Thanks to Bettina von Stamm for bringing this comedic gem to my attention:
It does a great job of highlighting how technology companies come along and completely change parts of our common language.
For my non-European friends, Orange is a French mobile telecommunications provider (aka France Telecom).
I hope everyone has a funny Friday and a great weekend!
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GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato
In today’s fast-paced business landscape, change has become the norm. Organizations constantly face the challenge of adapting to keep up with market demands and technological advancements. However, implementing change successfully requires more than just defining strategic objectives; it necessitates effective communication strategies that engage and inspire employees. This article explores two case study examples that highlight the importance of tailored communication approaches in facilitating successful change initiatives.
Zappos, the renowned online shoe and clothing retailer, decided to adopt Holacracy, a self-management system that redistributes decision-making authority throughout an organization. Recognizing the potential resistance and confusion among employees during this major structural change, Zappos employed effective change communication strategies to engage and inspire their workforce.
Firstly, Zappos adopted a transparent approach to communication by sharing the rationale behind the change and its potential benefits. Jeff Weiner, CEO of Zappos, held numerous town hall meetings to address employees’ concerns and provide a platform for open dialogue. This facilitated a deeper understanding of the change’s purpose and ensured that employees felt heard and valued.
Secondly, Zappos utilized various mediums to communicate the change. They created informative videos, conducted webinars, and shared success stories from other organizations that had successfully implemented Holacracy. By utilizing a multichannel approach, Zappos ensured that employees received consistent and accessible information, increasing their comprehension and acceptance of the change.
The combination of transparent communication and a multichannel approach resulted in engaged and inspired employees at Zappos. By involving employees in the decision-making process and providing adequate support and information, Zappos successfully navigated the complexities of change and strengthened its workforce’s commitment to the new Holacracy system.
Microsoft’s cultural transformation journey under CEO Satya Nadella serves as another compelling example of effective change communication strategies. Nadella aimed to shift the company’s culture from a slow-moving bureaucracy to a more agile, innovative, and growth-oriented organization. To achieve this, he implemented various communication strategies to engage and inspire Microsoft’s diverse workforce.
The first crucial step in Microsoft’s transformation journey was establishing a clear shared purpose. Nadella effectively communicated his vision of empowering every individual and organization to achieve more. By articulating a compelling purpose that resonated with employees’ values, Microsoft created a unifying narrative that inspired employees to embrace the cultural shift.
Next, Microsoft recognized the importance of continuous communication throughout the change process. Nadella participated in numerous internal events, global town halls, and leadership forums, actively engaging with employees and listening to their concerns. By consistently providing updates and seeking input, Microsoft fostered a culture of collaboration, transparency, and trust, crucial elements for successful change management.
Furthermore, Microsoft focused on building a learning culture and invested in employee development programs. They introduced new initiatives such as “OneWeek,” an immersive event where employees could explore the latest technologies and collaborate on innovative projects. This not only upskilled employees but also created a sense of excitement and possibility, reinforcing the cultural transformation.
By combining a compelling shared purpose, continuous communication, and investment in employee development, Microsoft successfully transformed its culture. The engagement and inspiration of its employees played a vital role in aligning the organization with its strategic objectives, fostering innovation, and ultimately driving success.
Change is an inevitable part of organizational growth, and effective communication strategies are essential for engaging and inspiring employees during these transitions. The case studies of Zappos and Microsoft demonstrate the power of tailored approaches to change communication, emphasizing transparency, multichannel communication, shared purpose, continuous updates, employee engagement, and development opportunities. By implementing such strategies, organizations can navigate change successfully, ensuring their employees embrace and thrive in the new reality.
Bottom line: 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: Pixabay
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GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, change is not only inevitable but also a key driver of success and competitiveness. However, successfully implementing change within organizations is often met with resistance and challenges from stakeholders. Change leaders play a crucial role in navigating these obstacles and ensuring a smooth transition. In this article, we will explore two case studies that exemplify effective change leadership, including strategies to overcome resistance and manage stakeholders.
Microsoft, one of the world’s largest technology companies, embarked on a significant organizational transformation under the leadership of Satya Nadella. The change involved shifting the company culture, adopting a growth mindset, and focusing on cloud-based services. While this transformation was necessary for Microsoft’s long-term success, it faced resistance from internal stakeholders fearful of change.
To overcome resistance, Nadella employed several strategies:
1. Visionary Leadership: Nadella clearly communicated the vision of the transformation, emphasizing the potential benefits and aligning it with Microsoft’s core values. By painting a compelling picture of the future, he inspired stakeholders and created a shared purpose.
2. Empowering Employees: Nadella empowered employees to embrace change by fostering a culture of learning and experimentation. He encouraged risk-taking and provided resources and support to develop new skills. This approach instilled confidence in employees and helped them overcome fear and resistance.
3. Continuous Communication: To manage stakeholders effectively, Nadella prioritized transparent and consistent communication. Regular updates, town hall meetings, and open forums allowed employees to voice concerns or ask questions while understanding the rationale behind the change. This approach built trust, minimizing resistance.
These strategies facilitated Microsoft’s successful transformation, resulting in a renewed market position and increased innovation capabilities.
Zappos, an online shoe and clothing retailer, aimed to transition from a traditional hierarchical structure to a Holacracy-driven organization. The Holacracy model involves self-management and distributed decision-making authority. However, implementing such a radical change faced resistance not only from employees but also from external stakeholders like investors and customers.
Zappos utilized the following tactics to manage stakeholders and overcome resistance:
1. Transparent Communication: CEO Tony Hsieh communicated the motivations and goals behind the Holacracy implementation clearly. He engaged employees in ongoing conversations about the change, ensuring they understood the long-term benefits of self-management and decision-making authority.
2. Piloting Approach: Zappos implemented the Holacracy in pilot teams, allowing employees to experience the system and provide feedback. This approach enabled leadership to address concerns and iterate on the implementation strategy based on real-world experiences.
3. Customized Training and Support: Zappos invested in comprehensive training and development programs to equip employees with the necessary skills to thrive in the new decentralized structure. They also provided ongoing support and coaching to help employees navigate the change successfully.
Despite challenges, Zappos achieved a remarkable transformation by aligning stakeholders and empowering employees. The Holacracy implementation led to increased autonomy, creativity, and employee engagement, fostering a culture of innovation.
Change leadership is about more than merely implementing new processes or structures. It involves effectively managing stakeholders and overcoming resistance to ensure the change’s successful adoption. Microsoft and Zappos provide valuable insights into how change leaders can navigate these challenges by fostering a shared vision, empowering employees, and maintaining open lines of communication. By applying these strategies, organizations can drive transformation and position themselves for long-term success in an ever-evolving business environment.
SPECIAL BONUS: Braden Kelley’s Problem Finding Canvas can be a super useful starting point for doing design thinking or human-centered design.
“The Problem Finding Canvas should help you investigate a handful of areas to explore, choose the one most important to you, extract all of the potential challenges and opportunities and choose one to prioritize.”
Image credit: Pixabay
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GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia
In today’s fast-paced and competitive world, fostering creativity and innovation has become a top priority for organizations seeking to stay ahead of the curve. Open innovation, a paradigm that emphasizes collaboration and knowledge sharing beyond the boundaries of a company, has emerged as a powerful tool in nurturing and fueling creativity. This article will explore the role of open innovation in fostering creativity and provide two case study examples highlighting its impact.
Open innovation breaks down the traditional barriers and silos that often hinder creativity within organizations. By opening up the innovation process to external partners, customers, and even the general public, companies are able to tap into a diverse range of perspectives and ideas that can spark creativity. This collaborative approach enables the pooling of resources, expertise, and insights, ultimately driving the development of novel and groundbreaking solutions.
One notable example of open innovation’s role in nurturing creativity is the LEGO Group. Facing tough market competition and declining sales during the early 2000s, LEGO embraced open innovation to revitalize its brand and reignite creativity. The LEGO Ideas platform was launched, allowing fans and enthusiasts to submit their own designs for potential LEGO sets. Users could vote for their favorite designs, and the ones receiving enough support would be considered for production. This open approach not only engaged customers more deeply but also provided a constant stream of new ideas for LEGO to leverage. The result was a resurgence in creativity, with sets like the LEGO Ideas Exo Suit and LEGO Ideas Saturn V becoming highly popular. This open innovation not only reinvigorated the brand but also significantly expanded the creative possibilities in the LEGO universe.
Another compelling case study highlighting the impact of open innovation on creativity is the software giant Microsoft. In a bid to encourage innovation through open collaboration, Microsoft launched the Microsoft Garage initiative in 2009. The Garage encourages employees from different departments to collaborate on side projects and experiment with innovative ideas. Through this open innovation platform, employees are provided with time, resources, and a supportive environment to explore new concepts and technologies. One notable success story from Microsoft Garage is the development of the Microsoft HoloLens, a groundbreaking augmented reality device. Initially a side project of a few employees, the HoloLens gained significant traction within the company and ultimately became a flagship product, revolutionizing industries like healthcare, gaming, and architecture. The open innovation culture fostered by Microsoft Garage nurtures creativity within the company, leading to groundbreaking products that have a profound impact on the industry.
Open innovation’s role in nurturing creativity goes beyond specific case studies. By embracing collaboration, knowledge sharing, and external input, organizations can create an environment where new ideas thrive. Through platforms like crowdsourcing, innovation challenges, and co-creation initiatives, companies can tap into the collective wisdom and creativity of a diverse range of stakeholders. Such open approaches to innovation foster a culture of creativity and enable organizations to continuously adapt, evolve, and stay ahead of the competition in a rapidly changing world.
Open innovation plays a pivotal role in nurturing creativity within organizations. Through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the inclusion of external stakeholders, companies can tap into a wealth of diverse perspectives and ideas. The case studies of LEGO and Microsoft demonstrate the transformative power of open innovation in driving creativity and innovation. By embracing an open approach, companies can unlock the full creative potential of their employees and stakeholders, leading to the development of innovative solutions that shape industries and define the future.
Image credit: Misterinnovation.com
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GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato
Innovation is essential for any organization to stay competitive in today’s ever-changing business landscape. Companies need to learn how to empower their teams to come up with creative solutions to challenging problems in order to remain ahead of the curve. Harnessing the power of diversity is a proven way to spur innovation and drive positive outcomes. A diverse team offers multiple perspectives, enabling them to develop creative, out-of-the-box solutions.
Organizations should be committed to creating an inclusive work culture that promotes collaboration and innovation amongst its employees. They can do this by establishing strong values for diversity and inclusion that encourage different opinions and ideas. Companies should also encourage employees to share their own knowledge and experiences; creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust.
With that in mind, here are some tips on how to leverage different perspectives within your organization to drive innovation:
1. Encourage diverse teams: When forming teams and project groups, aim to have a diverse team of individuals who can bring different skills and perspectives to the table. Having a variety of views will foster more creative solutions and lead to better problem solving.
2. Foster an environment of open dialogue: Allowing people to openly discuss their ideas and experiences encourages idea-sharing amongst team members. Create a safe environment where everyone is open and willing to express their ideas and point of view.
3. Promote flexible working arrangements: Allowing for flexible working arrangements enables individuals to work remotely or in different locations, thus leveraging different perspectives. Making sure that everyone can stay connected and access all the resources they need is essential for collaboration and innovation.
4. Leverage technology and tools: Organizations can use technology to promote collaboration and idea-sharing across different locations. Utilizing tools such as video conferencing, online collaboration software, and cloud-based communication platforms will enable team members to exchange ideas effectively and stay connected.
In conclusion, diversity is a powerful source of creativity and innovation. Harnessing the power of different perspectives can lead to improved problem solving and productive solutions. By promoting an inclusive and collaborative work culture, organizations can best leverage different perspectives to spur innovation and drive positive outcomes.
Proctor & Gamble showed the power of leveraging different perspectives when launching their Swiffer mop product. In order to best assess the potential for Swiffer’s success, P&G assembled an R&D team made up of both men and women with varied experience in both household chore and chemical engineering. The team was able to identify potential issues with the product’s use within households and developed creative solutions, ensuring the success of the product in the market.
Microsoft showed the power of embracing different perspectives when developing their Kinect game console. Microsoft brought together a diverse team of engineers, designers, and software developers from a variety of cultural, educational, and technical backgrounds, and tasked them with the challenge of developing the console. The team was able to identify opportunities and potential pitfalls of the product, leading to the successful launch of Kinect.
Both of these examples demonstrate how organizations can effectively leverage different perspectives to develop innovative solutions and spur growth. By encouraging open dialogue, embracing flexible working arrangements, and leveraging technology and tools, organizations can best leverage the power of diversity and reap positive outcomes.
One of the great tools I haven’t mentioned that is very useful for increasing the effectiveness of innovation teams is The Nine Innovation Roles created by Braden Kelley, which has been translated into multiple languages and are used by innovation professionals in companies all around the world.
Image credit: Pexels
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GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia
Design thinking is a powerful approach for driving innovation and impacting business results. By combining a creative mindset with business strategy, design thinking is transforming the way companies go to market and strike competitive advantage. With design thinking, business leaders can rethink processes, products, and services, identify customer needs, and better serve their customers. For example, car companies are leveraging design thinking to focus on developing a user-driven customer experience in order to stay competitive and differentiate. Here, we’ll explore how design thinking techniques are being utilized in a business context and how they’re changing the way business leaders drive success within their companies.
When BMW launched its “My BMW” app in 2012, the company sought to create a groundbreaking user experience that was centered around the customer. BMW was not only looking to move away from conventional thinking but also to go beyond its own customer segmentations and brand loyalty programs. BMW’s design thinking focused on creating a new way for customers to interact with the car, using features such as remote operation of the windows and lights, and other service information and booking features. With design thinking, BMW changed the customer experience, transforming the car from a reactive device to an active member of a connected lifestyle.
As cloud-based products started to gain traction, Microsoft faced the challenge of staying ahead of the game in a disruptive environment. Microsoft’s design thinking focused on creating customer-centric solutions to meet customer needs while keeping close to the technology trends. Teams at Microsoft decided to focus on user experience and initiated programs to create a “design language” focused on creating a consistent and user-friendly experience across devices and products. This language was applied to popular products such as Office 365, Skype, Teams, and Xbox, creating an ecosystem of connected products and services across devices and across platforms.
Design thinking is transforming the way business leaders drive success in their companies. By applying creative techniques to traditional business strategies, companies can identify customer needs and develop solutions that are tailored to customer requirements. In this article, we explored how BMW and Microsoft achieved success by integrating design thinking into their business strategies. With these examples, one can see how design thinking is changing the way business leaders interact with their customers and their organizations. With a focus on user experience, design thinking is helping companies stay ahead of the competition in an ever-changing technology landscape.
SPECIAL BONUS: Braden Kelley’s Problem Finding Canvas can be a super useful starting point for doing design thinking or human-centered design.
“The Problem Finding Canvas should help you investigate a handful of areas to explore, choose the one most important to you, extract all of the potential challenges and opportunities and choose one to prioritize.”
Image credit: Pexels
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Saqib Shaikh lives is blind, lives in London, and is a core Microsoft developer. He lost the use of his eyes at age 7. Saqib found inspiration in software development and is helping build Seeing AI, a research project helping blind or visually impaired people to better understand who and what is around them. The app is built using intelligence APIs from Microsoft Cognitive Services.
Pretty amazing that an app can use a camera to capture an image or a video feed, and using artificial intelligence, to analyze the scene and vocalize to the user what it sees. In this example this is being done for the benefit of a human user, but imagine what could be possible if one computer program is used to serve instead, another computer program as the user of the analysis. What might that make possible?
How might you or your organization make use of technology like this?
What direction do you think technology like this will take?
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I came across an article on Mashable recently highlighting a new Microsoft experiment. It highlights something that Microsoft has prototyped to test as part of their strategy to regain momentum in the mobile phone market by focusing on markets outside the United States where the first generation of the smartphone adoption battle hasn’t already been decided.
The first Microsoft branded phones are now appearing in the market as the relevance of the Nokia brand in the mobile phone market has nearly completely disappeared. With a single digit market share, Microsoft has to do something disruptive to get back in the game and get some value out of their huge Nokia acquisition. Most people would say that doing something disruptive is outside of Microsoft’s comfort zone, but there are examples to the contrary where Microsoft has been more innovative than Google or Apple, so nothing is impossible.
So enough buildup. What exactly is Microsoft fooling around with as a potential strategy to get back in the global smartphone market?
It is this…
Microsoft is working with Xiaomi to prove that it is possible to bring Windows to Android hardware. The technical details aren’t all that important, the bigger question is whether Android handset owners would consider doing this or not.
The big value proposition highlighted in the Mashable article is that Windows is less hungry for resources than Android and so especially for people with older smartphones the switch could make their handset feel more responsive. Someone switching like this probably wouldn’t make Microsoft any immediate money, but of course the hope would be that when they upgraded that they would choose a Microsoft OS handset for their next smartphone.
As someone who ditched his Android phone for a Nokia Lumia phone running Windows Phone and never looked back, I can confirm that Windows Phone is better than Android (althought the App selection is much smaller).
Given that Windows Phone biggest weakness is probably App availability, Microsoft better do everything they can to convert phones over to their new Windows 10 OS, other way that gap will never close. Will this experiment be fully unleashed? Will it work? Could Microsoft disrupt the smartphone market and get back in the game with this approach?
I guess only time will tell.
In the meantime, if you want to see more, check out the video above and work on your Chinese at the same time.
If you’re not sure what I meant by seamless computing when I referred to it above, I encourage you to check out my previous article – Cloud Computing is Dead, Long Live the Cloud! (which is also available as a narrated audio file)
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I came across the latest vision of future productivity from Microsoft today and thought I would share it with you, along with a whole series of previous videos from Microsoft taking a look at the same subject area, ranging from 2009-2015. It is interesting to see what has changed and what has stayed the same over those six years in their view of the future.
So, here is Microsoft’s latest vision of future productivity:
And here is a closer in, more present-oriented view of changes in how people think about technology, collaboration, and productivity from Julia White, General Manager, WW Office Marketing, Microsoft:
(sorry, someone made this video private)
It can also be interesting to see how visions of the future evolve over time, so here is Microsoft’s vision of the future from October 2011:
And their 2009 vision:
Does anything jump out that has either worked its way into Microsoft’s vision of the future of productivity or worked its way out of their vision that is notable?
I’d be curious to hear your thoughts and reactions to this series of videos and where you think things are going in the near term and longer term.
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Wow!
I have to start that word, because I’m not sure how else to describe what has just emerged from Microsoft Research in the new Microsoft HoloLens.
And as I say in the title, if you watch the video below you’ll clearly see that Microsoft has just busted Google Glass – both lenses.
I said from the beginning that Google Glass would never catch on as a consumer product, because they look dumb, cost a lot of money, and don’t really fit into most people’s lives (or add much of anything to them). Recently Google shut down its consumer facing Google Glass program while they try to fix its shortcomings.
Microsoft’s HoloLens on the other hand, if you’ve ever read Innovation is All About Value (if not, follow the link) then you’ll quickly see after watching the video above that Microsoft’s new potential innovation ticks all three boxes in my innovation success prediction framework:
Microsoft is being intentionally coy about saying when it will be releasing the Microsoft HoloLens, but some people are predicting it will be available in the Windows 10 launch timeframe, which Microsoft is also being vague about saying only “later in the year” – which for my money usually means Q4 (or maybe Q3) depending on how the preview version does in the wild.
So what do you think of Microsoft’s new HoloLens?
I for one will be reaching out to my friends at Microsoft (you know who you are) to get a personal preview for a further write-up in Innovation Excellence (the world’s most popular innovation web site), so stay tuned!
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