Friday, February 20, 2026

From Disney to Design Thinking: Creating Fresh Thinking for Big Ideas: Lee Kitchen

Scoping, Empathy, Ideation: A Structured Process for Innovation Innovation Catalyst: How to Help Your Team Come Up With the Ideas Episode 293 (Lee Kitchen is based in south-west Ontario, Repeat of episode 54) In this conversation we explore: • the role of an innovation catalyst in helping teams think differently • the importance of scoping before solving • walking in the end user’s shoes through empathy • defining a clear human truth • separating expansive thinking from reductive thinking • creating environments that encourage ideation • mixing diverse perspectives to break river thinking • building ownership so ideas gain adoption • practicing fresh thinking through exposure to new concepts • extending your intended message consistently across experience ----- About out guest, Lee Kitchen: Lee worked at Disney for 32 years. His journey started in Operations and Guest Relations. then moved through Special Events, PR, Marketing and Advertising. Currently offering his experience as an Innovation Catalyst via his company, Magical Dude Consulting. Visit his website here https://www.magicaldude.com/ ----- Key Lessons from this conversation with Lee Kitchen: • how an innovation catalyst helps teams come up with ideas rather than supplying the answer • why empathy and “human truth” must precede ideation • the structured steps of design thinking: scoping, empathy, ideation, idea development, prototyping, execution • why expansive and reductive mindsets must stay separate • how collaboration builds ownership and advocacy • the value of bringing diverse and unbiased ideators into the room • how environment influences creativity • why fresh thinking requires exposure to different concepts and disciplines • the importance of consistency between intended message and actual experience • how authentic leadership encourages creative thinking ----- ----more---- Your Intended Message is the podcast about how you can boost your career and business success by honing your communication skills. We’ll examine the aspects of how we communicate one-to-one, one to few and one to many – plus that important conversation, one to self. In these interviews we will explore presentation skills, public speaking, conversation, persuasion, negotiation, sales conversations, marketing, team meetings, social media, branding, self talk and more.   Your host is George Torok George is a specialist in communication skills. Especially presentation. He’s fascinated by the links between communication and influencing behaviors. He delivers training and coaching programs to help leaders and promising professionals deliver the intended message for greater success.   Connect with George www.SpeechCoachforExecutives.com (http://www.speechcoachforexecutives.com/) https://superiorpresentations.net/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgetorokpresentations/ https://www.youtube.com/user/presentationskill (https://www.youtube.com/user/presentationskills1)