It’s one thing to have a good idea. Quite another to tell a story that will rally important firm stakeholders around that idea. That’s what Day 4 of the sprint is for; today teams will build and practice their pitches, in preparation for live-pitching Baker Tilly’s Innovation Board tomorrow.

I’m not going to lie. People get nervous today. They start worrying about making a perfect presentation. We remind them: none of these ideas are perfect. They aren’t pitching a full-blown strategy. They’re pitching a kernel of truth and possibility.

As a framework for their presentations, we teach Andy Raskin’s 5-part pitch. They wrestle with it through the morning and then prep their presentations in the afternoon.

Just like yesterday, we emphasize prototyping over planning the presentation; and testing over perseverating. When in doubt, just stop planning and do a run-through. Now, do another one.

At the end of Thursday, we ask participants to reflect on how their thinking has changed this week, using the frame “I used to think… but now I think…”

The week is not just about generating scalable ideas for the firm; it’s also about supporting each participant to see themselves as an innovator. Here are some of their reflections:

• “I used to think that quickly solving problems or challenges was best, but now I think really understanding the issue context and getting feedback is powerful.”
• “I used to think I was pushing the boulder up the hill alone but now I think there are others pushing the boulder as well, and that might mean we can together make progress.”
• “I used to think big problems need big solutions, but now I think sometimes insights lead you to simpler, smaller solutions.”
• “I used to think that I was not good at being innovative. If it was not a big life changing idea, it would not make a difference. I now realize that it is the small steps and trials that can make the biggest change.”