Monthly Archives: April 2022

12 Reasons to Write Your Own Letter of Recommendation

GUEST POST from Arlen Meyers, M.D.

Are you stuck? The first step in making a career change is self reflection.

One way to describe yourself and your transferable skills and what you have in mind for the future is to write your own letter of recommendation instead of asking me to do it.

Here are some tips on how to do it. But, why should you do it?

It saves me the trouble of doing it
You know yourself a whole lot better than I do
It makes you think about why somone would want to hire you
It gives you some ideas about where your blind spots and skills gaps are once you have read the job description of a potential job
You will do a much better job than I would
It will give you the chance to use key words that will drive AI resume scanners
You can link to your personal website and other online social media sites that I don’t know about
You can delete social media posts and sites that are not flattering
It will force you to buff up your resume and coordinate it with your Linked profile for a particular job
You can use if for a personal statement, even if they are falling out of favor and a waste of time
It is another way to be kind to yourself and cultivate your inner advocate
It will help you get over your imposter syndrome and tell people about all those transferable skills you have

If you are taking the long view, then write your own obituary. If that’s too heavy a lift at your stage of the game, then just write you own letter of recommendation before you have to request one and ask someone you know, like and trust to send it for you at the appropriate time. I heartily recommend it.

Image Credit: Pixabay

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Case Studies in Successful Inclusive Design Practices

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Case Studies in Successful Inclusive Design Practices

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

Inclusive design is about crafting products, services, and environments that consider and embrace the diverse needs of people. It emphasizes the importance of accessibility, usability, and the extent to which design can positively impact as many people as possible. As organizations and designers strive to create more inclusive experiences, there’s a lot we can learn from those who have successfully embraced these principles. In this article, I’ll explore two case studies that highlight successful inclusive design practices, showcasing the value they bring not only to direct beneficiaries but to society as a whole.

Case Study 1: Microsoft’s Inclusive Design Toolkit

In the tech sphere, Microsoft has emerged as a leader in the realm of inclusive design. Their approach demonstrates how a commitment to inclusive practices can not only enhance the user experience but also drive business success.

Microsoft’s journey began with the recognition that designing for people with disabilities often leads to innovations that benefit everyone. Their Inclusive Design Toolkit is a testament to this philosophy. The toolkit provides guidelines, activities, and resources to help designers and developers create products with a people-first approach. It is available freely to promote widespread adoption of inclusive design practices.

One intrinsic element of this initiative is understanding “persona spectrum” — the idea of designing for permanent, temporary, or situational impairments. For instance, while only a small percentage of users may have a permanent loss of an arm, many more may have temporary impairments (such as a broken arm) or situational limitations (such as holding a baby with one arm). By considering these factors, Microsoft’s designs become more flexible and adaptive to a wide array of user needs.

“When we design for disability, we all benefit.” – Microsoft Inclusive Design Team

One key success of Microsoft’s inclusive design is the Xbox Adaptive Controller. Designed for gamers who have limited mobility, it helps remove barriers to gaming. Although the initial target audience was gamers with disabilities, the product’s impact has been extensive. Users without disabilities have found innovative uses for it in scenarios where conventional controllers aren’t viable. It’s a striking example of inclusive design leading to broader user satisfaction and enhanced engagement.

The success of the Inclusive Design Toolkit and products like the Xbox Adaptive Controller prove that thoughtfully addressing the needs of a few can result in devices that serve many, strengthening user loyalty and brand equity.

Case Study 2: OXO’s Universal Design Kitchen Tools

OXO, a consumer products brand known for its ergonomic household items, has a remarkable history rooted in universal design — a concept closely related to inclusive design. OXO’s mission is to design products that are easy for anyone to use, regardless of age or dexterity.

The inception of this mission can be traced back to the company’s flagship product, the OXO Good Grips peeler. Sam Farber, the founder of OXO, observed his wife Betty struggling to use a traditional metal peeler due to arthritis. Inspired to find a solution that worked for everyone, Farber collaborated with Smart Design to create a peeler with a large, cushioned handle that was more comfortable and easy to use.

The success of the Good Grips line lay in breaking the barriers between users with and without disabilities by focusing on functionality and comfort for all. This inclusivity not only broadened their market reach but established OXO as a benchmark within the industry.

“We believe inUniversal Design – The process of designing products that are easy to use for the widest range of people.” – OXO Design Team

OXO’s commitment to universal design principles has led to a series of products that simplify tasks in the kitchen for beginners, expert chefs, and those with limitations alike. By catering to diverse needs, OXO’s products have gained a loyal customer base, proving that inclusive design is not just an ethical choice but a powerful business strategy.

Through its design philosophy, OXO showcases how businesses can merge empathy with functionality, resulting in products that resonate across a diverse customer spectrum. The brand continues to influence how companies approach product development, highlighting the long-term value of inclusivity in design strategy.

Conclusion

The Microsoft and OXO case studies underscore the transformative power of inclusive design. By focusing on the breadth of human diversity, these companies have crafted solutions that not only fulfill the needs of those with specific challenges but also enhance the user experience for the general population.

Ultimately, inclusive design is an iterative process that involves continuous learning and empathy. It is about putting people first, challenging conventional design lenses, and dismantling barriers wherever possible. Like Microsoft and OXO illustrate, the journey towards inclusive design is not just about compliance or niche markets; it is about envisioning a future where everyone can participate fully in the world around them.

Organizations and designers inspired by these examples should adopt a mindset of continuous exploration and openness, recognizing that every inclusive design is a step towards a more equitable world. With this mindset, businesses can innovate to remain competitive while fostering a positive social impact.

Extra Extra: Because innovation is all about change, Braden Kelley’s human-centered change methodology and tools are the best way to plan and execute the changes necessary to support your innovation and transformation efforts — all while literally getting everyone all on the same page for change. Find out more about the methodology and tools, including the book Charting Change by following the link. Be sure and download the TEN FREE TOOLS while you’re here.

Image credit: Pixabay

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Moving Beyond Surveys to Measure Employee Satisfaction

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Moving Beyond Surveys to Measure Employee Satisfaction

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Employee satisfaction is paramount for any organization striving for excellence. Traditionally, surveys have been the primary tool for gauging employee sentiments. However, with the evolving work landscape, there is a growing realization that employee satisfaction is a multi-faceted entity that cannot be encapsulated solely through periodic surveys. As a thought leader in human-centered change and innovation, I invite you to explore alternative methodologies for measuring employee satisfaction, supported by real-world case studies that have pushed boundaries to listen better to their teams.

The Limitations of Surveys

Employee surveys have traditionally focused on broad metrics – satisfaction, engagement, and commitment. Unfortunately, these surveys often suffer from biases, low response rates, and do not always capture real-time or actionable insights. Moreover, the one-size-fits-all surveys do not account for the diversity of roles, cultures, and individual aspirations within an organization. A static survey administered annually or bi-annually often misses the nuances and dynamic shifts in employee satisfaction.

Beyond Surveys: Alternative Approaches

1. Behavioral Analytics

Armed with technology, organizations can now passively gather data on employee activities and interactions in the workplace. Analyzing these patterns can uncover insights into employee satisfaction that surveys may not capture. Workplace tools, communication patterns, and network analysis can shed light on a team’s overall health and workload distributions.

2. Holistic Listening Ecosystems

A holistic listening ecosystem involves establishing multiple channels of communication where feedback is continuously captured and analyzed. It focuses on active listening through town halls, anonymous forums, and digital platforms where employees can voice their concerns and share ideas anytime.

3. Employee Experience Journeys

Mapping out employee journeys within the organization can help identify critical touchpoints and experiences that affect satisfaction. This method allows organizations to understand pain points and moments of delight from the employee’s perspective, leading to targeted interventions and improvements.

Case Study 1: Spotify’s Employee Experience Squads

Spotify, renowned for its innovative work culture, implements Employee Experience (EX) Squads. These squads operate much like agile product teams, focusing on continuously evaluating and enhancing employees’ experiences. By using rapid iteration, feedback loops, and testing new initiatives in small groups, Spotify effectively tracks satisfaction without solely relying on annual employee surveys.

The EX Squads are formed of cross-functional members from HR, technology, and operational departments that regularly engage with employees to understand their needs and frustrations. They employ a variety of qualitative methods including face-to-face interviews, ethnographic studies, and digital feedback tools to gather comprehensive insights. By integrating behavioral analytics from internal communication tools and collaboration platforms, the squads can predict and address dissatisfaction trends before they escalate. Spotify has experienced higher employee retention and improved productivity by identifying critical satisfaction elements such as work-life harmony and growth opportunities.

Case Study 2: Unilever’s Internal Social Media Platform

Unilever embraced an unconventional path by deploying an internal social media platform named “MyVoice.” Unlike traditional employee feedback channels, “MyVoice” encourages ongoing dialogue among employees and leadership across various levels. It is designed to allow real-time interactions, feedback, and idea sharing, enabling the company to stay attuned to the employee pulse continuously.

Through “MyVoice,” employees can participate in thematic discussions, provide feedback on leadership decisions, and propose new ideas for business improvement. The platform leverages AI to analyze interactions and sentiment, providing Unilever insights into employee satisfaction deeply embedded in natural work conversations. Furthermore, it allows for quick identification and resolution of discontent, leading to more agile and responsive management practices. This approach, combined with occasional checks through micro-surveys and informal manager check-ins, has significantly enhanced Unilever’s ability to maintain higher levels of employee satisfaction and engagement.

Conclusion

As illustrated by these case studies, organizations that dare to step beyond traditional surveys can access richer insights into employee satisfaction. By utilizing a blend of behavioral analytics, continuous feedback channels, and innovative communication platforms, companies can capture a more holistic view of the employee experience. These novel approaches not only elevate satisfaction levels but also contribute to nurturing a more dynamic, responsive, and engaged workforce. In an era where employee experiences define organizational success, the courage to pioneer new methods of listening and learning is indeed a strategic advantage.

In conclusion, while surveys will continue to hold their place in the arsenal of HR tools, the future of measuring employee satisfaction lies in a more integrated, continuous, and human-centered approach. Organizations that adapt to these changes will be well-positioned to thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Extra Extra: Futurology is not fortune telling. Futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

Image credit: Microsoft Copilot

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Corporate Social Responsibility as a Catalyst for Innovation

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GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

In today’s hyper-connected world, businesses face immense scrutiny from stakeholders who demand transparency, sustainability, and ethical practices. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a critical framework for organizations seeking to align their operations with these expectations. However, beyond compliance and reputation management, CSR offers a more profound opportunity—it can serve as a catalyst for innovation. Companies that embed CSR into their core strategy often witness not only social and environmental benefits but also innovative breakthroughs that drive business success.

The Intersection of CSR and Innovation

CSR is not merely about philanthropy or fulfilling legal obligations. It is about integrating social and environmental initiatives into a company’s operations and strategy. When organizations leverage CSR as a strategic tool, it creates a fertile ground for innovation by fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement. By addressing the pressing social and environmental challenges, companies can uncover new opportunities, develop novel products and services, and even transform entire industries.

“Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship… the act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth.” – Peter Drucker

Case Study 1: Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan

Unilever, a global consumer goods company, has long been recognized as a pioneer in sustainability and CSR. The introduction of its Sustainable Living Plan in 2010 marked a significant turning point for the company. This strategic initiative aimed to decouple its growth from environmental impact while increasing its positive social impact.

The plan set ambitious targets, including halving the environmental footprint of its products, improving the health and well-being of over a billion people, and enhancing the livelihoods of millions. By embedding these objectives into its core business strategy, Unilever drove innovation across its entire value chain. Products like the compressed deodorant bottles, which use less packaging and emit fewer greenhouse gases, emerged from this commitment to sustainability.

Moreover, the HealthyWater1 program exemplifies how Unilever’s CSR focus led to innovative partnerships and solutions. In collaboration with governments, NGOs, and local communities, Unilever developed and distributed Pureit, a low-cost water purifier, addressing water safety issues in developing regions.

These initiatives illustrate how Unilever’s dedication to CSR sparked innovation, resulting in new product lines and market expansion, benefitting both the company and society.

Case Study 2: Tesla’s Mission-Driven Approach

Tesla, led by visionary entrepreneur Elon Musk, demonstrates how a strong sense of purpose combined with CSR can fuel innovation. Tesla’s mission, to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, forms the cornerstone of its business strategy, influencing all aspects of its operations, from design to production to end-user experience.

Tesla’s commitment to sustainability has driven technological advancements in electric vehicles (EVs), battery storage systems, and solar energy solutions. The development of affordable and long-range EVs challenged traditional automotive paradigms and sparked industry-wide innovations, pushing competitors to accelerate their electric vehicle plans.

In addition, Tesla’s innovation extends to energy solutions such as the Powerwall and Powerpack, which revolutionize energy storage for homes and businesses. These innovations not only address environmental challenges but also open new revenue streams for the company.

Through its mission-driven CSR approach, Tesla has reshaped the transportation and energy sectors, proving that innovation thrives at the intersection of social responsibility and technological advancement.

Lessons for Forward-Thinking Companies

The journeys of Unilever and Tesla offer valuable lessons for companies seeking to harness CSR as an innovation catalyst:

Embed CSR into Core Strategy: Treat CSR as a business imperative, integrating it into strategic goals rather than viewing it as a separate initiative.
Foster a Culture of Innovation: Encourage creativity, collaboration, and experimentation across all levels of the organization.
Build Strategic Partnerships: Collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including NGOs, governments, and communities, to co-create innovative solutions.
Communicate and Educate: Transparently communicate CSR efforts and educate stakeholders about their impact on society and the environment.

Conclusion

Corporate Social Responsibility is not an abstract concept confined to boardrooms and annual reports; it is a dynamic force capable of driving innovation and generating tangible business results. By aligning with social and environmental goals, companies can unlock a wealth of innovative opportunities that benefit both their bottom line and society at large.

As we move forward in a world increasingly focused on sustainability and ethical practices, let us embrace CSR as a catalyst for innovation, allowing it to guide us toward a prosperous and sustainable future.

Image credit: Pixabay

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The Role of Psychological Safety in Fostering Innovation

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The Role of Psychological Safety in Fostering Innovation

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

In the rapidly changing world of business, innovation isn’t just encouraged—it’s essential for survival. Yet, fostering an environment where innovation thrives isn’t merely about investing in the latest technology or having creative job titles. At the foundation of sustained innovation lies a crucial and often overlooked factor: psychological safety.

Psychological safety, a term popularized by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, refers to a team climate characterized by interpersonal trust and mutual respect, where people are comfortable being themselves. In such an environment, team members feel safe to take risks, voice their ideas, and even fail—all without the fear of repercussion or ridicule. Let’s explore the pivotal role psychological safety plays in enhancing innovation potential within organizations, supported by real-world case studies.

The Science of Psychological Safety

Several studies highlight the profound impact of psychological safety on team performance. When team members feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to engage in learning behaviors—seeking feedback, sharing information, experimenting, and discussing mistakes. These behaviors are the bedrock of an innovative culture, fostering environments where breakthroughs happen and improvements are continuous.

“Innovation is fueled by the ability to connect previously unconnected information and ideas. This happens best when people feel comfortable to express their diverse thoughts without fear.” — Braden Kelley

Case Study 1: Google’s Project Aristotle

Google’s Project Aristotle was a comprehensive research initiative to understand what makes teams effective. After studying over 180 teams, Google discerned that the most successful teams shared a common characteristic—psychological safety.

Teams with high levels of psychological safety were not necessarily composed of all-star players. Instead, their success stemmed from encouraging equal speaking opportunities among team members, empathy towards one another, and valuing diversity of thought. These teams were more innovative and productive. Google now emphasizes psychological safety as a cornerstone of its team-building exercises and leadership training, firmly embedding it into their culture.

Case Study 2: Toyota’s Culture of Continuous Improvement

Toyota is renowned for its continuous improvement methodology, known as Kaizen. A significant contributor to the success of this approach is the cultivation of psychological safety within their teams. Toyota encourages its employees to voice their opinions and suggest improvements without the fear of negative consequences. This approach has led to significant innovations and enhancements in their production processes and has positioned Toyota as a leader in quality and efficiency in the automobile industry.

For example, Toyota’s commitment to psychological safety was evident in their assembly line workers’ empowerment. Workers could stop the production line if they identified a problem, so it could be fixed promptly. This policy not only improved overall quality but also reinforced the value of each worker’s input, thereby driving innovation from all levels of the company.

Creating a Psychologically Safe Environment

Launching into this cultural transformation isn’t merely a top-down directive. It involves cultivating a grass-roots shift and embedding psychological safety into the team’s DNA. Here are several strategies organizations can implement to foster a more psychologically safe environment:

1. Encourage Open Communication

Create an atmosphere where team members feel encouraged to share their ideas and opinions without judgment. Regularly solicit feedback and listen actively to what your team has to say.

2. Demonstrate Vulnerability as a Leader

Leaders should model the behavior they wish to see by admitting their own mistakes and uncertainties. This openness can help set a tone that failing and learning are part of the creative process.

3. Normalize Inclusivity and Diversity

Value and harness the diversity of your team by recognizing the variety of perspectives that members bring. Cultivate an inclusive environment where different viewpoints are appreciated and respected.

4. Provide Constructive Feedback

Deliver feedback that is constructive and focused on improvement rather than personal criticism. Encourage a growth mindset where feedback is viewed as a pathway to better performance and innovation.

5. Encourage Experimentation

Create opportunities for your team to try new ideas in a safe environment. Emphasize learning from what doesn’t work as much as from what does.

Conclusion

In a world where innovation is more critical than ever, creating and nurturing psychologically safe environments has proven to be a key enabler of creative and effective teams. By embracing psychological safety, organizations unlock the full potential of their workforce, allowing for the free exchange of ideas, increased engagement, and transformational innovations. When organizations commit to embedding this principle into their culture, they pave the way for sustainable success and groundbreaking advancements.

Let us champion the charge towards psychological safety and make innovation a cornerstone of our work environments, paving the path towards a brighter, more innovative future.

Image credit: Pixabay

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Bring Newness to Corporate Learning with Gamification

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Bring Newness to Corporate Learning with Gamification

GUEST POST from Janet Sernack

I was first introduced to gamification upon meeting Mario Herger, in 2012, when he was a Senior Innovation Strategist at SAP Labs LLC, in Israel, as a participant in his two-day gamification workshop for Checkpoint Security Software. It was an exciting and exhilarating journey into the playful and innovative world of gamification pioneers such as Farmville, Angry Birds, and BetterWorks. Creatively exploiting the convergence of trends catalyzed by the expansion of the internet, and by the fast pace of exponential technology development making gamification accessible to everyone.

Propelled further by people’s increasing desire to socialize and share ideas and knowledge across the globe. Coupled with their desire to learn and connect in a high-tech world, to be met in ways that also satisfied their aspirational, motivational, and recreational needs, as well as being playful and fun.

The whole notion of making gamification accessible to corporate learning simmered in my mind, for the next ten years, and this is what I have since discovered.

Evolution of the gamification market

In 2012 Gartner predicted that – Gamification combined with other technologies and trends, gamification would cause major discontinuities in innovation, employee performance management, education, personal development, and customer engagement. Further claiming that by 2014, 80% of organizations will have gamified at least one area of their business.

It seems their prediction did not eventuate.

In their Gamification 2020 report, Gartner then predicted that gamification, combined with other emerging trends and technologies, will have a significant impact on:

Innovation
The design of employee performance
The globalization of higher education
The emergence of customer engagement platforms
Gamification of personal development.

It seems this prediction is now an idea whose time has come!

According to Mordor Intelligence – The global gamification market was valued at USD 10.19 million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 38.42 million by 2026 and grow at a CAGR of 25.10% over the forecast period (2021 – 2026). The exponential growth in the number of smartphones and mobile devices has directly created a vast base for the gamification market.

This growth is also supported by the increasing recognition of making gamification accessible as a methodology to redesign human behavior, in order to induce innovation, productivity, or engagement.

Purpose of gamification

The initial purpose of gamification was to add game mechanics into non-game environments, such as a website, online communities, learning management systems, or business intranets to increase engagement and participation.

The initial goal of gamification was to engage with consumers, employees, and partners to inspire collaboration, sharing, and interaction.

Gamification and corporate learning

The last two years of the coronavirus pandemic caused many industries to deal with their audiences remotely and combined with an urgent need for having the right technologies and tools to:

Reach out to, and connect with, both their employees and customers, in new ways

Acknowledging the range of constraints and restrictions occurring globally we have an opportunity to couple these with the challenges, disconnectedness, isolation, and limitations of our remote and hybrid workplaces.

While many of us are seeking more freedom, fun, play, and adventure, yet, we are still mostly bound to our laptops, TVs, and kitchens, and locked up within the boundaries of our homes, local neighborhoods, and hometowns.

Expanding knowledge, mindsets, behaviors, and skills

At the same time, this period has also created incredible opportunities for expanding our knowledge, and developing new mindsets, behaviors, and skills!

In different ways to help teams and organizations adapt, innovate, and grow through gamification, which increases our adaptability to flow and flourish and drive transformation, within a constantly, exponentially changing, and disruptive workplace.

Benefits of a gamified approach

Companies that have focused on making gamification accessible within their learning programs are reaping the rewards, as recent studies revealed:

The use of mobile applications gamified individually or as a complement to an LMS or e-learning platform has been shown to improve employee productivity by 50% and commitment by 60%.
That 97% of employees over the age of 45 believe that gamification would help improve work.
That 85% of employees are willing to spend more time on training programs with gamified dynamics.

Gamification is finally at an inflection point

The shift from face-to-face and live events to online created an opening for improving the quality of coaching, learning, and training experiences in ways that align with the client’s or organization needs and strategic business goals.

Keeping people and teams connected, engaged, and motivated in the virtual and hybrid workplace for extended periods of time is a key factor in business success.

Atrivity is a platform that empowers employees and channels to learn, develop, and perform better through games have identified eight trends influencing the growth and adoption of gamification including:

Gamification for Digital Events are here to stay, people are time and resource-poor, and will more likely attend a digital event rather than invest time and resources in travelling.
Gamification for Millennials and gen-Z is their new normal, being a generation who have grown up with, and become habitually attuned to Facebook and Instagram.
The start of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality is speeding up and offers new creative approaches.
Remote onboarding becomes standard as we all adapt to a globalized and diversified work environment.
Gamification helps to reduce hospital strains with emerging telehealth innovations.
Customization of, and access to contents allows us to visit museums, galleries, libraries virtually
Knowledge evaluation metrics have become common proactive through the use of app-based dashboards and scorecards that provide gamified reward and recognition processes
Gamification is an Enterprise “must-have” tactic to attract and retain talent.

Corporate learning is also finally at an inflection point

Innovative new organizations like Roundtable Learning focus on co-creating one-of-a-kind training programs that utilize innovative technologies, reflect the client’s brand, and show measurable business results by enhancing traditional corporate learning practices and embracing more interactive, engaging programs.

This is what ImagineNation™ is collaborating with Binnakle Serious Games to bring newness, creativity and play, experimentation, and learning in gamified ways to enable people and teams to innovate, by making gamification accessible to everyone!

We have integrated technology and co-created a range of blended learning solutions:

Digital and gamified learning experiences for groups and teams.
Playful and experiential learning activities that deliver deep learning outcomes.
Co-creation of customized or bespoke blended learning programs that deliver what they promise.

Making corporate learning accessible, affordable, and scalable

Our aim is to make corporate learning agile, by making gamification accessible, and scalable to everybody, across all time zones, modalities, geographies, and technologies.

Where people have time and space to unlearn, relearn, reskill and upskill by engaging in and interacting with both technology and people:

Understand and learn new innovative processes, concepts, principles, and techniques and feel that their new skills are valued.
Retreat, reflect and explore, discover and navigate new ways of being, thinking, and acting individually and collectively.
Question, challenge the status quo and experiment with new ideas, explore effective collaborative analytical, imaginative, aligned problem-solving and decision-making strategies.
Safely fail without punishment, make and learn from mistakes, to iterate and pivot creative ideas and innovative solutions that really matter.

To meet our client’s short- and long-term learning needs in terms of innovation focus or topic depth and breadth. Through enhancing teaming, teamwork, and collaboration, by offering products and tools that make gamification accessible to suit all peoples learning styles, time constraints, diverse technologies, and cost needs.

Who was I to know that it would take another ten years for making gamification accessible enough to reach a tipping point!

An opportunity to learn more

Find out about our learning products and tools, including The Coach for Innovators Certified Program, a collaborative, intimate, and deep personalized innovation coaching and learning program, supported by a global group of peers over 9-weeks, starting Tuesday, May 4, 2022.

It is a blended and transformational change and learning program that will give you a deep understanding of the language, principles, and applications of an ecosystem focus, human-centric approach, and emergent structure (Theory U) to innovation, and upskill people and teams and develop their future fitness, within your unique context.

Image Credit: Unsplash

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Journey Mapping as a Tool for Creating Seamless Experiences

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Journey Mapping as a Tool for Creating Seamless Experiences

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

In today’s competitive landscape, understanding customer experiences and expectations is paramount. Businesses aiming to innovate and create delightful interactions must dive deep into customer journeys. Enter journey mapping—an invaluable tool for fostering empathy, identifying pain points, and realigning business processes to create seamless experiences.

What is Journey Mapping?

Journey mapping is a methodical approach to visually represent and analyze the process a customer undergoes when interacting with a product, service, or brand. From initial awareness to final conversion and beyond, it encompasses every touchpoint and engagement opportunity a customer might encounter.

Benefits of Journey Mapping

Journey mapping delivers numerous benefits, including:

Identifying pain points and opportunities for improvement.
Creating alignment across departments and teams.
Building empathy and understanding for the customer’s experience.
Enhancing communication between the company and its customers.
Driving tailored innovation initiatives.

Creating an Effective Journey Map

To create an effective journey map, it’s essential to:

Define clear objectives and the scope of the journey map.
Collect customer data through surveys, interviews, and analytics.
Identify key personas and understand their motivations and behaviors.
Map out the stages of the journey with all relevant touchpoints.
Evaluate the emotional highs and lows experienced by customers.
Prioritize areas of improvement and innovation.

Case Study 1: Retail Chain Revitalizes Customer Experience

A well-known retail chain was facing declining foot traffic and stagnant growth. Customers cited long wait times, unhelpful staff, and a disorganized store layout as significant issues. The management team decided it was time for a transformation by leveraging journey mapping.

The team began by creating a detailed journey map, highlighting every customer interaction from the moment they set foot in the store to when they left. They uncovered that the check-out process was the most significant pain point. This task was cumbersome, with outdated equipment and a lack of staff training.

Based on these insights, the company revamped their check-out process by installing modern point-of-sale systems and improving staff training. Additionally, the company introduced self-checkout kiosks to reduce wait times.

By effectively utilizing journey mapping, the company saw a 30% reduction in wait times, improved customer satisfaction scores, and a noticeable increase in store traffic within three months. This case underscores how understanding touchpoints can create impactful change and foster growth.

Case Study 2: Healthcare Provider Enhances Patient Interaction

A large healthcare provider recognized the need to improve patient interaction after receiving feedback about long waiting times and complex appointment booking systems. As healthcare is a critical service, seamless experiences are essential for patient satisfaction and trust.

The provider employed journey mapping to dissect the patient experience. The map revealed that the appointment scheduling process was a significant pain point, often leading to frustration and delays. Additionally, patients felt neglected due to inadequate post-appointment communication.

Armed with this knowledge, the healthcare provider implemented an online scheduling system, allowing patients to book, reschedule, or cancel appointments with ease. Furthermore, automated follow-up reminders and feedback surveys ensured patients felt cared for even after their visits.

This initiative led to a 50% increase in appointment efficiency and a 20% rise in patient satisfaction scores, demonstrating how journey mapping can drive service improvements and foster a culture of patient-centered care.

The Future of Journey Mapping

As technology advances, journey mapping will continue to evolve. Integrating artificial intelligence and data analytics can further refine these maps, providing real-time insights into customer experiences. With these tools, businesses can not only react to current challenges but anticipate future needs and remain agile in a shifting market.

Conclusion

Journey mapping is not just about documenting existing stages of interaction but a strategy for transformation and innovation. By effectively using this tool, companies can create seamless experiences that delight customers, drive loyalty, and spur growth.

As businesses relentlessly strive for a competitive edge, journey mapping stands out as a beacon for creating meaningful connections with customers, ultimately leading to a thriving, customer-centric organization.

Image credit: Pixabay

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Assemble Your Avengers to Accelerate Your Mission

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The right team will move your innovation effort forward. Here’s how to build it

Assemble Your Avengers to Accelerate Your Mission

BMNT Editor’s note: This is the third in a weekly series explaining the common beginner-steps needed to get an innovation practice off the ground or improve an existing innovation practice. Find our first post, explaining the goals of implementing a structure to guide innovation and training workers how to use it, here. The second installment, on how to create an innovation thesis to guide your team’s activities, is here.

GUEST POST from Brian Miller

The surest way to get your innovation practice off the ground is to assemble your Avengers – a diverse team working together to solve hard problems. Here are some ideas for doing it, remembering that while an innovation system encompasses problems, technologies, and ideas – it’s powered by people and their abilities, skills, and knowledge to operate within the right structure, processes, and culture (more here from the first post in this series). Human nature being what it is, it can be challenging to get your team aligned around a different way of working.

No organization can change overnight. There is plenty of research to illustrate how changes in human behavior take time even with the right scaffolding and incentives. Yet a small team can punch way above its weight with the right methods for making progress and tools to measure it.

Once you’ve established why your innovation practice exists and assembled the right team, it’s time to figure out exactly what elements (and people) within your organization need to be connected, when, and where. Do this while increasing the volume of opportunities for the organization and the velocity of learning and progress.

Assemble a minimum viable team

This will look different in each organization that adopts it, but the initial innovation team is typically and intentionally small, somewhere between seven and 14 people, including informal allies. Some have started smaller and been highly successful, like the Defense Logistics Agency Technology Accelerator. However, additional personnel, even those contributing part-time or in their spare time, simply increase the probability of early and transformative wins. This is critical to maintaining buy-in and support from leadership and – just as important – the internal and external customers of the Innovation Pipeline® (e.g., capability developers, end-users).

The senior champion is a General Officer (GO) or the civilian equivalent (Senior Executive Service) unafraid to challenge the status quo – and if they made it to this level of seniority while doing so, they also know precisely how the legacy system works in practice (vice on paper) and they have a strong network to navigate it.
The full-time innovation project leaders (at least two to start) are generalists with a broad and diverse range of experience and networks to draw from. They have always leaned into their job, leaving it better than they found it. They are disciplined yet creative, rigorous yet personable, and are probably seen as a “fast riser” or “up and comer,” despite a reputation for comparatively risky decisions within the legacy execution system.
The part-time problem scoping liaison (at least three to start) are natural collaborators with a growth mindset. These team members are always looking to make improvements wherever they go and seem to find opportunities at every turn. If you ask them for information, they’re forthcoming. Instead of who is it for?, they ask, when do you need it? and what comes next?
A procurement or contracts specialist who is known as the go-to person in your organization and will not shy from the creativity required to be innovative. They get things done faster than their peers, seemingly without breaking a sweat.
Numerous on-call allies with whom you have a personal relationship, who are tired of the status quo and would jump at the chance to stealthily use their expertise to help change organizational performance.

Give them clear responsibilities

— Senior Champion: This is the most important connection to the traditional execution system within your organization. This individual provides top cover for the team, and owns the innovation thesis or purpose driving the innovation practice. The champion also removes barriers and creates workarounds (often via policy or doctrinal exceptions) when the team inevitably runs into a bureaucratic roadblock.

— Innovation Project Leader: Leads individual innovation projects, ushering them through the Innovation Pipeline® from problem sourcing and curation to the scaling of a new capability, like a mini CEO. They will:

Identify and test critical assumptions to validate solutions
Use proven methods for making progress (e.g., Lean Startup, design thinking, beneficiary discovery, minimum viable product testing, root cause analysis, user experience and user interface testing, rapid prototyping)
Rely on proven tools for recording and measuring progress (e.g., Investment Readiness Level, Adoption Readiness Level)
Alert the senior champion if something is stuck and a workaround or exception is needed

— Problem Scoping Liaison: This is a part-time role, performed while the individual is already embedded in offices, divisions, or external organizations served by the innovation system. They are your eyes and ears, working to continuously:

Collect innovation opportunities
Scope innovation projects through a formulaic, easily trained methodology
Recruit the right people to innovation projects based on their relationship to prioritized problems (e.g., end-users, subject matter experts, even saboteurs)

— On-call Allies: Finally, you have your allies, almost like assets planted deep behind enemy lines, waiting for your call. They are essential to achieving that goal of delivering at least one new capability within 15 months. Until your innovation practice has an alluring reputation, you’ll have to recruit these people through personal relationships. The common persona is someone tired of the status quo, with a growth mindset, an intrepreneurial spirit, who has been heroically innovating, and is dying to work within a team of like-minded heroes. Just imagine how the Avengers come together in a Marvel movie. In a way, they simply just find each other. These team members can provide:

IT for security and network integration
Engineering support to evaluate technical feasibility of new capabilities
Legal, policy, and human resources experts for essential advice

Train them

Now, your Avengers need a common framework and language for innovation. Your core team will be moving faster than ever before (and get uncomfortable doing so). They need the innovation basics to ground them in their new world, accelerate collaboration, and reduce the uncertainty associated with innovating. For starters, train them:

How to conduct beneficiary discovery interviews
How to turn assumptions into facts by generating and testing critical hypotheses
How to articulate and properly refine problems that others, without domain knowledge, can understand and contribute to solving (problem curation)
How to identify and recruit a coalition of stakeholders around each problem
The basics of Lean Startup and design thinking

Next, you’ll operationalize the pipeline by generating deal flow in the form of problems, curating them, discovering solutions by testing critical hypotheses, then incubating and transitioning solutions into enduring capabilities.

Image credits: BMNT

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Innovative Applications of 5G Technology

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Innovative Applications of 5G Technology

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

In the realm of communication and connectivity, 5G technology stands as a revolutionary advancement that promises to transform industries and enhance daily life in unprecedented ways. With its capabilities of ultra-low latency, increased capacity, and higher speeds, 5G is set to empower a new era in innovation. This article explores the innovative applications of 5G technology through the lens of two compelling case studies that highlight its transformative potential.

1. Smart Cities and Urban Connectivity

5G technology has taken the concept of smart cities from futuristic vision to practical reality. By facilitating seamless connectivity and the integration of thousands of devices, 5G enables urban centers to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the quality of life for residents.

Case Study: Barcelona’s Revolutionized Public Services

Barcelona, Spain, has become a pioneering example of a city leveraging 5G to enhance municipal services. Through strategic partnerships with technology providers, Barcelona implemented 5G-enabled smart lighting systems that automatically adjust based on real-time data of pedestrian movement and ambient light conditions. This has resulted in significant energy savings and reduced carbon emissions.

Moreover, 5G connectivity has enabled the deployment of smart waste management solutions, where bins equipped with sensors communicate their fill levels. This data facilitates optimized waste collection routes, decreasing logistical costs and minimizing the environmental impact.

What sets Barcelona apart is its use of 5G for augmented reality (AR) tourism applications. Visitors can now experience immersive guided tours, where historical data and interactive elements enhance their understanding of cultural landmarks in a dynamic manner. These innovations not only provide immediate economic and ecological benefits but also improve the overall quality of urban life by making the city more efficient and engaging.

2. Transforming Healthcare

In the healthcare sector, 5G’s impact is set to be revolutionary. The technology’s high-speed and reliable connectivity is paving the way for advancements in telemedicine, remote surgery, and patient monitoring, thus democratizing access to high-quality medical care.

Case Study: Remote Surgery in China

In January 2019, the world witnessed a groundbreaking application of 5G in healthcare. Surgeons in China successfully performed the first remote surgery on a patient situated hundreds of kilometers away, enabled by 5G’s ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC). Guided meticulously by precise, real-time data, a robotic arm executed the surgical procedure with a human surgeon directing it over a 5G connection.

This milestone demonstrated the potential to extend specialized surgical care to remote areas lacking in advanced medical facilities. Patients in rural or under-served regions could receive critical medical interventions without the need to travel to urban centers, reducing both the cost and the time involved in seeking specialized care. Surgeons can now execute complex procedures with precision, utilizing ultra-high definition video feeds and instantaneous data transfer capabilities afforded by 5G networks.

3. Entertainment and Immersive Experiences

The entertainment industry stands to gain enormously from 5G technology, especially in the realm of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences. These immersive technologies require high data transfer rates and low latency, both of which are forte of 5G.

Case Study: Enhanced Live Events with 5G

The music entertainment company Live Nation has been at the forefront of using 5G to enhance live event experiences. At select events, fans can access 360-degree concert footage from multiple camera angles, create personalized audio mixes, and interact with virtual replicas of performing artists in real-time, all supported by 5G connectivity.

This not only enhances the on-site experience but also opens up new avenues for remote attendees who, regardless of location, can experience concerts as if they were attending in person. This innovative application demonstrates 5G’s potential to revolutionize how we consume and interact with entertainment, paving the way for more personalized and engaging viewer experiences.

4. Future Prospects and Innovations

As 5G networks continue to expand globally, the horizon for innovative applications seems boundless. From advancing the Internet of Things (IoT) to facilitating autonomous transportation systems, 5G is instrumental in catalyzing essential developments across various sectors. By enabling robust and rapid communication between devices, it sets the groundwork for interconnected ecosystems and the seamless flow of data.

Future prospects include the widespread adoption of smart factories empowered by real-time analytics and enhanced automation, fortified by 5G infrastructure. The retail industry is set to witness transformations with tailored interactive shopping experiences facilitated over 5G networks, blending the physical and digital shopping landscapes.

Image credit: Unsplash

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A Brave Post-Coronavirus New World

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A Brave Post-Coronavirus New World

GUEST POST from Greg Satell

In 1973, in the wake of the Arab defeat in the Yom Kippur war with Israel, OPEC instituted an oil embargo on America and its allies. The immediate effects of the crisis was a surge in gas prices and a recession in the west. The ripple effects, however, were far more complex and played out over decades.

The rise in oil prices brought much needed hard currency to the Soviet Union, prolonging its existence and setting the stage for its later demise. The American auto industry, with its passion for big, gas guzzling cars, lost ground to the emergent. The new consciousness of conservation led to the establishment of the Department of Energy.

Today the Covid-19 crisis has given a shock to the system and we’re at a similar inflection point. The most immediate effects have been economic recession and the rapid adoption of digital tools, such as video conferencing. Over the next decade or so, however, the short-term impacts will combine with other more longstanding trends to reshape technology and society.

Pervasive Transformation

We tend to think about innovation as if it were a single event, but the truth is that it’s a process of a process of discovery, engineering and transformation, which takes decades to run its course. For example, Alan Turing discovered the principles of a universal computer in 1936, but it wasn’t until the 1950s and 60s that digital computers became commercially available.

Even then, digital technology, didn’t really begin to become truly transformational until the mid-90s. By this time, it was well understood enough to make the leap from highly integrated systems to modular ecosystems, making the technology cheaper, more functional and more reliable. The number of applications exploded and the market grew quickly.

Still, as the Covid-19 crisis has made clear, we’ve really just been scratching the surface. Although digital technology certainly accelerated the pace of work, it did fairly little to fundamentally change the nature of it. People still commuted to work in an office, where they would attend meetings in person, losing hours of productive time each and every day.

Over the next decade, we will see pervasive transformation. As Mark Zuckerberg has pointed out, once people can work remotely, they can work from anywhere, which will change the nature of cities. Instead of “offsite” meetings, we may very well have “onsite” meetings where people from their home cities over travel to headquarters to do more active collaboration.

These trends will combine with nascent technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain to revolutionize business processes and supply chains. Organizations that cannot adopt key technologies will very likely find themselves unable to compete.

The Rise of Heterogeneous Computing

The digital age did not begin with personal computers in the 70s and 80s, but started back in the 1950s with the shift from electromechanical calculating machines to transistor based mainframes. However, because so few people used computers back then—they were largely relegated to obscure back office tasks and complex scientific calculations—the transformation took place largely out of public view.

A similar process is taking place today with new architectures such as quantum and neuromorphic computing. While these technologies are not yet commercially viable, they are advancing quickly and will eventually become thousands, if not millions, of times more effective than digital systems.

However, what’s most important to understand is that they are fundamentally different from digital computers and from each other. Quantum computers will create incredibly large computing spaces that will handle unimaginable complexity. Neuromorphoic systems, based on the human brain, will be massively powerful, vastly more efficient and more responsive.

Over the next decade we’ll be shifting to a heterogeneous computing environment, where we use different architectures for different tasks. Most likely, we’ll still use digital technology as an interface to access systems, but increasingly performance will be driven by more advanced architectures.

A Shift From Bits to Atoms

The digital revolution created a virtual world. My generation was the first to grow up with video games and our parents worried that we were becoming detached from reality. Then computers entered offices and Dan Bricklin created Visicalc, the first spreadsheet program. Eventually smartphones and social media appeared and we began spending almost as much time in the virtual world as we did in the physical one.

Essentially, what we created was a simulation economy. We could experiment with business models in our computers, find flaws and fix them before they became real. Computer-aided design (CAD) software allowed us to quickly and cheaply design products in bits before we got down to the hard, slow work of shaping atoms. Because it’s much cheaper to fail in the virtual world than the physical one, this made our economy more efficient.

Today we’re doing similar things at the molecular level. For example, digital technology was combined with synthetic biology to quickly sequence the Covid-19 virus. These same technologies then allowed scientists to design vaccines in days and to bring them to market in less than a year.

A parallel revolution is taking in materials science, while at the same time digital technology is beginning to revolutionize traditional industries such as manufacturing and agriculture. The expanded capabilities of heterogeneous computing will accelerate these trends over the next few decades.

What’s important to understand is that we spend vastly more money on atoms than bits. Even at this advanced stage, information technologies only make up about 6% of GDP in advanced economies. Clearly, there is a lot more opportunity in the other 94%, so the potential of the post-digital world is likely to far outstrip anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes.

Collaboration is the New Competitive Advantage

Whenever I think back to when we got that first computer back in the 1980s, I marvel at how different the world was then. We didn’t have email or mobile phones, so unless someone was at home or in the office, they were largely unreachable. Without GPS, we had to either remember where things were or ask for directions.

These technologies have clearly changed our lives dramatically, but they were also fairly simple. Email, mobile and GPS were largely standalone technologies. There were, of course, technical challenges, but these were relatively narrow. The “killer apps” of the post-digital era will require a much higher degree of collaboration over a much more diverse set of skills.

To understand how different this new era of innovation will be, consider how IBM developed the PC. Essentially, they sent some talented engineers to Boca Raton for a year and, in that time, developed a marketable product. For quantum computing, however, it is building a vast network, including national labs, research universities, startups and industrial partners.

The same will be true of the post-Covid world. It’s no accident that Zoom has become the killer app of the pandemic. The truth is that the challenges we will face over the next decade will be far too complex for any one organization to tackle it alone. That’s why collaboration is becoming the new competitive advantage. Power will reside not at the top of hierarchies, but at the center of networks and ecosystems.

— Article courtesy of the Digital Tonto blog
— Image credit: Unsplash

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