can provide you

with a wealth of information but trying
to find information specific to your topic
could be difficult if you dont know how
to search effectively. There are many
tips and tricks for refining your Internet
search. By following some of these tips,
you will soon be able to Google like a
Boss.
In addition, Google Scholar allows you
to search scholarly literature across
many disciplines and sources. Advanced
searching allows filtering by author, date
and publication. Using synonyms and related terms will also improve your results.
Expand and narrow your searches by
clicking on related articles, citations and
cited by links adjacent to the results list.
If you would like to see the full text resource, many times you will find a link to
the right of your Google Scholar search
results to full text pdfs provided by academic, government and corporate publishers. There is also the option to search
for other versions and related articles
where full text may be available. If you
are working on your center, you can link
directly to full text resources to which
your Library subscribes. The Library may
also be able to provide full text through
interlibrary loan.
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RESEARCH

But did you know that most search engines are only able to search a small percentage of the entire Internet? The
area that the search engines cant get to is referred to as the Deep or Invisible Web. These sites dont normally
show up on a web search. For instance, when you search in a library catalog, article database, statistical database, etc., the results are generated on the fly in answer to your search. Because the crawler programs cannot
type or think, they cannot enter passwords on a login screen or keywords in a search box. Thus, these databases
must be searched separately. Also, search engine companies exclude some types of pages by policy, to avoid
cluttering their databases with unwanted content. And dont discount Social networking sites. If youre looking for
current trends or topics that are being discussed in the general population, Social networking sites may provide
you with insight that you may not be able to get through traditional sources.

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Errors occurring on novel, high risk designs may

be more acceptable than mistakes during
development of heritage designs. New failures
are more instructive than repeating old failures.
David Oberhettinger, Chief Knowledge Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

A good practice to follow during the research process is to review lessons learned. It is important to learn from
past experiences and improve future responses. NASA has an established tool for capturing its Lessons Learned.
The NASA Engineering Network has a large section on its website devoted to capturing and sharing the positive
and negative outcomes experienced while doing NASA work. There is a searchable Lessons Learned information
System and links to other Lessons Learned, Case Study and Best Practices sites across the NASA Centers. The
KSC Library may be able to provide other Lessons Learned resources to help with your research.
Books, magazines, scientific journals, conference proceedings, or archival materials could also offer a unique
perspective on the topic youre researching. Online indexes could lead you to tools only available on paper or by
special permission. You may learn through archives research about previous methods or lessons learned on a
topic. Scientific journals and conference proceedings could connect you with other researchers who are working
on the same or similar projects. This is also where social networking, both virtual and face-to-face, might come
in, especially if youre looking for best practices or processes which might be proprietary or strictly internal. Look
for blogs, conferences, interest groups, etc. in your area of interestalso programs such as Mendeley which
manage and facilitate research sharing.

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RESEARCH

Observation is another widely practiced form of research. Observation research normally comes in three different
types, Covert, Overt, and Participatory.

Covert observation is when you watch subjects without them knowing. For instance, if you are researching
travel habits you could go to the airport and watch people moving through the process.

Overt research means you observe subjects after you have identified yourself and your research to them.
If youd like to gain information about a process or are trying to come up with process improvements you
could ask a person if they would allow you to watch them perform the task. It is necessary to have buy-in,
or at least agreement, from the person being observed.

Participatory research is a way to learn by doing. Think of learning to ride a bike. You have to actually sit
in the seat and pedal your feet to understand what riding a bike truly feels like.

All three types of observation can be valuable to your research. There are, however, some drawbacks to observational research. Little or no control over the situation the researcher is observing, observer bias, and ethical
concerns can all cloud the results of observational research.
With all the information available online, it is also important to make sure your sources are credible. The CRAAP
Test is a list of questions you can ask yourself as you are searching internet sources.

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Currency- is the information youre looking at timely? Check to see when the
website was published and how often it is updated.

Relevancy- is the information relevant to the topic youre researching? Does

it support your argument? Provide background information on your topic? Have
reliable statistical data, time lines or other information?

Authority- what is the source of the information? Check the suffix of the domain
name. Is the site .edu, .com, .org, .gov? The suffix alone can help you decide
who is providing the information. You can also search to see who owns the site to
determine if that organization is reputable.

Accuracy- is the information reliable or trustworthy? What are the authors

credentials or qualifications? What are the author or organizations biases? You
should always verify information found on a website to other print and/or webbased sources.

Purpose- why does the information exist? What is the intention of the
information? Is it to educate on a topic, hobby, general information, or public
service? Check the page for advertising links; are you being persuaded to buy
something?

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Google can
bring you
back 100,000
answers.
A librarian can
bring you back
the right one.
Neil Gaiman

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RESEARCH

While the internet is a great resource, it cannot replace the skill of a trained librarian. Librarians are trained on
how to perform research and can bring you back more precise results than you may be able to find on your own.
They know the tools and know how to use them.
Using a library can expand the resources you have available to you. Through database subscriptions, access
to controlled documents, and archives resources, you can be sure that you are gathering information from
wide-ranging sources. And through cooperative library networks, librarians can locate materials worldwide using
interlibrary loan. This expands your access to research you wouldnt be able to get on your own.
Sometimes it may be necessary to have a conversation with a librarian about your research needs. This helps
focus their research effort to the appropriate resources that will provide the information you need. The more you
can explain technical acronyms and engineering jargon, the more thorough the research outcome.

The KSC Library has an almost endless collection of databases that

will provide journal articles, books, and documents but on occasion
there is a need to utilize the Interlibrary Loan Service.
Average delivery of PDF copies of articles is within 1-2 days, books are
received 2-3 weeks depending on the location they are shipped from.
Our connections with NASA Libraries, Federal & FLIN Library networks
provide numerous free options to obtain what is needed by our patrons.

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RESEARCH

Additional Resources:

40

KSC Library: 867-3600, KSC-DL-Library@mail.nasa.gov, http://ksclibrary.ksc.nasa.gov

KSC Library Databases: http://ksclibrary.ksc.nasa.gov
ENGnetBASE
AWIN Aviation Week Intelligence Network
Knovel
Science Direct
KSC Library Journals: http://ksclibrary.ksc.nasa.gov/ejournals.htm
Engineering Village Compendex
Wiley Online Library
SpringerLink
AIAA - American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
NFPA All Access
KSC Library Documents: http://ksclibrary.ksc.nasa.gov/docstand.htm
KSC Library Archives: http://ksclibrary.ksc.nasa.gov/archives_electronic.htm
Mendeley free Reference Manager and collaboration tool
http://www.mendeley.com/
Wikipedia comparison of Reference Managers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_reference_management_software
Guide to Google Searching
www.googleguide.com
Tips for Searching Databases
http://www.library.illinois.edu/bix/pdf/genguide/searchtips.pdf
Concise Search Tips:
http://www.crcnetbase.com/search/advanced

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COLLABORATION
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
A team should carefully follow the four stages
of the Breakthrough Thinking Process:
1. Clarify Situation
2. Generate Ideas
3. Develop Solutions
4. Implement Plans
Its important to understand where your teams and
your own preferences lie. Without self-awareness
we are likely to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Hold each other accountable! Talk about the
process and dont rush to completion! Go through
each stage of the process carefully
Create an environment that fosters freedom and
flexibility so employees can grow

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Big Idea:
Innovation is not
something one
does alone, teams
invent great things
together

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COLLABORATION
How do I promote innovation in my team?
Innovation is not something that is done in a vacuum (unless youre in space! or in a Hoover Deluxe); it requires
the involvement of multiple people over long periods of time. This is why having an innovative team is so essential.
Teams invent great things together and so to create the things we need, we must master how to work in teams
and how to make the entire team innovative.

Coming together is
a beginning, staying
together is progress,
and working together
is success.
Henry Ford

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The Breakthrough Thinking Process

In The Innovative Team3, the author introduces an approach that breaks down the innovative process into four
stages he calls the Breakthrough Thinking Process. These four stages can help your team carefully step through
the innovation process and ensure that no stone is left unturned, therefore leading to the best solution.
The four stages are summarized in the below graphic (we will go into more detail in a bit):

Clarify Situation (Clarifiers)

Get the data, identify where the real challenges and opportunities are. Diverge on data collection, then converge on key
data and focus in. Figure out what problem you are trying to
solve.

Generate Ideas (Ideators)

Stretch for as many ideas as you can (diverge) then narrow
down to a few choice ones (converge). Dont dismiss ideas
too early, consider what makes them unique.

Develop Solutions (Developers)

No idea is perfect out of the gate. Really examine it, look at
all the factors that may or may not work. Think about how to
make the idea from good to great (divergent phase). The convergent phase is about deciding how to strengthen the idea.

Implement Plans (Implementers)

Identify all the ways to overcome resistance, gain support,
and put your plan into action (divergent phase). The convergent phase is deciding which steps must come first, second,
and so on. Then you decide who does what, get started, and
see if the solution works.

The Innovative Team: Unleashing Creative Potential for Breakthrough Results

*Model: Nielsen & Thurber 2010, based on Puccio & Miller 2003.
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COLLABORATION

When youre starting a new project, one of the

first things youll do is develop a project plan with
key milestones. Try to use the Breakthrough
Thinking Process as your general outline and
then fit your milestones in each stage. Do you
have a milestone in each stage? Why or why not?
Team Thinking Preferences
It is very important to understand where your team members thinking preferences lie within the breakthrough
thinking process stages. Think about how each person on your team would behave in each stage. Do you think
they would strive or would they struggle? Some people are great at collecting data, but may struggle when it
comes to generating ideas. Others may have a strong preference for implementation but may become frustrated
with the slow process of polishing a solution.

Take the time to understand your teams

preferences! You dont have to guess, its ok to
ask them directly what areas they prefer to work
in. This is a very important step because it allows
you to maximize each individuals contribution to
the team (it also leads to a happier team).

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There is no right preference; the key is in understanding where these preferences lie so that you can get the best
out of each person. Also, make sure you understand your own preferences, so you can manage yourself well
during the process.

When we polled a Spaceport Innovators audience where their

preferences lie, 62% said Generate Ideas. The next most popular
response was Clarify Situation.

The Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) is another

thinking preference measurement that has been used at KSC.
Contact your Organizational Development (OD) Specialist for more
information about HBDI. Find out who your OD is:
http://ba.ksc.nasa.gov/orgdev.htm

Diverge then Converge

Before we define each piece of the Breakthrough Thinking Process its important to identify a pattern you will find
in each stage. This pattern is the diverging and converging process.

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COLLABORATION

DIVERGE
CREATE
CHOICES

CONVERGE
MAKE
CHOICES

Within each stage your team will begin by first thinking as widely as possible, or diverging. The diverging step is
one in which you dont throw anything away you collect as much as possible.

Divergent Tools Quick Reference

www.creativeproblemsolving.com/tools/diverge_quickref.pdf

In the next step of each phase, your team will begin narrowing down the focus, or converging. The converging
step is one in which you start to select the concepts that are most relevant and best for the stage you are in.

Convergent Tools Quick Reference

www.creativeproblemsolving.com/tools/converge_quickref.pdf

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So, the overall Diverge-Converge Pattern in Breakthrough Thinking is:

Clarify
Situation
DIVERGE
CREATE
CHOICES

Generate
Ideas
CONVERGE

MAKE
CHOICES

DIVERGE
CREATE
CHOICES

CONVERGE

Develop
Solutions
DIVERGE

MAKE
CHOICES

CREATE
CHOICES

CONVERGE
MAKE
CHOICES

Implement
Plan
DIVERGE
CREATE
CHOICES

CONVERGE
MAKE
CHOICES

Now that we have a basic understanding of each stage, the importance of team preferences, and the need to
diverge then converge, lets look at each stage more closely.

Clarify Situation
During this stage the team should explore the situation at hand by asking questions and gathering enough data
to steep the team in a deep understanding of the situation. The diagnosis made at this step determines the focus
for the remainder of the process so it is very important to dedicate the appropriate time to get it right.
The style preference for this stage is the Clarifier:

Clarifiers

are
focused, methodical, orderly, deliberate, serious, organized; may analyze to
the extreme and not move forward

need
order, the facts, an understanding of history, access to information, permission to ask questions

annoy others by
asking too many questions, pointing out obstacles, identifying areas that havent been well thought out, overloading people with information, being too
realistic
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COLLABORATION

Diverge: Challenge yourself to think of new and intriguing data that is relevant to the issue. It is also important
to identify any unexplored causes of the issue. Keep your research broad in order to make sure that as much as
possible is covered.

The KSC Library can be very helpful in maximizing the data

you collect during the diverging step.
For more info visit: http://ksclibrary.ksc.nasa.gov
email: KSC-DL-Library@mail.nasa.gov, or call: 321-867-3600

Converge: When it is time to converge, the team must look at the data they collected and select the data that is
most relevant and most essential for an understanding of the challenge at hand. At the end of this process the
team should aim to have one or two open-ended questions on which to focus their efforts.
Remember to recognize your team members strengths and weaknesses when clarifying the situation!

Clarifiers focus on the task at hand; they like to ask questions

Ideators may lack patience to work through the data
Developers may rush into problem solving too quickly
Implementers may rush to action planning too quickly

Make sure the team is focused on accomplishing the work required at this stage.

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Some tools to use to accomplish the goals of the Clarify Situation stage:
Mind Mapping4
Identify relationships with any assortment of information
Get a big picture understanding
Challenge Questions
Produce the opportunity for great solutions by transforming
potential barriers into open-ended questions that invite solutions
How to
How might
What might
In what ways might

Mind Mapping tools are listed in the Toolbox

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COLLABORATION

Generate Ideas
This is the stage where the Eureka! moment occurs and it is the stage that is most closely identified with innovation (although it is only one piece of the process). This is the point where the breakthrough needed to resolve
the problem will first appear.
The style preference for this stage is the Ideator:

Ideators

are
playful, imaginative, social, adaptable, flexible, adventurous, independent;
may overlook the details

need
room to be playful, constant stimulation, variety and change, the big picture

annoy others by
drawing attention to themselves, being impatient when others dont get their
ideas, offering ideas that are too off-the-wall, being too abstract, not sticking
to one idea
Diverge: Come up with answers to the challenge questions developed in the last stage. The team must work to
make sure that the team generates as many ideas as possible. While diverging there is no such thing as a bad
idea, any idea is good at this point.
Converge: narrow down which ideas are worth pursuing. The more ideas that were developed during the diverging step the better set of choices the team has to converge onto. It can be helpful to group all the like ideas
together and start to identify themes to the solutions the team came up with.

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Did you know that KSC has trained facilitators that can help
you with your brainstorming sessions? Contact your Human
Resources (BA) Organizational Development (OD) Specialist for
help. Find out who your OD is: http://ba.ksc.nasa.gov/orgdev.htm

Remember to recognize your team members strengths and weaknesses when generating ideas!

Ideators enjoy toying with new ideas and possibilities

Clarifiers may slow-down idea generation
Developers may become fixed on details of one idea
Implementers want to move on with a few good ideas

Make sure the team is focused on accomplishing the work required at this stage.

Some tools to use to accomplish the goals of the Generate Ideas stage:
Use a Facilitator
- This person can help keep the team on task by reinforcing the
brainstorming guidelines
Use Brainstorming 5 Guidelines (during the diverge step)
- Defer judgment
- Get as many ideas as you can
- Allow for novel thinking
- Look for combinations
Use Idea Selection Guidelines (during the converge step)
- Be appreciative
Be deliberate
Remind yourselves of the goal
Consider novelty

Brainstorming techniques are listed in the Toolbox

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COLLABORATION

Develop Solutions
In the previous stage, you developed a ton of ideas and ended up with a few that are worth pursuing. Now its time
to transform those novel ideas into workable solutions. Make sure to measure the effects of your ideas, identify
errors, tinker with improvements, and make sure to test, test, test! During this stage your team should also make
sure to involve others outside the team and start to build buy-in and diversity of thought. An outside perspective
is very important so make sure you seek it!
The style preference for this stage is the Developer:

Develops

are
reflective, careful, pragmatic, planful, patient, dedicated, discerning; may get
stuck in developing the perfect solution

need
a chance to consider and evaluate the options, time to craft and develop ideas
into useful solutions

annoy others by
being too nit-picky, finding flaws in others ideas, getting locked into one
approach
Diverge: Think about how to take the idea from good to great. Identify areas for improvement in your idea and
find and test multiple ways to improve those areas.
Converge: Decide how to strengthen the idea. When it comes time to converge, the team should pick what
improvements the team came up with that would best strengthen the idea.

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Looking for an outside perspective? The first place to find one is in your
customers and stakeholders. Get them involved early, there is no better
way to gain buy-in from your customer than to involve them in the
actual development process. Also, dont forget your colleagues sitting
in the area near you. Ask them if theyd like to provide some thoughts
on what your team has developed. They might not have your customers
perspective in mind, but they provide a completely fresh perspective
that is extremely valuable.
Remember to recognize your team members strengths and weaknesses when developing solutions.

Developers will try to perfect an idea

Clarifiers may continually want to validate an idea
Ideators may want to come up with more ideas
Implementers may want to rush to the end

Make sure the team is focused on accomplishing the work required at this stage.

Some tools to use to accomplish the goals of the

Develop Solutions stage:
POINt6
Break down your solutions into Pluses, Opportunities, Issues,
and New thinking (P.O.I.Nt.)
This tool allows the team to phrase concerns (threats) into
questions that invite responses that may transform a good idea
into a great solution - How might
Alternative to the more commonly used SWOT (strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats)
This tool can be used to capture lessons learned, conduct
performance reviews, and to build a business case for a concept
6Learn

more about POINt in the Innovation Toolbox

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COLLABORATION

Implement Plans
The last stage in the Breakthrough Thinking Process is the implement plans stage. It is at this point that project
plans are created and completed. Its important to remember that when planning you should plan for the best, but
also prepare for the worst. In your plan you should build steps that anticipate resistance to change.

When this stage was discussed at a Spaceport Innovators meeting,

audience members commented that in their experience this is
usually the very first step most projects here take. Is this true in your
experience? Why do you think that is? At the meeting it was brought up
that the reason this occurs is because in our culture there is no reward
for the previous three steps, so people just want to go ahead and plan.
How can this be overcome?
The style preference for this stage is the Implementer:

Implementers

are
persistent, decisive, determined, assertive, action-oriented; may leap into action too quickly

need
the sense that others are moving just as quickly, timely responses to their
ideas, control

annoy others by
being too pushy, readily expressing their frustration when others do not move
as quickly, overselling their ideas
Diverge: Identify all the ways to overcome resistance, gain support, and put your plan into action. The team
should ask basic questions about who, what, where, when, and why.
Converge: Decide which steps must come first, second, and so on.

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Remember to recognize your team members strengths and weaknesses when implementing plans.

Implementers will be persistent, decisive, and assertive - maybe even pushy

Clarifiers may procrastinate taking action
Ideators may not express interest in executing
Developers may be hesitant to commit to the plan

Make sure the team is focused on accomplishing the work required at this stage.

Some tools to use to accomplish the goals of the Develop

Solutions stage:
Assisters-Resisters7
Assisters - What might help get this done?
Resisters - What are the potential roadblocks?
Re-write each as open-ended questions of whom answers
then become action steps in the plan

7Learn

more about Assisters-Resisters in the Innovation Toolbox

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Big Idea:
Potential of any
team is defined by
the collective input
of its members.
Potential means
havent done
SQUAT yet, so
start taking action
together
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COLLABORATION

The Bottom Line

In todays world, it takes a team to get work done. The potential of any team is defined by the collective input of
its members. It is essential that each member brings out their best. If youre a team leader, you must first resolve
(and not ignore) any of the core dysfunctional issues in your team. The team needs to build commitment toward
its shared goal in order to be successful.
The Breakthrough Thinking Process as identified in the Innovative Team helps provide teams a framework for
innovation that puts names on the stages of innovation that we do naturally. If the steps in the process sound like
common sense, thats because they are. The key is to make sure that we follow each stage carefully. Not every
stage will match your preferences or the preferences of everyone on your team, but we have to remember that
building an innovative team is a little like planting a garden. It requires patience and care for it to flourish. If you
or your team rushes to completion, you will end up squashing innovation.
Make sure everyone on the team understands the creative process, what stage the team is in, and where each
members strengths and preferences lie.

Team members must be empowered and enabled to understand

their patterns of thinking, so they can manage themselves more
deliberately toward accomplishing a goal.
This all requires strong facilitation, and if you are the team lead,
then that is your job!

Talking about the process is healthy for a team and it is a way of holding each other accountable, which can be
uncomfortable. But it is essential! Self-awareness is key; without it we are likely to repeat the same mistakes of
the past.

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CULTURE
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Roll up your sleeves and do work
Avoid analysis paralysis
Dont over-analyze!
Reward behaviors, not results. Allow
each other to fail forward
Failure is an option! Turn your
failures into opportunities,
instead of reasons to quit
Everything we do in life is an
experiment; try an initial idea, then
measure it to validate the effect
Strive to experiment every day

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Big Idea:
Innovation is not
just something you
think about, its
something you do

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CULTURE
How do I make my organization and KSC more innovative?
Innovation is not simply a one-time project or something you just think about. It is a learned process that
requires a shift in thinking, a disciplined approach, and leadership that allows the team to try new things. Its
something you just do. No matter where you sit, or what your job function is, you have the ability to influence your
organization (and our Center) towards a more innovative culture simply by what you say and do, and how you act.
You need to continually pay more attention to all three of those things to ensure youre contributing to an open
and innovative culture and not preventing it.
As public servants, we actually have a responsibility to continuously improve the ways we deliver our services to
the American people. At NASA, our budget is going to remain flat for the next 5 years (and maybe beyond). That
means, in order to accomplish our mission and vision, we have to find innovative ways to cut costs and/or improve
efficiencies by being creative and innovative.
Even though we are a government agency with an over fifty year history (with a bureaucracy weve built up during
that time), it does not mean we cant at least behave like a startup! At its heart, a startup is a catalyst that transforms ideas into a product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty.
At NASA, most of the work we do can fit this definition. We must understand that entrepreneurship is management (though not all forms of management are entrepreneurship) and so it is something we can all do.

Its not who I am

underneath, its what I
do that defines me.
Batman from Batman Begins

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Big Idea:
Set the foundation
to support success

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CULTURE

Many people starting something new are intimated by the question

Is this the best idea I have? Of course a good idea is a great start,
but the success of most ventures actually lies in the execution
phase, not in the idea. Id take a decent idea and superb execution
over a great idea with sub-par execution any day of the week.
- Blake Mycoskie, Chief Shoe Giver at TOMS

Need some help to muster some courage or insights to be more

creative or innovative? Get an advisor or mentor! At KSC, employees
at all levels can turn to NASA Connect to find people with the skills/
behaviors/attitudes theyre looking to develop. That includes creativity
and innovation! Create your own KSC success story by reaching out
to someone today to just have a conversation. Use the search box to
find people willing to share the skills/behaviors youre interested in
developing. Access the tool here: https://hrapps.ksc.nasa.gov/mentor/
*Stick with Chrome or Mozilla. Avoid Internet Explorer.

Startup success can be learned, taught or engineered by following the right process. Its not something that just
happens naturally or as a result of having the right people, stuff, or resources. Even the most well-funded startups in the Silicon Valley fail...over and over again. This is a very important point that illustrates how funding is
not always the answer. Good news for us at NASA. So, lets not forget a lack of resources is no reason to avoid
starting something new. Imagination definitely trumps money!

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Big Idea:
Face your
fears!

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CULTURE

Spend some time reflecting on what exactly your objective is and identify who your target is. Whose mind are you
trying to change? Is your innovation target a customer? A supervisor? A group of people? An organization? Whoever it is, thats whose definition of innovation matters most. Will they view your efforts as something different
that creates impact? Designing your pitch to attract your targets attention and interest is pivotal. Clearly identify
the problem you are trying to solve. Thats key to asking the right questions and telling the right story.
When people start something new, they often become so scared of making mistakes that they come up with
Analysis Paralysis. This is all too common across large organizations, both in the Federal and Private sectors.
When we become so fixated on an idea that every decision matters, we tend to obsess over potential scenarios
and ultimately do nothing. This often stems from fear.

Change your thoughts

and change your world.
- Norman Vincent Peale
Fear is actually much more common that most people realize. Thats because we live in a society where fear isnt
something we talk about, yet it stays with us throughout our lives. Some common fears employees have at our
center are:

fear of losing funding for projects

fear of what people might think
fear of losing our jobs
fear of being reprimanded for trying new things

Surely, we could go on and on with the different kinds of fear that we all battle.
Since we have to live with fear, we should learn to face it, and the first step is understanding exactly what fear is.
It happens when we feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible situation or event - in other words, something
that hasnt happened yet. It is our brains way of telling us to pay attention and alert us to potential danger and
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risks. It causes us to make up stories in our head. Fear also gives us a hormonal jolt (adrenaline) that helps us to
deal with urgent situations-AKA the fight or flight response designed to launch us into action. A healthy amount
keeps us safe. But instead of responding to fear with action, its easy to stop acting all together when we feel
fear. It may cause us to feel overwhelmed and then retreat or, worse, give up. This is often an excuse to not start
or try something new. Of course, there is a huge difference between the fear we feel at the idea of putting our
head inside a live alligators mouth.and the fear of tackling an intelligent business project... Dont ignore fear,
but also dont let it paralyze you!
So, instead of getting caught up in endless details or in wanting to perfect things, or worrying about what could
happen, just pick a solution and try it out. See what happens. The world wont end and the worst thing that could
happen is that you learn from the mistake and keep moving forward. A few mistakes will seldom sink the entire
ship.

Failed experiments are incredibly valuable as

they close off paths that are not viable.
- Eric Ries

Often times, it can be as easy as changing your attitude. Try it and see what happens. Realize that opportunities
exist all around you.

Opportunity is missed by most people because

it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
- Thomas Edison

If youre waiting for an invitation to be innovative, here it is! Stop waiting for the perfect time because, quite
simply, itll never come. Well always be busy and well never have the budget we want. So, might as well
take a moment to pause and think about how to do things differently knowing that the best ideas are born from
uncertainty. In the dynamic environment that we work and live in, there is always a lot of uncertainty, and thus
there are always opportunities to influence positive change. Embrace them!

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Big Idea:
The only
right time
is right now!
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Learning is
the essential
unit of
progress for
startups.
Eric Ries

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Big Idea:
The Minimum
Viable Product

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CULTURE

One of the key ideas from Eric Ries book The Lean Startup is that the core of everything we do is a science
experiment. We validate learning by trying out an initial idea and then measuring it to validate the effect. What
we learn can then help us to further develop our product and build something our customer actually wants and
not what we think they want. This, of course, involves some failures along the way, but if you cannot fail then you
cannot learn. Turn your failures into opportunities instead of reasons to quit. Failure is an option!

Minimum Viable Product8

At the heart of validated learning is the minimum viable
product (MVP). Instead of developing a very complex idea
based on what you think the customer wants, build the MVP
that is made up of only the very basics of the idea.

Learn more about the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in the Toolbox
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Big Idea:
The Environment
Matters

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CULTURE

Just as plants need nourishment and room for their roots to grow, individuals/organizations also need nourishment and opportunities for growth. Taking away even one of the basic nutrients of innovation can inhibit innovation from thriving, such as:

The empowerment to take chances and innovate

Working in an accepting environment without fear of failure or retribution
Being able to work from a minimum viable product and iterate towards success

Innovation needs to be supported, for it to grow.

One important but often forgotten innovation nutrient is your physical surroundings. Innovation needs an environment that fosters collaboration and growth. There is no one solution for these needs. There are three environment types that are needed for people to succeed:
Personal Space

Mixed Use Space

Open Space

1. Personal Space: Quiet/remote location that enables employees to be in their own thoughts and away from
distractions. If youre an introvert, you cant survive without this kind of space available to you.
2. Mixed Use Space: Space that provides designated or assigned individual areas but enables quick access
to others for conversation and problem solving (normal cubicle environment). Were willing to bet you are
VERY familiar with this environment.
3. Open Space: Open concept where employees can move freely, write on walls, connect and share ideas
easily. This is the hardest type of space to find when square footage is limited, but it is just as necessary as
the other spaces!

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CULTURE

When the Pixar headquarters building was being designed, Steve

Jobs made it a requirement that there be a space that promoted
encounters and unplanned collaborations. He wanted a place
where people from different departments and disciplines could
collide. The result was a giant atrium in the center of the campus
that housed reception, employee mailboxes, cafe, foosball, fitness
center, two 40-seat viewing rooms, and a large theater. Did it work?
Look up Pixars output since the buildings completion in 2000.

Providing options for employee to be in their ideal environment at each moment or each phase of a project is
critical to providing them the most energy towards solving problems and finding innovative solutions.

KSC has several innovation spaces that may work as an ideal

environment for building a culture of innovation. Consider
scheduling your next meeting at one of these locations!

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Cyber Cafe (HQ)

Swamp Works Innovation Loft
O&C Conference Room 2747 - whiteboard walls

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In 2011 an Agency Barriers to Innovation (B2I) team was tasked with

identifying and defining common barriers to innovation at NASA and
recommend solutions.
You can review the KSC survey results on the topic here:
https://sp.ksc.nasa.gov/sites/spaceportinnovators/Shared%20
Documents/2013-07-31%20Meeting%20-%20Barriers%20to%20
Innovation%20-%20Billy%20McMillan/Preliminary%20Survey%20
Results%20(2).pdf
You can read the full whitepaper at:
https://tdcomm.ksc.nasa.gov/servlet/dm.web.Fetch/2-12-13_FINAL_
B2I_Whitepaper.pdf?gid=456997&FixForIE=2-12-13_FINAL_B2I_
Whitepaper.pdf

Ways to Develop and Support an Innovative Culture

A critical key to establishing an innovative organizational culture is the encouragement of employees to develop
and pursue new ideas. This is necessary in order to avoid a climate where the norm is to trample on creativity
and cause employees to give up on being innovative.

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CULTURE
Its easy to say, Innovation is a part of everyones job, but saying this is not enough to change a culture where
encouragement of innovation hasnt traditionally existed. Here are some ways to implement a creative mindset:

Modify performance plans to state that promoting innovation is a part of their job. If innovation isnt something theyre being evaluated on, it might never be seen as a priority to them.

You get what you measure, so keep track of how many innovative ideas each supervisors employees
come up with and support, and how many creative ideas have a meaningful impact. There is no need to establish metric goals, as the true goal is to increase the degree of innovation awareness and supportiveness.

Freely give no value awards, such as Proctor and Gambles use of wooden nickels to recognize noteworthy contributions and effort. It isnt the value of the award that matters, its the recognition.

Constantly remind one another of the future were seeking to achieve, and that a flood of innovative
ideas is needed to get there.

Avoid negatively responding to someones idea by saying, That wont work or We already tried that
or just plain No. Instead of quickly shooting the idea down, be curious instead. Ask questions of the idea
originator and others as a way of exploring the idea further. You never know where it might lead.

Allow the status quo to be challenged. Just because its always been done a certain way, it doesnt mean
its the best way. Routinely ask the question: Is there a better way to do this?

Share your innovation success stories with others. Hopefully youve had experiences where your managers were fully supportive of your creative thoughts and good things happened. Or it could be that there were
times when your ideas were attacked or dismissed, but you persevered until someone listened. And maybe,
someone who once dismissed your idea later received credit and praise for suggesting your idea. Thats still
a success, for it doesnt truly matter how the idea got implemented or who received the credit only that it
made a positive impact.

NASA has released a new Culture Strategy for the Agency that outlines
three primary focus areas that have a large impact on instilling innovation
within the work environment: https://hrapps.ksc.nasa.gov/mentor/files/
NASACultureStrategy.pdf

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COMMUNICATION
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
People remember facts when
combined with story.
Stories are the oldest form of
knowledge capture and collaboration.
Get to the essence and then leave
them wanting more.
Share up front that your story is
different to capture attention.

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COMMUNICATION
Now that I have a great idea, how can I convince others?
Have you ever had an idea that you thought was really good but other people didnt? If you have, you arent alone.
Why did others not like your idea?

We asked this question at a Spaceport Innovators meeting.

Here are some of the reasons people came up:

Audience did not understand the concept or have the same

perspective
Idea was ad hoc and not fully formed
Price tag was higher than management was willing to
support
They didnt have to
Because of KSCs political culture
Different past experiences
Didnt articulate the idea effectively
Most people cant see past the short term problems
Startup costs
Different backgrounds, interests, and priorities
Too unrealistic
Not enough funding

Sound familiar?

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Big Idea:
Passion is at the
heart of every idea
that matters

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COMMUNICATION

Do you believe that your idea matters? The answer is more than likely yes, otherwise you probably wouldnt be
reading this guide! Its very likely you are also very passionate about your idea, and thats very important because
passion is at the heart of every idea that matters. It is the most compelling and irresistible emotion there is. Use
that to your advantage! Communicate your passion to your audience and let them care as much as you do.
A speakers enthusiasm is contagious. If the speaker is nervous, the audience gets nervous. If the speaker is
jazzed, the audience gets jazzed. Thats why Steve Jobs presentations were fun to watch.

At NASA, because of who we are, we tend to communicate in the language of logic, but the truth is that, even
here, logic will only get you so far. Emotion is what is most important to everyone (including that weird engineer
in that cubicle over there), so aim for your audiences heart. To communicate your idea effectively, you need to
go beyond the what and focus on the why. And please, dont dilute your message for the naysayers. Focus on
convincing those who share an interest and make it great for them.

It takes two to speak the truth

one to speak, and another to hear.
Henry David Thoreau

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Big Idea:
No emotion =
No logic

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COMMUNICATION

True story: A highly intellectual/competent engineer developed a rare tumor on his frontal cortex (front part of the
brain that controls emotions). The surgery was considered successful because he maintained his IQ while losing
his ability for any and all emotional responses. This might seem like a perfect world for logic hungry thinkers
because decisions could now be made solely based on logic and no emotional ties. However, he was failing at his
job and struggling to get by in life. Why? Because the absence of emotion prevents you from weighing/comparing
situations. Simple daily tasks (going to the bathroom, completing a work assignment, brushing your teeth) are all
ranked evenly in the brain, thus making it almost impossible to make a decision.
So, when communicating direct your attention and purpose to the listeners emotions. In order to influence, you
must connect with feelings and beliefs within their core. Once you do this, you will enable them to effectively give
value to your topic and promote a decision/action to be made.

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Big Idea:
Solve
Problems
Dont Ramble
Facts
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COMMUNICATION

If someone asked you to sell them a pen, what would be your strategy? Most people would start rambling off
cool features and trivial data points that dont really provoke anyone to actually buying the pen. To sell an idea,
concept, service or product you must solve a problem or provide value to the potential buyer. Potential buyers
dont care about how futuristic your pen looks if its not solving a problem first and foremost. Remember, all they
need/want to do is write... they could do that with a feather and ink.
Now, sell me this pen! Take a look at these two examples. Notice how they are different.

What Not To Do: Well, its blue, with a state of the art ballpoint point and cushion grip. Who cares! If there
is anything worth me capturing, I will use a computer, tablet, or phone, and in the case I would die if I didnt
physically write it on paper, then I can get a pack of 50 for 75 cents. No one needs all those features to do
something that only takes a miniscule movement in their life.

What To Do: Write your name on this paper, Whats that? You cant because you dont have one? 75 cents
and you can have this one to solve your problem. Find the need/problem (I need to write something on
paper) and solve it. If the buyer brings up more problems (i.e., But I have arthritis in my fingers), then show
them how the new grip will alleviate the pain caused by writing.

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Big Idea:
Storys Rule
and Facts
Drool

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COMMUNICATION

Human beings are more likely to remember a story rather than a bunch of unrelated facts (it doesnt matter
how true they are). Thats because stories turn facts into real life/tangible visions that our brains treat
as real life experiences. Stories have a beginning, middle and end. No matter how much time you have
(1 minute, 30 minutes, 1 hour), you can tell your story. But first, you must capture your audiences attention:
Neuroscience Fact: Our brains are wired to notice change/differences in our environment in order to survive.
From the primitive days, we understood blue skies, green grass, and shrubs were safe. However, when something
would change in the environment (example: clouds, lightning, shaking bushes), internal radar goes off and we
direct our attention to the change in the environment so we can focus/understand what it means. If Mr. Caveman
is walking in the green grass one day and notices that the still bushes have now begun to shake quickly and loudly
(change in the environment), all the attention must be directed towards the shaking bush so Mr. Caveman can
understand what is causing the commotion and should he be concerned for his survival.
So, begin your story or presentation with some type of shaking bush that directs the audiences attention from
their cell phones, daydreams and laptops to your project, proposal, task, or perspective. Note that you can create
these shaking bushes verbally and nonverbally.
Shaking bush example/story: The setting was a conference dinner where leaders throughout the agency have
just been served their meals as they awaited the introduction of the guest speaker for the evening (a retired
Marine Colonel). The facilitator introduced the guest speaker as the Colonel took the stage where the Shaking
Bush occurred. Usually when people take the stage in front of a room full of people they capture the audiences
attention with a joke, well the Colonel just stood there staring at the audience as the dinner chatter and clinking
of forks on plates filled the room. The colonel said nothing, just continued to sternly stare at every single person
until eventually everyone was silenced. Once the room was completely silence the Colonel said I ate many cold
meals fighting for this countrys freedom and I ask that you do the same for just this one night.

Shaking bush = not saying a word when the audience is accustomed to hearing something within the first 3
seconds of an introduction and the story of serving for the country diverting their attention from their plates
to the speaker. Sometimes silence can be powerful.

When you tell your story, remember to not overwhelm your audience with
jargon and details. Get to the essence first, and have them want more!
BLUF: Bottom line up front!
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Big Idea:
K.I.S.S.
Prep for the
Elevator

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COMMUNICATION

Keep It Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S): You want to capitalize on having your audiences full attention (given you used
the shaking bush method) and the way you do that is by not losing their attention. You dont want to lose them
in a long winded 17th century script that sounds like someone spent many a day writing with ink and feather
while in a dim candle lit room. Newspapers are written in a third grade reading level so in order to appeal to the
masses think Sesame Street and present using easy and clear words. If you have an idea, concept or proposal,
the methods below are guaranteed to capture the moment and keep your audience engaged:

Presentation: For formal meetings (4 pages max, 30pt font minimum)

1 pager: Key points you want audience to leave with (Main bullets from presentation )
1 paragraph: For emails (3 sentences summarizing your proposal)
30 second pitch: Elevator/small talk opportunities (simple, to the point, solve a problem).
One liner: Grab attention and paint a picture (use metaphors, emotions, like items)

Great one liner story: Some Hollywood scripts die on arrival. You need to grab the attention of producers, directors, and financial backers quickly and in a way they all understand. The movie Speed (starring Keanu Reeves)
was pitched with a one-liner approach by saying Its Die Hard on a bus. All stakeholders understood, jumped on
board and made the blockbuster movie happen. So, find a way to take the data overloaded white papers, 5 point
font presentations, and long winded emails to create a quick, impactful one-liner punchline that excites people
about your topic.

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COMMUNICATION

Follow these nine Elements to put together the Perfect Pitch

1. Preparation - plan and put effort in before hand
2. Emotion - A pitch is less about logic and more about

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

90

emotions. You must make people care before you can

persuade them to believe.
Story and substance - delivery is important, but falls flat
without a great story
Passion - communicate a genuine passion
A problem - understand the problem: clearly identify the
problem and annunciate it
An answer - now that youve shown you understand the
problem, show them your valuable solution
Simplicity - dont overload with information, concentrate
on what matters
Confidence - you must believe in yourself before you can
expect others to believe in you
Practice - part science, theater, and art. learn through
practice

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Big Idea:
Your best
marketing tool
is excellent
work
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COMMUNICATION

One of the best ways to sell a future idea is by doing excellent work today. The purpose of every interaction should
not be to sell your next great idea, but instead to foster the next interaction with that person and build a trusting
relationship.
When you do work for a customer you should aim to stay connected with them. Keep them up-to-date; always
ask them if they are happy and if their wants and needs are being fulfilled by your work. Your customer should
feel as though they are part of the family, dont make them feel like an outsider who is just a source of funding.
And when things fail (which inevitably happens), try to find ways to bring value to your customer. In the end, your
goal should be to make your customers your biggest fans.
When communicating your idea, you need to understand the base of your business. As the person who knows
the most about your idea, you tend to forget about the basics because you moved beyond that a long time ago.
Unfortunately, for your audience, this is all new to them. You need to present a value proposition to your customers; you cant assume your audience gets it. Think about what your product/idea is really about. What are
you really providing your customers? You must understand this first, and then your job is to help your customer
understand it as well. Stand in your customers shoes and try to understand how you can improve their lives.
Remember to focus on the foundation!

KSC has a Toastmasters group that can help you

with building a foundation in public speaking
http://ksc.toastmastersclubs.org/

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Big Idea:
Focus on the
foundation

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SPECIAL THANKS
The iGuide team would like to thank KSC Chief Technologist, Karen Thompson, and the Research and Technology
Management Board for their support and funding for this effort through Innovation Expo KickStart 2013. It was
a small investment, but we believe it will pay major dividends in the future. We would also like to thank Tricia
Miller, Debbie Guelzow, Cassy Adams, Beverly Bush, Elaine Liston, and Lori Uffner of the KSC Library who wrote
the awesome Research section in this Guide. Tony Walters also deserves special recognition for editing the guide
and providing a valuable independent set of eyes. Amy Lombardo and Greg Lee of KSCs Graphics Department
turned our ugly Word document into the beautiful document you now have in your hands, we bow down before
their skills. We would also like to thank those members of Spaceport Innovators who participated in our book
discussions and reviewed early versions of this guide. It is only with your support and participation that this iGuide
is possible.

REFERENCES

Make Your Idea Matter by Bernadette Jiwa

The Innovative Team by Chris Grivas & Gerard J. Puccio

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

inGenius by Tina Seelig

The Little Black Book of Innovation by Scott D. Anthony

Valve Handbook for New Employees

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AUTHORS
Does it feel like this guide was written by six very different people? Well, thats because it was. Six members of
Spaceport Innovators first came together in September of 2013 to do the research, lead discussions, and write
the guide you see before you. Our small team was made up of people from different backgrounds but we had a
common passion for making KSC a better place. We hope this guide is useful to you and if you have any suggestions for future versions please let us know!
Brad Hill - GSDO Systems Engineering and Integration
Josh Manning - GSDO Systems Engineering and Integration
Billy McMillan - LSP Program Business Office
David J. Miranda - IT Computational Sciences
Martin J. Steele - IT Computational Sciences
Margaret Truitt - KSC Human Resources

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INNOVATION TOOLBOX
The Innovation Toolbox is a collection of tools and resources to assist innovators with applying the lessons in this
guide. Each page is dedicated to a specific tool, method, or technique to enhance creativity, collaboration, and
communication.

Six Thinking Hats

A structured approach to creative thinking. - Edward De Bono
This tool enables you to look at decisions from a number of important perspectives, in sequence. Each hat
represents a clear function and role. By mentally wearing and switching hats, you can easily focus or redirect
thoughts, the conversation, or the meeting.
The White Hat calls for information known or needed. The facts, just the facts.

The Yellow Hat symbolizes brightness and optimism. Under this hat you explore the positives
and probe for value and benefit.
The Black Hat is judgment - the devils advocate or why something may not work. Spot the
difficulties and dangers; where things might go wrong. Probably the most powerful and
useful of the Hats but a problem if overused.
The Red Hat signifies feelings, hunches and intuition. When using this hat you can express
emotions and feelings and share fears, likes, dislikes, loves, and hates.
The Green Hat focuses on creativity; the possibilities, alternatives, and new ideas. Its an
opportunity to express new concepts and new perceptions.
The Blue Hat is used to manage the thinking process. Its the control mechanism that
ensures the guidelines are observed.
Glenn Research Center uses the Six Thinking Hats tool to breakout of traditional thinking pathways. This method
has demonstrated an effective way to generate new and creative problem solving ideas.

The de Bono Group website has more information about the Six Thinking
Hats tool: http://www.debonogroup.com/six_thinking_hats.php
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Mind Mapping
Mind mapping is a great way to brainstorm, make a plan, or turn ideas into the steps needed to make it real. It is
an easy to visually organize information.

Guidelines
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Start in the center with an image of the topic, using at least 3 colors.
Use images, symbols, codes, and dimensions throughout your mind map.
Select key words and print using upper or lower case letters.
Each word/image is best alone and sitting on its own line.
The lines should be connected, starting from the central image. The lines become thinner as they radiate
out from the center.
Make the lines the same length as the word/image they support.
Use multiple colors throughout the mind map, for visual stimulation and also for encoding or grouping.
Develop your own personal style of mind mapping.
Use emphasis and show associations in your mind map.
Keep the mind map clear by using radial hierarchy or outlines to embrace your branches.

XMind - http://www.xmind.net/ - open source mind mapping software

CmapTools - http://www.ihmc.us/cmaptools.php - free concept
mapping tool
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Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a great way to come up with a lot of ideas that you would not be able to generate by just sitting
down with a pen and paper. The intention of brainstorming is to leverage the collective thinking of the group, by
engaging with each other, listening, and building on other ideas.

Guidelines
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Defer judgment - NO Blocking!

Encourage wild ideas and go for quantity
Build on the ideas of others
Stay focused on the topic
One conversation at a time

Google Ventures Note and Vote Method

1. Note
(5-10 mins)

Distribute paper and pens to each person. Set a timer for five minutes. Everyone writes
down as many ideas as they can. Individually. Quietly. This list wont be shared with the
group, so nobody has to worry about writing down dumb ideas.

2. Self-Edit
(2 mins)

Set the timer for two minutes. Each person reviews his or her own list and picks one or two
favorites. Individually. Quietly.

3. Share and capture One at a time, each person shares his or her top idea(s). No sales pitch. Just say what you
(5-10 mins)
wrote and move on. As you go, one person writes everybodys ideas on the whiteboard.
4. Vote
(5 mins)

Set the timer for three minutes. Each person chooses a favorite from the ideas on the
whiteboard. Individually. Quietly. You must commit your vote to paper.

5. Share and capture One at a time, each person says their vote. A short sales pitch may be permissible, but no
changing your vote! Say what you wrote. Write the votes on the whiteboard. Dots work well.
6. Decide

Who is the decider? She should make the final call--not the group. She can choose to respect
the votes or not. This is less awkward than it sounds: instead of dancing around peoples
opinions and feelings, youve made the mechanics plain. Everyones voice was heard.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/3034772/innovation-by-design/noteand-vote-how-google-ventures-avoids-groupthink-in-meetings

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POINt: Pluses, Opportunities, Issues, New thinking

Idea to Evaluate:
___________________________________________________________________________
Pluses: list what is good, positive, and praiseworthy about the idea (always do this first)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Opportunities: list the future possibilities, what this might lead to if it becomes a reality
1. It might...
2. It might...
3. It might...
4. It might...
5. It might...
Issues: list the shortcomings, limitations, or weaknesses of the idea; begin with the solution-focused How to
1. How to...
2. How to...
3. How to...
4. How to...
5. How to...
New thinking: generate ideas to overcome the issues, starting with the most important

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Assisters-Resisters
Develop a list of assisters and resisters. These are factors that can help or hinder solution implementation. Use
the factors to develop an action plan.

Assisters

Resisters

factors that help gain acceptance

for your solution

factors that hinder

solution acceptance

Who
people

What
things

Where
locations

When
times

Why
reasons

How
steps

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Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

At the heart of validated learning is the minimum viable product (MVP). Instead of developing a very complex
idea based on what you think the customer wants, you build the MVP that is made up of only the very basics of
the idea. The MVP only has enough in it to test a hypothesis, so let this simple rule suffice: remove any feature,
process, or effort that does not contribute directly to the learning you seek. You must commit to iteration ahead
of time - no matter the outcome. Otherwise failure can be discouraging and can encourage quitting. Thats bad
because remember, failure is an option!

Product

Lea

Bu

Data

ild

rn

Idea

The main idea is to design something in

its most basic form and get out to the public for feedback as soon as possible. Its like
the most basic form of the scientific method
you can think of. What do you do to test your
hypothesis in any given situation? You experiment and then reach a conclusion or amend
your hypothesis and try again. The same
framework applies here when trying to innovate. Dont overthink what youre trying to do.

Your MVP should have no complex plans and

assumptions. So what would be your MVP?
Have an idea in mind now? Its likely the MVP
Measure
you are thinking of is way too big! A good rule
of thumb is to reduce features by an eighth. It
can be tough to shrink your grand idea into such a small product, but its important to not rush to a conclusion.
Visionary customers can fill in the gaps from what your MVP is missing. Usually what they think of is something
youve already thought of (which can be very validating), but even better is when they sometimes think of things
you havent even considered!

http://www.startuplessonslearned.com/2009/08/minimum-viableproduct-guide.html
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RESOURCES

Communities

Launching Leaders
https://sp.ksc.nasa.gov/sites/launchingleaders
Launching Leaders identifies opportunities to engage early career professionals at KSC to increase overall employee satisfaction and retention. The group has a special focus on completing
value-added projects that continue to explore innovative ways to
ensure that NASA remains at the forefront of innovation.
Spaceport Innovators
https://sp.ksc.nasa.gov/sites/spaceportinnovators
Spaceport Innovators fosters innovation fosters innovation and
leads change through collaboration, communication, and knowledge sharing. Spaceport Innovators serves as an incubator for
innovative ideas and helps launch them towards success.

Helpful Websites
Business World Continual Improvement http://businessworld.ksc.nasa.gov/tools_techniques.html
This is a list of tools and techniques for generating ideas, making
decisions, evaluating programs, and analyzing data.
KSC Technology Transfer
http://technology.ksc.nasa.gov
This is the home of the KSC Technology Transfer Office. Find out
information on the partnering process, licensing technologies,
submitting New Technology Reports (NTRs), read success stories,
discover spin offs, and more.
NASA@work
https://nasa.innocentive.com
NASA@work is a discussion-based software platform that provides the opportunity for you to communicate and innovate more
effectively on the most pressing R&D and business Challenges
that matter.

Systems Thinkers
Systems Thinkers is a professional network that enables collaboration and knowledge sharing in order to establish a strong
center-wide working level community of practice in the area of
Systems Engineering.
Kennedy Engineering Academy (KEA)
http://kea.ksc.nasa.gov/
The mission of KEA is to provide KSCs engineering community
with an institution for the sharing of technical knowledge across
programs and generations to meet the missions of today and opportunities of tomorrow.

Virtual Communities
KSC Forums - https://forums.ksc.nasa.gov
NASA Engineering Network (NEN) - https://nen.nasa.gov/
Yammer https://www.yammer.com/nasa.gov
NASA Connect
https://hrapps.ksc.nasa.gov/mentor/
This is a tool that allows you to connect with employees from
across the Center and Agency. Find Mentors/Advocates/Allies
who are willing to hear your ideas and help you implement them.
Also find people who are willing to share what they know with you.
Keep an open mind and you can learn something from almost
anyone. * Currently, this tool is only available to civil servants.
New Technology Reporting
http://invention.nasa.gov & http://ntr.ndc.nasa.gov
These websites will help you report technologies before you present them publicly at trade shows or conferences and/or before
publishing.
R&T Proposal Portal
http://proposalportal.ksc.nasa.gov
This is the definitive resource for finding out about research opportunities at KSC and includes resources for helping you develop
successful research proposals.
Scientific and Technical Information (STI) Program
http://sti.nasa.gov
Use this site to learn about existing NASA scientific and technical
information and search the NASA Technical Reports Server.
Yammer https://www.yammer.com/nasa.gov

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration

John F. Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899
www.nasa.gov
SP-2014-09-274-KSC