Responsible Innovation

Building Trust in a Technologically Advanced World

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

In our headlong rush toward the future, fueled by the relentless pace of technological advancement, we have a tendency to celebrate innovation for its speed and scale. We champion the next disruptive app, the more powerful AI model, or the seamless new user experience. But as a human-centered change and innovation thought leader, I believe we are at a critical inflection point. The question is no longer just, “Can we innovate?” but rather, “Should we?” and “How can we do so responsibly?” The future belongs not to the fastest innovators, but to the most trusted. Responsible innovation — a discipline that prioritizes ethics, human well-being, and social impact alongside commercial success—is the only sustainable path forward in a world where public trust is both fragile and invaluable.

The history of technology is littered with examples of innovations that, despite their potential, led to unintended and often harmful consequences. From social media algorithms that polarize societies to AI systems that perpetuate bias, the “move fast and break things” mantra has proven to be an unsustainable and, at times, dangerous philosophy. The public is growing weary. A lack of trust can lead to user backlash, regulatory intervention, and a complete rejection of a technology, no matter how clever or efficient it may be. The single greatest barrier to a new technology’s adoption isn’t its complexity, but the public’s perception of its integrity and safety. Therefore, embedding responsibility into the innovation process isn’t just an ethical consideration; it’s a strategic imperative for long-term survival and growth.

The Pillars of Responsible Innovation

Building a culture of responsible innovation requires a proactive and holistic approach, centered on four key pillars:

Ethical by Design: Integrate ethical considerations from the very beginning of the innovation process, not as an afterthought. This means asking critical questions about potential biases, unintended consequences, and the ethical implications of a technology before a single line of code is written.
Transparent and Accountable: Be clear about how your technology works, what data it uses, and how decisions are made. When things go wrong, take responsibility and be accountable for the outcomes. Transparency builds trust.
Human-Centered and Inclusive: Innovation must serve all of humanity, not just a select few. Design processes must include diverse perspectives to ensure solutions are inclusive, accessible, and do not inadvertently harm marginalized communities.
Long-Term Thinking: Look beyond short-term profits and quarterly results. Consider the long-term societal, environmental, and human impact of your innovation. This requires foresight and a commitment to creating lasting, positive value.

“Trust is the currency of the digital age. Responsible innovation is how we earn it, one ethical decision at a time.”

Integrating Responsibility into Your Innovation DNA

This is a cultural shift, not a checklist. It demands that leaders and teams ask new questions and embrace new metrics of success:

Establish Ethical AI/Innovation Boards: Create a cross-functional board that includes ethicists, sociologists, and community representatives to review new projects from a non-technical perspective.
Implement an Ethical Innovation Framework: Develop a formal framework that requires teams to assess and document the potential societal impact, privacy risks, and fairness implications of their work.
Reward Responsible Behavior: Adjust performance metrics to include not just commercial success, but also a project’s adherence to ethical principles and positive social impact.
Cultivate a Culture of Candor: Foster a psychologically safe environment where employees feel empowered to raise ethical concerns without fear of retribution.

Case Study 1: The Facial Recognition Debates – Ethical Innovation in Action

The Challenge:

Facial recognition technology is incredibly powerful, with potential applications ranging from unlocking smartphones to enhancing public safety. However, it also presents significant ethical challenges, including the potential for mass surveillance, privacy violations, and algorithmic bias that disproportionately misidentifies people of color and women. Companies were innovating at a rapid pace, but without a clear ethical compass, leading to public outcry and a lack of trust.

The Responsible Innovation Response:

In response to these concerns, some tech companies and cities took a different approach. Instead of a “deploy first, ask questions later” strategy, they implemented moratoriums and initiated a public dialogue. Microsoft, for example, proactively called for federal regulation of the technology and refused to sell its facial recognition software to certain law enforcement agencies, demonstrating a commitment to ethical principles over short-term revenue.

Proactive Regulation: They acknowledged the technology was too powerful and risky to be left unregulated, effectively inviting government oversight.
Inclusion of Stakeholders: The debate moved beyond tech company boardrooms to include civil rights groups, academics, and the public, ensuring a more holistic and human-centered discussion.
A Commitment to Fairness: Researchers at companies like IBM and Microsoft worked to improve the fairness of their algorithms, publicly sharing their findings to contribute to a better, more ethical industry standard.

The Result:

While the debate is ongoing, this shift toward responsible innovation has helped to build trust and has led to a more nuanced public understanding of the technology. By putting ethical guardrails in place and engaging in public discourse, these companies are positioning themselves as trustworthy partners in a developing market. They recognized that sustainable innovation is built on a foundation of trust, not just technological prowess.

Case Study 2: The Evolution of Google’s Self-Driving Cars (Waymo)

The Challenge:

From the outset, self-driving cars presented a complex set of ethical dilemmas. How should the car be programmed to act in a no-win scenario? What if it harms a pedestrian? How can the public trust a technology that is still under development, and how can a company be transparent about its safety metrics without revealing proprietary information?

The Responsible Innovation Response:

Google’s self-driving car project, now Waymo, has been a leading example of responsible innovation. Instead of rushing to market, they prioritized safety, transparency, and a long-term, human-centered approach.

Prioritizing Safety over Speed: Waymo’s vehicles have a human driver in the car at all times to take over in case of an emergency. This is a deliberate choice to prioritize safety above a faster, more automated rollout. They are transparently sharing their data on “disengagements” (when the human driver takes over) to show their progress.
Community Engagement: Waymo has engaged with local communities, holding workshops and public forums to address concerns about job losses, safety, and the role of autonomous vehicles in public life.
Ethical Framework: They have developed a clear ethical framework for their technology, including a commitment to minimizing harm, respecting local traffic laws, and being transparent about their performance.

The Result:

By taking a slow, deliberate, and transparent approach, Waymo has built a high degree of trust with the public and with regulators. They are not the fastest to market, but their approach has positioned them as the most credible and trustworthy player in a high-stakes industry. Their focus on responsible development has not been a barrier to innovation; it has been the very foundation of their long-term viability, proving that trust is the ultimate enabler of groundbreaking technology.

Conclusion: Trust is the Ultimate Innovation Enabler

In a world of breathtaking technological acceleration, our greatest challenge is not in creating the next big thing, but in doing so in a way that builds, rather than erodes, public trust. Responsible innovation is not an optional extra or a marketing ploy; it is a fundamental business strategy for long-term success. It requires a shift from a “move fast and break things” mentality to a “slow down and build trust” philosophy.

Leaders must champion a new way of thinking—one that integrates ethics, inclusivity, and long-term societal impact into the core of every project. By doing so, we will not only build better products and services but also create a more resilient, equitable, and human-centered future. The most powerful innovation is not just what we create, but how we create it. The time to be responsible is now.

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: Pixabay

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Why We Need Digital Health Package Inserts

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Why We Need Digital Health Package Inserts

GUEST POST from Arlen Meyers, M.D.

The Food and Drug Administration announced new rules for nutrition labels that can go on the front of food packages to indicate that they are “healthy.”

According to one source, a package insert is a document included in the package of a medication that provides information about that drug and its use. For prescription medications, the insert is technical, and provides information for medical professionals about how to prescribe the drug. Package inserts for prescription drugs often include a separate document called a “patient package insert” with information written in plain language intended for the end-user — the person who will take the drug or give the drug to another person, for example a minor. Inserts for over-the-counter medications are also written plainly.

In the US the document is called “prescribing information” or the “package insert” (PI) and layperson’s document is called the patient package insert (PPI). In Europe the technical document is called the “summary of product characteristics” (SmPC) and the document for end-users is called the “patient information leaflet” (PIL) or “package leaflet”.

Given the confusion about 1) which digital health product to prescribe for any given patient, 2) the fact that many products are actually consumer products designated to provide information and education, not diagnosis or treatment, and 3) most are not clinically validated or cost-effective, perhaps it’s time to require package inserts for the prescriber and the patients.

Prescription digital therapeutics is also being added to the therapeutic armementarium and is raising several questions about safety, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, ROI, reimbursement and regulatory requirements, including whether package inserts should be required, how they should be made available to patients, and what they should include.

What is in a package insert is described and required by the FDA and includes:

Clinical pharmacology – tells how the medicine works in the body, how it is absorbed and eliminated, and what its effects are likely to be at various concentrations. May also contain results of various clinical trials (studies) and/or explanations of the medication’s effect on various populations (e.g. children, women, etc.).
Indications and usage – uses (indications) for which the drug has been FDA-approved (e.g. migraines, seizures, high blood pressure). Physicians legally can and often do prescribe medicines for purposes not listed in this section (so-called “off-label uses”).
Contraindications – lists situations in which the medication should not be used, for example in patients with other medical conditions such as kidney problems or allergies
Warnings – covers possible serious side effects that may occur
Precautions – explains how to use the medication safely including physical impairments and drug interactions; for example “Do not drink alcohol while taking this medication” or “Do not take this medication if you are currently taking MAOI inhibitors“
Adverse reactions – lists all side effects observed in all studies of the drug (as opposed to just the dangerous side effects which are separately listed in “Warnings” section)
Drug abuse and dependence – provides information regarding whether prolonged use of the medication can cause physical dependence (only included if applicable)
Overdosage – gives the results of an overdose and provides recommended action in such cases
Dosage and administration – gives recommended dosage(s); may list more than one for different conditions or different patients (e.g., lower dosages for children)
How supplied – explains in detail the physical characteristics of the medication including color, shape, markings, etc., and storage information (e.g., “Store between 68 and 78°F “)

Of course, there would need to be some modifications, like:

Safety and efficacy
Cybersecurity risks
Data security
Data , privacy, ownership and transfer rights
Side effects
Designation as a consumer product or a diagnostic or therapeutic device
Generic substitution possibilities
Adverse app reactions
App-app interactions
Compatibility with other drugs or devices

One thing that will not be in the insert will be what all this costs to you or someone else who has to pay for it.

Research shows that “Safety of apps is an emerging public health issue. The available evidence shows that apps pose clinical risks to consumers. Involvement of consumers, regulators, and healthcare professionals in development and testing can improve quality. Additionally, mandatory reporting of safety concerns is needed to improve outcomes.”

It is short-sighted, however, to let DTC medical apps slip under the regulatory radar. As described in a recent article for Nature, they could turn out to have costs which insurers or taxpayers might ultimately be responsible for.

But, the FDA is not the only agency with regulatory power. How about the Federal Trade Commission? Almost every promotion these days claims “AI-powered” What should be the truth in advertising standards to make that claim? Should there be something like a nutrition label ?

Medical student and resident education in clinical informatics, including artificial intelligence, is a good start. Here are some potential curricular and extracurricular learning opportunities for artificial intelligence in medicine.

At this point you are probably thinking, “We have enough regulations and we love our APPs. So what if they don’t make us any better.”

Go shove your insert.

Next, you’ll be telling us it has to have all that cotton in the bottle too.

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Lifelong Learning as a Business Imperative

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Investing in Your People’s Future

Lifelong Learning as a Business Imperative

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

In an era of unprecedented technological advancement and market disruption, the skills that made a company successful yesterday are not enough to guarantee its survival tomorrow. The traditional model of a single, intensive education followed by a career of static application is obsolete. The most forward-thinking, resilient organizations understand that lifelong learning is no longer a personal preference—it’s a critical business imperative. As a human-centered change and innovation thought leader, I argue that investing in your people’s continuous growth is the most powerful strategy for building a future-proof, adaptable, and innovative enterprise. It’s a shift from viewing training as a cost center to seeing learning as a core driver of business value.

The pace of change, from the rise of AI to the evolution of global supply chains, demands a workforce that is not just skilled, but learnable. This means cultivating a culture where curiosity is celebrated, experimentation is encouraged, and continuous skill development is woven into the very fabric of daily work. By empowering employees to become perpetual learners, organizations gain a profound competitive advantage. They build a well of internal expertise, boost employee engagement and retention, and, most importantly, create the intellectual flexibility necessary to pivot and innovate in the face of uncertainty.

Why Continuous Learning is Your Best Strategic Investment

Viewing lifelong learning as a strategic business function unlocks several key benefits:

Enhanced Adaptability and Agility: A workforce that is constantly learning is inherently more adaptable. They can quickly acquire new skills, embrace new technologies, and pivot their roles as market demands shift, making the entire organization more agile.
Innovation from Within: When employees are empowered to learn and experiment, they are more likely to generate innovative ideas and solutions from the ground up. New knowledge fuels new perspectives, leading to breakthrough products, services, and processes.
Improved Employee Retention & Engagement: Investing in your people’s growth sends a powerful message: “We value you, and we are committed to your future here.” This recognition is a primary driver of employee loyalty, reducing turnover and making the company a magnet for top talent.
Building a Knowledge Repository: As employees acquire new skills and share their knowledge, the organization’s collective intelligence grows. This creates a valuable internal resource that reduces reliance on expensive external consultants and provides a source of competitive advantage.
Closing the Skills Gap: Instead of struggling to hire for specialized roles in a tight labor market, organizations can proactively upskill their existing workforce, building the capabilities they need from the inside out.

“The greatest investment a company can make is not in technology, but in the human capacity to understand, use, and create with that technology.”

Practical Steps to Cultivate a Learning Culture

Creating a culture of lifelong learning requires more than just offering a training budget. It demands a systemic approach from leadership:

Lead by Example: Leaders must visibly engage in their own learning journeys, sharing what they’ve learned and modeling a growth mindset.
Allocate Dedicated Time: Make learning a formal part of the workday. Allow employees a set number of hours per week or month to dedicate to self-directed learning, online courses, or workshops.
Create a Learning Ecosystem: Provide access to a diverse range of learning resources, including online platforms (Coursera, LinkedIn Learning), mentorship programs, and internal knowledge-sharing sessions.
Measure & Reward Learning: Track and celebrate the acquisition of new skills. Tie learning milestones to career progression and performance reviews, showing that continuous growth is a valued part of the job.
Encourage Experimentation: Create psychologically safe spaces for employees to apply new knowledge to real-world projects, even if they fail. This hands-on application solidifies learning.

Case Study 1: AT&T’s Workforce 2020 Program – Proactive Reskilling

The Challenge:

In the mid-2010s, AT&T’s core business was shifting dramatically from a legacy phone company to a software-driven, digital services provider. The company’s vast workforce, many with expertise in traditional telecom infrastructure, lacked the skills needed for this new era of 5G, AI, and cloud computing. The alternative—mass layoffs and a massive new hiring effort—was both costly and demoralizing.

The Learning-Driven Solution:

Instead of a reactive approach, AT&T launched a massive, proactive reskilling initiative called “Workforce 2020.” The program was designed to preemptively train employees in the skills the company would need in the future. They partnered with universities and online learning platforms to create a learning ecosystem that allowed employees to self-direct their education.

Investment in People: AT&T committed over $250 million a year to the program, signaling a profound investment in its existing workforce.
Data-Driven Approach: They used data analytics to forecast future skill needs, allowing employees to choose from courses and certifications that were directly relevant to the company’s strategic direction.
Cultivating a New Mindset: The program was more than just training; it was about fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth, making employees the drivers of their own professional development.

The Result:

AT&T successfully reskilled tens of thousands of employees, transforming its workforce from one with legacy skills to one fluent in the language of the digital age. This initiative not only saved the company millions in recruitment and onboarding costs but also dramatically improved employee morale and retention. It proved that a large, established enterprise could successfully navigate a monumental shift by making a strategic bet on its people’s capacity for lifelong learning.

Case Study 2: General Motors and the Future of Automotive – From Manufacturing to Mobility

The Challenge:

General Motors (GM) is at the epicenter of a major disruption: the shift from internal combustion engines to electric and autonomous vehicles. This requires a completely new set of skills in software engineering, battery technology, data science, and AI—skills that are not traditionally core to a legacy automaker’s workforce. The challenge was to bridge this massive skills gap to become a leader in the new mobility landscape.

The Learning-Driven Solution:

GM recognized that it couldn’t simply hire its way out of this problem. They embarked on a comprehensive upskilling and reskilling journey for their global workforce. They partnered with leading tech companies and academic institutions to provide training in critical areas. Key elements included:

Internal Knowledge Transfer: Creating programs for knowledge sharing between seasoned engineers and new software experts, blending deep domain expertise with cutting-edge tech skills.
Role Reinvention: Encouraging employees to envision new roles for themselves within the company, providing them with the educational resources to make that transition.
Strategic Partnerships: Collaborating with platforms like Udacity to launch nanodegree programs in areas like self-driving car engineering, directly targeting the skills needed for GM’s future.

The Result:

By investing in its people’s lifelong learning, GM has been able to accelerate its transition from a car manufacturer to a mobility company. The company has retained valuable institutional knowledge while acquiring new, critical skills from within. This has not only reduced the skills gap but also built a culture of innovation and adaptability that is essential for competing with agile tech companies entering the automotive space. GM’s success in this transition is a powerful testament to the idea that the workforce you have today can become the workforce you need tomorrow, with the right investment in learning.

Conclusion: The Ultimate Competitive Advantage

In a world where technology and markets are in a state of perpetual flux, the most resilient organizations will be those that prioritize continuous learning. Lifelong learning is not a perk; it is a fundamental business imperative and the ultimate competitive advantage. It’s an investment that pays dividends in adaptability, innovation, and long-term viability.

As leaders, our most critical role is to stop seeing our workforce as a fixed asset and start treating them as an infinite source of potential. By creating a culture that celebrates and enables continuous growth, we not only future-proof our organizations but also empower our people to thrive in a world that is constantly changing. It’s a win-win: we build a more resilient business, and our employees build a more relevant and fulfilling career. It’s time to make learning a cornerstone of our strategy, not an afterthought.

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.

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Meet me in Manhattan – Innovation and Change Advisory

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Meet me in Manhattan - Innovation and Change Advisory

As the title of the site says, I focus on human-centered change and innovation, bringing in elements of design thinking, customer experience, employee experience and digital transformation as needed.

On November 18, 2022 I will be in New York City (Midtown Manhattan) and available to connect for any of the following purposes:

Private keynote or workshop for your organization

Certification session on the Change Planning Toolkit™ and/or FutureHacking™ sets of tools for your team

Featured keynote speaker or workshop for a sales event or conference

Advisory session to provide input on your innovation or transformation program, or a specific innovation project

Audio or video podcast appearance

Grab a coffee or a meal — to connect or reconnect

If you work in Manhattan or are willing to travel in from elsewhere in the greater New York City metropolitan area (or the world) and are looking to increase the innovation or transformation capabilities of your organization or to de-risk an innovation project by getting an outside perspective, please contact me.

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Innovating with Competitors for Mutual Benefit

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The Art of Co-opetition

Innovating with Competitors for Mutual Benefit

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

For centuries, the business world has been largely defined by a zero-sum game mentality: my gain is your loss, and vice versa. Competition, in its purest form, often paints rivals as adversaries to be defeated. However, in an increasingly complex, interconnected, and rapidly evolving global economy, this outdated mindset is not only limiting; it’s detrimental. As a human-centered change and innovation thought leader, I advocate for a more nuanced and powerful strategy: **co-opetition**. This isn’t just a clever portmanteau; it’s a strategic imperative that combines competition and cooperation, enabling organizations to innovate faster, enter new markets, and tackle grand challenges that no single entity could solve alone. It’s about recognizing that sometimes, the fastest way forward is to build bridges, not just walls, with those who might traditionally be seen as your fiercest rivals.

Co-opetition acknowledges that while companies may compete fiercely for market share on one front, they can also collaborate to expand the entire market, establish industry standards, share costly R&D, or even address systemic societal issues. This requires a significant shift in mindset—from purely adversarial to strategically collaborative—and a deep understanding of shared objectives that transcend individual company interests. It’s about finding those unique, human-centered problems or opportunities that are too big for any single player, and then pooling resources and expertise to collectively unlock new value.

Why Co-opetition is the New Innovation Frontier

Embracing co-opetition offers compelling advantages in today’s innovation landscape:

Accelerated Innovation: By sharing research, development costs, or technological expertise, companies can bring new products, services, or industry standards to market much faster than they could individually. This is particularly crucial in rapidly evolving tech sectors.
Market Expansion & Creation: Collaborating with competitors can help create entirely new markets or significantly expand existing ones by developing universally accepted standards, educating consumers, or pooling resources for infrastructure development.
Shared Risk & Cost Reduction: Tackling complex, high-risk innovation projects (e.g., developing sustainable technologies, exploring new scientific frontiers) becomes more feasible when costs and risks are shared across multiple organizations.
Access to Complementary Expertise: No single company has all the answers. Co-opetition allows rivals to leverage each other’s unique strengths, technologies, or market access, creating synergistic solutions.
Industry-Wide Problem Solving: Many of today’s grand challenges—climate change, global health, digital ethics—require industry-wide solutions. Competitors often have a shared interest in solving these systemic issues that impact their entire ecosystem.

“In the age of exponential change, the enemy isn’t always your competitor. Sometimes, the real adversary is stagnation, and co-opetition is the antidote.”

The Art of Navigating Co-opetitive Relationships

Successfully engaging in co-opetition requires strategic clarity and careful management:

Clearly Define Collaboration Boundaries: Establish strict rules of engagement, clearly delineating what areas are open for cooperation and what remains fiercely competitive. This prevents valuable intellectual property or sensitive strategies from being compromised.
Identify Mutual Benefits: Both parties must clearly see the tangible advantages of collaboration. The “what’s in it for us” must be explicit and balanced.
Build Trust & Transparency (Within Limits): While sharing proprietary secrets is generally off-limits, a foundational level of trust and transparency is essential for effective collaboration. Clear communication channels are vital.
Focus on Expanding the Pie: The goal of co-opetition is often to grow the overall market or solve a common industry challenge, rather than just fighting over existing slices.
Formalize Agreements: Legal frameworks and clear contracts are crucial to define roles, responsibilities, IP ownership, and dispute resolution mechanisms.

Case Study 1: Payment Networks – Visa, Mastercard, and the Expansion of Digital Commerce

The Challenge:

Before the widespread adoption of credit and debit cards, cash and checks dominated transactions. The challenge for individual banks was to create a universally accepted, reliable, and secure electronic payment system that would build consumer trust and enable widespread merchant adoption. No single bank had the reach or resources to do this alone.

Co-opetition in Action:

Visa and Mastercard emerged from groups of competing banks that understood the need for a shared infrastructure. While banks competed fiercely for customers, they collectively owned and operated these payment networks. These networks, in turn, competed fiercely with each other to sign up banks and merchants. This is a classic example of co-opetition:

Shared Infrastructure: Competing banks collaborated to create a vast, reliable network for processing transactions, establishing universal standards that benefited all participants.
Market Expansion: By providing a secure and convenient alternative to cash, they jointly expanded the entire market for electronic payments, creating billions in new revenue for the entire banking industry.
Innovation in Security & Technology: Both Visa and Mastercard continually innovate in areas like fraud prevention, contactless payments, and digital wallets, often setting industry-wide standards that benefit all banks and consumers using their networks, even as they compete for transaction volume.

The Result:

The co-opetitive model of payment networks led to an explosion in digital commerce, fundamentally transforming how people buy and sell. Competing banks leveraged a shared infrastructure to grow a massive new market. Visa and Mastercard continue to be fierce rivals, yet their foundational co-opetition allows them to jointly build and expand the digital economy, proving that collaboration at a foundational level can drive immense, mutual profit.

Case Study 2: Autonomous Driving Development – The Race to a Shared Future

The Challenge:

Developing fully autonomous driving (Level 5) technology is one of the most complex and capital-intensive engineering challenges of our time. It requires trillions of miles of testing, massive R&D investments in AI, sensors, mapping, and regulatory navigation. No single automaker or tech company possesses all the necessary resources, data, or expertise to bring this to fruition independently, safely, and quickly.

Co-opetition in Action:

In response, we’ve seen an unprecedented wave of co-opetition across the automotive and tech industries. Companies that are fierce competitors in vehicle sales or software platforms are collaborating on specific aspects of autonomous driving:

Joint Ventures for Tech Platforms: BMW and Mercedes-Benz (Daimler), for example, have collaborated on developing scalable platforms for automated driving, pooling resources for sensor fusion, perception, and decision-making software. They still compete on car design and brand, but share the foundational, high-cost R&D.
Data Sharing & Mapping Consortia: Companies are exploring ways to share vast amounts of road data to improve mapping and perception systems, recognizing that a better shared “map” benefits everyone in the industry.
Standardization Efforts: Competitors work together on industry standards for safety, testing protocols, and communication between autonomous vehicles, ensuring public trust and regulatory acceptance for the entire sector.

The Result:

This co-opetitive approach is accelerating the development of autonomous driving technology, making it safer and more viable for wider adoption. While each company still aims to differentiate its final product, the shared investment in foundational technology and standards reduces individual risk, speeds up learning, and helps build public confidence in a nascent industry. It’s a pragmatic recognition that some challenges are simply too big to tackle alone, and mutual benefit can be achieved even among the fiercest competitors.

Conclusion: Redefining Competition for a Collaborative Future

The outdated paradigm of pure, unadulterated competition is no longer sufficient for the complexities of the 21st century. The most forward-thinking, human-centered organizations understand that strategic co-opetition—the art of collaborating with rivals for mutual benefit—is a powerful engine for innovation, market expansion, and systemic problem-solving.

As leaders, our challenge is to identify those critical junctures where collaboration with competitors can expand the overall pie, mitigate shared risks, or accelerate progress on grand challenges. It requires courage, a strategic mindset, and a willingness to see beyond immediate rivalries to shared long-term prosperity. Embrace co-opetition, and you will unlock new frontiers of innovation, build more resilient industries, and collectively shape a more prosperous and sustainable future.

Image credit: Unsplash

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Did You Make a Difference Today?

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Did You Make a Difference Today?

GUEST POST from Mike Shipulski

Did you engage today with someone that needed your time and attention, though they didn’t ask?

You had a choice to float above it all or recognize that your time and attention were needed. And then you had a follow-on choice: to keep on truckin’ or engage. If you recognized they needed your help, what caused you to spend the energy needed to do that?

And if you took the further step to engage, why did you do that?

For both questions, I bet the answer is the same – because you care about them, and you care about the work. And I bet they know that, and I bet you made a difference.

Did you alter your schedule today because something important came up?

What caused you to do that?

Was it about the thing that came up or the person(s) impacted by the thing that came up?

I bet it was the latter. And I bet you made a difference.

Did you spend a lot of energy at work today?

If so, why did you do that? Was it because you care about the people you work with?

Was it because you care about your customers?

Was it because you care enough about yourself to live up to your best expectations?

I bet it was all those reasons. And I bet you made a difference.

Image credit: Dr. Matthias Ripp

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The Future of Service

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Innovating for Seamless and Delightful Interactions

The Future of Service

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

In a world where products are increasingly commoditized and competition is just a click away, the true and lasting competitive advantage lies in the quality of your service. But the very definition of “service” is undergoing a profound transformation. It’s no longer just about fixing a problem or answering a question; it’s about creating seamless and delightful interactions that anticipate needs, remove friction, and build deep, lasting relationships. As a human-centered change and innovation thought leader, I believe the future of service is not just about being reactive, but about being proactively human-centric, leveraging technology to amplify empathy and deliver truly exceptional experiences.

The traditional service model often operates in silos, with fragmented touchpoints and a rigid, transactional approach. A customer calls one department, is transferred to another, and has to repeat their story multiple times. This isn’t service; it’s a series of frustrations. The future, however, is unified and intelligent. It’s about designing a holistic service journey that anticipates what the customer needs before they even ask, making every interaction feel intuitive and effortless. This shift requires a fundamental change in mindset, moving from a cost-center view of service to a strategic, value-creation engine.

The Four Pillars of Future-Ready Service Innovation

Building a service model for tomorrow requires a focus on four key pillars:

Proactive & Predictive: Leveraging data and AI to anticipate customer needs and issues. This means resolving a problem before the customer even knows they have one, such as notifying them of a potential shipping delay and offering a solution preemptively.
Seamless & Omni-Channel: Ensuring that the customer journey is fluid and consistent across all channels—from a website chatbot to a phone call to a social media message. The customer should never have to repeat themselves.
Personalized & Empathetic: Using data not just for efficiency, but for personalization. This means interactions feel tailored and human, remembering past conversations and preferences to build a genuine rapport.
Delightful & Unexpected: Moving beyond just meeting expectations to exceeding them. This involves small, surprising moments of delight that create memorable experiences and foster brand loyalty.

“The best service is so seamless, it’s invisible. The next best service is so delightful, it’s unforgettable.”

Integrating Technology to Amplify the Human Touch

Technology, particularly AI, is not the enemy of human-centered service; it is the ultimate enabler. When used correctly, it frees up human agents from repetitive, mundane tasks, allowing them to focus on complex, empathetic, and relationship-building interactions. It allows us to scale empathy in ways previously unimaginable.

AI for Triage & Efficiency: Use AI-powered chatbots and voice assistants to handle simple, high-volume queries, and to intelligently route complex issues to the right human expert with all the necessary context.
Data Analytics for Foresight: Analyze customer data to predict churn risk, identify opportunities for upselling, and proactively address pain points before they escalate.
Automation for Seamlessness: Automate routine tasks—like order tracking, appointment scheduling, and password resets—to eliminate friction and create an effortless experience.
CRM for Personalization: Equip human agents with a unified view of the customer’s history, preferences, and past interactions across all channels, enabling them to provide highly personalized and empathetic support.

Case Study 1: The Modern Banking Experience – A Shift from Transactional to Relationship-Driven

The Challenge:

For years, banking was a transactional experience. Customers only interacted with their bank when something went wrong, they needed a loan, or they had a question about a fee. This reactive, low-engagement model was ripe for disruption, especially with the rise of FinTech startups offering more user-friendly digital experiences.

Innovating for a Seamless and Proactive Service Journey:

Forward-thinking banks and FinTechs have used technology to fundamentally redefine the customer relationship:

Predictive Insights: Instead of just showing a balance, banking apps now use AI to analyze spending habits. They might send a notification that “you’re close to your budget limit on dining out” or “you have a recurring subscription you might have forgotten about.” This is a proactive, helpful service that anticipates a customer’s financial health.
Unified Channels: A customer can start a conversation with a chatbot on the app, and if the issue is complex, seamlessly transition to a human agent who has the full chat history and customer context instantly available. There is no need to repeat the problem.
Automated Problem Solving: Basic issues like a temporary debit card freeze or a disputed charge can be handled instantly through the app, without ever needing to call a representative, removing a massive point of friction.

The Result:

This shift from a purely transactional model to a seamless, proactive, and relationship-driven service has drastically improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. By using technology to anticipate needs and remove friction, these institutions have transformed banking from a chore into a tool that genuinely helps customers manage their financial lives. The innovation isn’t in a new product, but in a fundamentally better, more human-centric service experience.

Case Study 2: The E-commerce Returns Process – Turning a Pain Point into a Moment of Delight

The Challenge:

The returns process is often the most frustrating part of the e-commerce experience. It’s a key moment of truth that can either cement brand loyalty or destroy it. Traditional returns often involve printing labels, finding boxes, and a lengthy wait for a refund, all of which creates a high-friction, low-delight experience.

Innovating for a Delightful and Effortless Service Experience:

Some innovative retailers have re-engineered the returns process to be a moment of delight, using technology to enable a human-centered design:

Frictionless Returns: Companies like Nordstrom and Amazon have partnered with services that allow for no-box, no-label returns at local drop-off points. The customer simply brings the item in a bag, and the service center scans a QR code. This is an innovation that removes multiple points of friction.
Proactive Communication: Customers receive automated, real-time updates on their return status, from “item received” to “refund initiated” to “refund processed.” This removes anxiety and the need to call customer service.
AI-Powered Recommendations: Some companies use AI to analyze the reason for a return (e.g., “wrong size”) and then proactively suggest a replacement product that is a better fit, turning a potential lost sale into a new one and creating a helpful, personalized service.

The Result:

By transforming the returns process from a source of friction into a seamless and proactive service, these companies have significantly improved customer satisfaction and repurchase rates. They recognized that the moment a customer wants to return an item is not an endpoint but a critical inflection point in the relationship. By innovating around this service journey, they built immense brand trust and loyalty, proving that great service can turn even the most negative interactions into positive brand-building opportunities.

Conclusion: The Human-Centered Imperative

The future of service is not about automation for the sake of efficiency; it’s about using intelligent technology to enable a more deeply human-centered experience. It’s about anticipating needs, removing friction, and empowering employees to focus on the moments that truly matter. The organizations that will win in the long run are those that view service not as a cost to be minimized, but as a strategic asset to be innovated upon.

As leaders, our challenge is to break down old silos, foster a culture of empathy, and design service journeys that are as delightful and intuitive as the products they support. The goal is to move beyond simply satisfying customers to genuinely delighting them, building a future where service is the ultimate driver of loyalty, innovation, and growth. The future of service is here, and it’s beautifully human.

Image credit: Pixabay

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Five Lessons from a Harvard Professor on Selling with Service

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Five Lessons from a Harvard Professor on Selling with Service

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

Most people think that customer service is a department that handles complaints and problems. There may be a department or contact center that does, but customer service is more than that. It’s a philosophy that must be embraced by everyone in an organization, and that includes sales.

I had a chance to interview Frank Cespedes for an episode of Amazing Business Radio. Cespedes is a Harvard Business School professor and author of six books, including his latest, Sales Management That Works: How to Sell in a World That Never Stops Changing. One of his books, Aligning Strategy and Sales, was hailed by Forbes as “… perhaps the best sales book ever.” Here are five lessons he shared, with my commentary following, that should convince you that selling with service is today’s best sales strategy.

1. Sales and customer service merge together. Selling with service is all about what we do to enhance the sales experience. We make it easy, eliminate friction, stay in touch and make the customer feel (at least in the moment) that they are the most important customer we have.

2. Sales and customer support are increasingly intertwined. Typically, the sales team makes sales, and the customer support team delivers service. More and more, these two responsibilities (and departments) are connecting to create a seamless journey for the customer. During the “after experience,” as I like to call it, what is traditionally referred to as customer support continues the sales process with upsells, cross-sells and other tactics to generate revenue for the company.

3. The sales team is becoming a smaller part of the sales conversation. This doesn’t mean the sales team is any less important. However, the days of the salesperson being, as Cespedes says, “an organic, walking, talking version of product and price information” are gone. Customers are just one or two clicks away from getting the information and price they need to make decisions. We must recognize that to have a winning combination, online information, customer support and sales must work together.

4. People don’t want to be sold. They want to buy. This expression has been around for some time, but it’s never been more relevant than today. In the past, most customers would want to talk to a salesperson at the beginning of the sales process. Today, however, most prefer to start their buying journey with their own research. There’s great information to be found through a quick Google search. Before the customer ever talks to a salesperson, they may be close to a buying decision, if they haven’t already decided to do business with the company. The conversation with a salesperson becomes more of a formality.

5. The most important thing about selling is, and always has been, the buyer. Let’s never forget this commonsense, but very sage, advice. Customers get to decide how they want to buy. If they want to skip the formal sales process, let them do so. If they want to do their own research, give them the tools they need (a knowledge base on a website, videos on YouTube, etc.). If they want to talk directly to someone in the company, give them easy access to the right person. Let the customer buy from you the way they want to, which might be different from the way you’ve traditionally sold in the past.

With all the changes caused by the pandemic, supply chain issues, employment problems and a scary economy, we must be prepared to give our customers the journey they want, which is not always how we’ve done business in the past. Sales are not just sales. Customer support is not just customer support. Both fall inside the bigger concept of the customer experience. Heed Cespedes’ advice. Sell with service, and create the experience that makes customers want to buy from you.

This article originally appeared on Forbes

Image Credit: Shep Hyken

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The Purpose-Profit Paradox

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Why Doing Good Leads to Doing Well

The Purpose-Profit Paradox

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

For decades, the business world has often operated under a perceived fundamental tension: the Purpose-Profit Paradox. The conventional wisdom dictated that a company had to choose—either pursue maximum shareholder profit, or sacrifice some of that profit to “do good” through corporate social responsibility. These two forces were seen as pulling in opposite directions. As a human-centered change and innovation thought leader, I am here to declare that this paradox is not merely false; it is a dangerous fallacy that is holding organizations back. In today’s interconnected, values-driven economy, **doing good isn’t a cost center; it’s a profound competitive advantage that directly leads to doing well.**

The landscape has shifted dramatically. Customers, employees, and investors are no longer content with companies that merely extract value. They demand organizations that *create* value for society, for their communities, and for the planet. A genuine, deeply embedded purpose—one that extends beyond quarterly earnings—is becoming the most powerful driver of innovation, talent acquisition, brand loyalty, and, ultimately, long-term financial success. It’s not about making a profit and then dedicating a slice to charity; it’s about making a profit *because* you are doing good.

Why Purpose is the Ultimate Profit Driver

When purpose moves from a mission statement on a wall to a guiding principle woven into the fabric of your operations, it unlocks a cascade of powerful business benefits:

Enhanced Brand Loyalty and Customer Engagement: Consumers, especially younger generations, are increasingly choosing brands that align with their values. A clear, authentic purpose resonates deeply, fostering emotional connections and building a loyal customer base willing to pay a premium.
Attraction and Retention of Top Talent: Today’s workforce, particularly millennials and Gen Z, seeks meaning in their work. Companies with a strong, authentic purpose are magnets for top talent, who are more engaged, productive, and less likely to leave.
Fuel for Innovation: Purpose provides a powerful North Star for innovation. When teams are driven by a desire to solve meaningful societal problems, they are more creative, resilient, and focused on developing solutions that truly matter. This leads to breakthrough products and services that stand out in the market.
Increased Resilience and Trust: In times of crisis, purpose-driven companies are often more resilient. Their strong relationships with stakeholders (employees, customers, communities) provide a buffer, and their authentic commitment to doing good garners trust, which is invaluable.
Long-Term Shareholder Value: Numerous studies, including those by Harvard Business Review and BlackRock, demonstrate that purpose-driven companies consistently outperform their peers financially in the long run. They attract more sustainable investment and navigate market volatility more effectively.

“Purpose isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. It transforms a company from a mere economic entity into a force for positive change, driving both impact and income.”

Embedding Purpose for Sustainable Success

Transitioning from a profit-only mindset to a purpose-driven organization requires more than just marketing rhetoric. It demands genuine, systemic change:

Define Your Authentic Purpose: This isn’t just about what you sell, but the positive impact you aim to have on the world. It should be aspirational, unique, and deeply felt across the organization.
Align Operations with Purpose: Ensure your supply chain, product development, HR policies, and even waste management practices reflect your stated purpose. Authenticity is key; performative purpose will be quickly exposed.
Empower Employees to Live the Purpose: Train and empower employees at all levels to understand how their daily work contributes to the larger purpose. Give them autonomy to innovate within that framework.
Measure What Matters: Go beyond traditional financial metrics. Track your social and environmental impact (e.g., carbon footprint reduction, community engagement, employee well-being) and report on them transparently.

Case Study 1: Patagonia – A Pioneer of Purpose-Driven Profit

The Challenge:

In a highly competitive apparel market, particularly for outdoor gear, companies often face pressure to cut costs, accelerate production, and encourage consumption. Patagonia, from its inception, chose a different path, deliberately challenging this norm to create a business model that prioritizes environmental and social responsibility above short-term profit maximization.

Purpose as the Core Strategy:

Patagonia’s purpose is “to save our home planet.” This isn’t a marketing slogan; it’s deeply embedded in every aspect of their business. They actively encourage customers to repair their gear rather than replace it (“Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign), use recycled and organic materials, invest in sustainable farming practices, and donate 1% of sales to environmental causes (1% for the Planet). They even offer repair services for their products.

Product Innovation: Their purpose drives innovation in sustainable materials and durable designs, which often come at a higher initial cost but offer long-term value and reduce environmental impact.
Customer Loyalty: Their authentic commitment resonates deeply with a growing segment of environmentally conscious consumers, building fierce brand loyalty that transcends price sensitivity.
Talent Attraction: Patagonia consistently attracts passionate employees who are committed to the company’s mission, leading to a highly engaged and dedicated workforce.

The Result:

Despite their counter-conventional business practices, Patagonia has achieved remarkable financial success and sustained growth. Their purpose-driven approach has allowed them to command premium prices, build an almost cult-like following, and maintain profitability while actively contributing to environmental solutions. They didn’t trade profit for purpose; they achieved profit *through* purpose, proving the paradox false.

Case Study 2: TOMS – The One-for-One Model and Its Evolution

The Challenge:

When Blake Mycoskie founded TOMS shoes, he wanted to create a business that did more than just sell products. The challenge was to integrate social impact directly into the business model in a way that was scalable, sustainable, and genuinely appealing to consumers.

Purpose as the Business Model:

TOMS famously pioneered the “One-for-One” model: for every pair of shoes sold, a pair was given to a child in need. This simple, powerful purpose became their core differentiator and their marketing strategy. It immediately resonated with consumers who wanted their purchases to have a positive impact.

Customer Engagement: The “One-for-One” model created a direct emotional connection with customers, transforming a transactional purchase into an act of giving. This fostered incredible brand recognition and loyalty, particularly among purpose-driven consumers.
Scalable Impact: As TOMS grew, so did its social impact, demonstrating that purpose could scale alongside profit. They later expanded this model to other products, addressing issues like eyesight and safe water.
Driving Innovation: While the model gained immense popularity, TOMS later evolved, realizing that simply giving shoes wasn’t always the most effective long-term solution. They adapted their giving model to include local manufacturing and community-based health initiatives, demonstrating an agile, human-centered approach to social impact, proving that purpose-driven companies must also innovate how they ‘do good’.

The Result:

TOMS experienced explosive growth and became a household name, demonstrating that a clear, measurable social purpose could be a massive profit engine. While they faced criticisms and later evolved their giving model (a testament to their learning and adaptability), their initial success fundamentally altered consumer expectations and proved that consumers are willing to pay for purpose. Their journey highlights that purpose-driven businesses must also continually innovate *how* they deliver on that purpose to ensure lasting, meaningful impact alongside profitability.

Conclusion: The Era of Integrated Value Creation

The perceived Purpose-Profit Paradox is a relic of an outdated business mindset. In the modern economy, the most successful organizations understand that doing good and doing well are inextricably linked. Purpose is not a philanthropic afterthought; it is a strategic imperative that drives innovation, attracts and retains talent, builds fierce customer loyalty, and ultimately delivers superior, long-term financial performance.

As leaders, our challenge is to move beyond mere rhetoric and genuinely embed purpose into the heart of our organizations. This means defining an authentic reason for being, aligning every operation with that purpose, empowering our people, and measuring true impact. The future belongs to companies that create integrated value – value for shareholders, value for customers, value for employees, and value for the planet. Embrace the purpose-profit synergy, and you will not only build a more resilient and innovative organization but also contribute to a better world.

Image credit: Pexels

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Don’t Blame Quiet Quitting for a Broken Business Strategy

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Don't Blame Quiet Quitting for a Broken Business Strategy

GUEST POST from Soren Kaplan

When it comes to “quiet quitting,” the bigger issue may be a lack of purpose and meaning in your company and culture.

The term “quiet quitting” recently exploded on social media and in business circles. It describes an approach to work that has you doing the very barest minimum to meet your responsibilities. You don’t go above and beyond what’s needed. You do exactly what’s in your job description. Nothing more.

Quiet quitting has become a term to describe the ultimate “disengagement” at work. It flies in the face of the thousands of employee engagement initiatives the exist across U.S. companies today. No wonder it’s a big concern.

I believe there are two ways to look at the uproar surrounding quiet quitting.

1. Quiet quitting has always existed and is normal

One way to look at quiet quitting is that it simply highlights what’s existed forever–that some people just go to work for a paycheck and their “central life interests” lie elsewhere. This topic was in fact the focus of my PhD research many years ago. I analyzed 50 years of workplace motivation data and ultimately concluded most people don’t view their work as their primary life interest. They may still perform at an acceptable level, so they don’t get fired, but they prefer other things like leisure time, family, friends, and community activities over work. They view their job as a means to the end of doing other things outside of work. There was one exception–for senior executives, work provided a greater sense of identify and central life focus.

So, the first way to look at quiet quitting is this: It’s normal. Khan’s TikTok video simply articulated what’s always been true. The uproar arose because the concept challenges the underlying assumption that companies can successfully influence people’s central life interests, so they become more focused on work. Perhaps all the resources we’ve poured into trying to do that for so many years may have actually been futile.

2. Quiet quitting results from a lack of meaning and purpose

Another way to view quiet quitting is that it’s the result of a lack of purpose and meaning in work. If you wholeheartedly believed in your company’s vision, wouldn’t you give it your all? If you felt deeply connected to your company’s purpose, wouldn’t you want to go beyond your job description to make it a reality?

From this perspective, it’s just a matter of clearly defining your purpose and a compelling vision, and then helping everyone see their role in achieving it. It’s a more empowering lens, especially for the internal business functions focused on employee engagement, communication, culture, and strategy.

The goal then is to outline the “why” of your company, including the positive contributions you’ll make for customers and the world. Build a strategy that’s so compelling people won’t want to quiet quit at all. They’ll want to step up and lead the charge.

Moving Forward with Your Quiet Quitting Strategy

The disruptions of the past few years have challenged fundamental assumptions about life and work. Quiet quitting may simply be a pithy word to describe a reality that existed long before the pandemic, but that was amplified because of it.

The two lenses I described don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Both can be true at the same time. If you hold both as valid, your goal is simple: Create a compelling strategy to bring people on board. Give people all the reason in the world not to quietly quit. Then, recognize that some may jump on, others might not. And that’s not just okay, but may also be the new (and old) normal.

Image Credit: Pexels

Check out my new book Experiential Intelligence. The first chapter is available for free download, and the book is available on Amazon.

This article was originally published on Inc.com and has been syndicated for this blog.

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