Empowering Employees During Times of Change

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Change is inevitable in any organization, whether it’s the implementation of new technologies, restructuring, or evolving market dynamics. While change is necessary for growth and progress, it can often lead to uncertainty and resistance within the workforce. As a thought leader in human-centered change and innovation, I believe the key to successful transformation lies in empowering employees. This article explores the strategies and real-world examples of organizations that have successfully empowered their employees during times of change.

The Power of Employee Empowerment

Empowering employees essentially means giving them the tools, confidence, and autonomy to navigate change and contribute to organizational goals. When employees feel empowered, they are more engaged, resilient, and committed to the company’s vision. They become active participants rather than passive recipients of change.

Case Study 1: Tech Innovators Inc.

Tech Innovators Inc., a leading software development firm, underwent a major change when they decided to shift to a fully agile workflow. While the management understood the benefits of this transition, they knew it would be a significant shift for their employees accustomed to traditional project management methods.

To empower their workforce, Tech Innovators Inc. implemented a comprehensive training program that included workshops on agile methodologies and provided resources such as online courses. Employees were encouraged to take ownership of their learning journeys and apply new methods in pilot projects. In addition, management created cross-functional teams to foster collaboration and autonomy, allowing team members to self-organize and make decisions about task execution.

The result was a seamless transition where employees felt confident in their new roles and responsibilities. The organization saw increased productivity, innovation, and job satisfaction as employees leveraged their skills effectively in a supportive environment.

Case Study 2: Green Earth Industries

Green Earth Industries, a company focused on sustainable energy production, faced an industry paradigm shift due to evolving environmental regulations. To address this, they needed to implement new technologies and processes rapidly.

Understanding the potential for resistance, Green Earth Industries prioritized open
communication with their workforce. They held town hall meetings where leadership discussed the necessity of change and invited feedback and suggestions from employees at all levels. By involving employees in the decision-making process and acknowledging their input, the company built trust and buy-in for the changes.

Furthermore, Green Earth Industries initiated a mentorship program that paired experienced employees with those new to the industry. This initiative allowed for a smooth knowledge transfer that not only facilitated adaptation to new processes but also fostered a sense of community and shared purpose.

As a result, Green Earth Industries successfully transitioned to compliance with new regulations without major disruptions, and employee morale remained high.

Strategies for Empowering Employees

From these case studies, several key strategies emerge for empowering employees during times of change:

Education and Training: Invest in learning opportunities that equip employees
with the skills necessary to thrive in new environments.
Transparent Communication: Keep employees informed about the reasons for
change and the benefits it brings. Encourage open dialogue and feedback.
Inclusive Involvement: Involve employees in the change process, valuing their
insights and contributions to create a sense of ownership.
Supportive Leadership: Encourage leadership to act as coaches and mentors,
providing guidance and support to navigate through change.
Cultivate a Collaborative Culture: Foster teamwork and cross-functional
collaborations to leverage diverse skills and perspectives.

Change does not have to be a daunting process. Empowering employees through effective strategies ensures not only the success of organizational transformations but also helps build a resilient, engaged, and innovative workforce ready to tackle future challenges.

Let us continue to prioritize human-centered approaches in change management, ensuring that our employees are not just surviving but thriving in a dynamic world.

This article focuses on empowering employees during times of change. It provides an introduction to the topic, explores the power of employee empowerment, illustrates two case studies, and suggests strategies for organizations to empower their workforce effectively.

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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Why Change Must Be Built on Common Ground

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Why Change Must Be Built on Common Ground

GUEST POST from Greg Satell

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, one of the first things he did was develop a marketing campaign to rebrand the ailing enterprise. Leveraging IBM’s long running “Think” campaign, Apple urged its customers to “Think Different.” The TV spots began, “Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes…”

Yet Jobs actual product strategy did exactly the opposite. While other technology companies jammed as many features into their products as they could to impress the techies and the digerati, Jobs focused on making his products so ridiculously easy to use that they were accessible to everyone. Apple became the brand people would buy for their mothers.

The truth is that while people like the idea of being different, real change is always built on common ground. Differentiation builds devotion among adherents, but to bring new people in, you need to make an idea accessible and that means focusing on values that you share with outsiders, rather than those that stir the passions of insiders. That’s how you win.

Overcoming the Desire to Be Different

Apple’s ad campaign was effective because we are tribal in nature. Setting your idea apart is a great way to unlock tribal fervor among devotees, but it also sends a strong signal to others that they don’t belong. For example, for decades LGBTQ activists celebrated their difference with “Gay Pride,” which made gay people feel better, but didn’t resonate with others.

It’s not much different in the corporate world. Those who want to promote Agile development love to tout the Agile Manifesto and its customer focused ethos. It’s what they love about the Agile methodology. Yet for those outside the Agile community, it can seem more than a bit weird. They don’t want to join a cult, they just want to get their job done.

So, the first step to driving change forward is to make the shift from differentiating values, which make ardent fans passionate about an idea, to shared values, which invite people in. That doesn’t mean you’re abandoning your core values any more than making products accessible meant that Apple had to skimp on capability. But it does create an entry point.

This is a surprisingly hard shift to make, but you won’t be able to move forward until you do.

Identifying and Leveraging Your Opposition

Make no mistake. Change fails because people want it to fail. Any change that is important, that has the potential for real impact, will inspire fierce resistance. Some people will simply hate the idea and will try to undermine your efforts in ways that are dishonest, deceptive and underhanded. That is the chief design constraint of any significant change effort.

So, you’re going to want to identify your most active opposition because you want to know where the attacks are going to be coming from. However, you don’t want to directly engage with these people because it is unlikely to be an honest conversation. Most likely, it will devolve into something that just bogs you down and drains you emotionally.

However, you can listen. People who hate your idea are, in large part, trying to persuade many of the same people you are. Listening to which arguments they find effective can help unlock shared values and that’s what holds the key to truly transformational change. But most importantly, they can help you define shared values.

So, while your main focus should be on empowering those who are excited about change, you should pay attention to your most vocal opposition. In fact, with some effort, you can learn to love your haters. They can point out early flaws. Also, as you begin to gain traction they will often lash out and overreach, undermine themselves and and end up sending people your way.

Defining Shared Values

Your most active opposition, the people who hate your idea and want to undermine it, have essentially the same task that you do. They want to move people who are passive or neutral to support their position and will design their communication efforts to achieve that objective. If you listen carefully though, you can make their efforts work for you.

For example, when faced with President Woodrow Wilson’s opposition to voting rights for women, Alice Paul’s band of Silent Sentinels picketed the White House with phrases lifted from President Wilson’s own book. How could he object, without appearing to be a tremendous hypocrite, to signs that read, “LIBERTY IS A FUNDAMENTAL DEMAND OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT?

In a similar vein, those who opposed LGBTQ rights often did so on the basis of family values and it was, for decades, a very effective strategy. That is, until LGBTQ activists used it against them. After all, shouldn’t those of different sexual orientations be able to live in committed relationships and raise happy and health families? If you believe in the importance of families, how could you not support same sex marriages?

The strategy works just as well in a corporate environment. In our Transformation & Change workshops, we ask executives what those who oppose their idea say about it. From there, we can usually identify the underlying shared value and then leverage it to make our case. Once you identify common ground, it’s much easier to move forward.

Surviving Victory

Steve Jobs, along with his co-founder Steve Wozniak, started Apple to make computers. But if that’s all Apple ever did, it would never have become the world’s most valuable company. What made Jobs the iconic figure he became had nothing to do with any one product, but because he came to represent something more: the fusion of technology and design.

In his autobiography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson noted that he revolutionized six industries, ranging from music to animated movies, far afield from the computer industry. He was able to do that because he continued to focus on the core values of using technology and design to make products more accessible to ordinary people.

In other words, in every venture he undertook he looked for common ground by asking himself, “how can we make this as easy as possible for those who are not comfortable with technology.” He didn’t merely cater to the differences of his hard core enthusiasts, but constantly looked to bring everybody else in.

Many companies have had hit products, but very few have had the continued success of Apple. In fact, success often breeds failure because it attracts new networks of competitors. Put another way, many entrepreneurs fail to survive victory because they focus on a particular product rather than the shared values that product was based on.

Jobs was different. He was passionate about his products, but his true calling was tapping into basic human desires. In other words, he understood that truly revolutionary change is always built on common ground.

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

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The Role of Storytelling in Human-Centered Innovation

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The Role of Storytelling in Human-Centered Innovation

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

Innovation in today’s rapidly evolving world requires more than just brilliant ideas and technological prowess. It necessitates a profound understanding of human needs and the ability to connect with people on an emotional level. Storytelling serves as a powerful tool in this human-centered innovation landscape, bridging the gap between abstract concepts and tangible human experiences.

The Power of Storytelling

Stories have been a cornerstone of human communication for millennia. They are not just entertainment; they are a profound way to share values, create empathy, and inspire action. In the context of innovation, storytelling can translate complex ideas into relatable narratives, making them more accessible and understandable. Stories allow innovators to envision future scenarios, identify opportunities, and engage stakeholders at a deeper level.

Case Study 1: Airbnb – Creating a Sense of Belonging

When Airbnb was founded, the concept of sharing one’s home with strangers was bewildering to many. To overcome this skepticism, Airbnb leveraged storytelling to humanize hosts and guests, narrating their struggles, dreams, and connections made through their platform. By sharing authentic stories of diverse individuals who used Airbnb to find a sense of belonging, the company instilled trust and fostered community among its users.

Airbnb’s powerful stories showcased not just places to stay but experiences waiting to be had, emphasizing the human connections that the service enabled. This storytelling approach not only fueled their growth but also redefined what an overnight stay could mean.

Case Study 2: IDEO – Human-Centered Design

IDEO, a global design and consulting firm, is synonymous with human-centered design. One of their pivotal projects involved redesigning a shopping cart. Through storytelling, IDEO employees were able to vividly depict the dangers and inefficiencies of traditional shopping carts by focusing on the stories of parents and children using them in real-world settings.

By crafting scenarios that included accidents and frustrations encountered by shoppers, IDEO could not only justify the need for change but also generate empathy among stakeholders. Resultantly, they developed a cart that emphasized safety and ease of use, effectively illustrating how storytelling can highlight needs and drive innovative design solutions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, storytelling is not merely a supplementary communication technique in the realm of innovation; it is a vital component of creating meaningful, human-centered innovations. Whether it is building trust, understanding user needs, or rallying support for change, effective storytelling can transform obscure ideas into actionable and impactful innovations. Companies that embrace storytelling not only create better products and services but also foster a culture that values empathy, understanding, and connection—an essential step towards a more innovative future.

As we continue to explore the intersection of innovation and humanity, let us remember the timeless power of stories to inspire, engage, and transform our collective future.

SPECIAL BONUS: The very best change planners use a visual, collaborative approach to create their deliverables. A methodology and tools like those in Change Planning Toolkit™ can empower anyone to become great change planners themselves.

Image credit: Pixabay

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Why So Much Innoflation?

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Why So Much Innoflation?

GUEST POST from Arlen Meyers

Inflation is all over the news and at your kitchen table. In case you cut all those economics classes, inflation happens when too much money chases too few goods. It’s happening now because of COVID variations in consumer demand, government stimulus, some fed actions and supply chain glitches. Who knew? The Goldilocks economy describes when prices are not too high, but not too low. Instead, they are just right to stimulate the growth of the economy and the standard of living.

In the midst of all this, we have been seeing a simultaneous rise in sickcare innoflation (i.e. too many overfunded startups and companies creating too few valuable products and services that don’t scale). What’s the answer?

Rethink hospital-based care innovation centers
Create more scalerators and euthanators instead of accelerators
Involve healthcare professionals with the appropriate knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies with an entrepreneurial mindset early in the startup and product development lifecycle.
Change the rules and regulations
Build better ecosystems
Change medical education and training
Fix how we disseminate and implement sickcare solutions and make them equitably accessible.
Close innovation silos
Teach physician entrepreneurs how to play nice with others
Change how we recruit, develop and promote sick care system of system leaders

Building back better will just get us to where we used to be. Instead, we need to create the future better to get us where we want to go. Not too much. Not too little. Just right.

Image credit: Pixabay

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Measuring Innovation Impact

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Measuring Innovation Impact

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

In today’s fast-paced world, innovation is the lifeblood of organizational success. However, to truly capitalize on innovation, it’s crucial for companies not only to cultivate it but also to measure its impact accurately. Measuring innovation impact provides critical insights into what is working, what isn’t, and helps guide future resource allocation. Let’s dive into strategies for effectively measuring innovation impact, supplemented by two compelling case studies.

Key Strategies for Measuring Innovation Impact

Define Success Metrics: Start by defining what success looks like. This could include financial metrics like ROI, productivity improvements, customer satisfaction, or market share growth.
Use a Balanced Scorecard: Adopt a balanced scorecard approach to measure financial and non-financial indicators such as intellectual property generated, market responsiveness, and employee engagement.
Continuous Feedback Loops: Implement continuous feedback mechanisms to capture real-time data on how new products or processes are performing.
Innovation Portfolios: Develop an innovation portfolio to balance short-term and long-term projects, assessing their contributions to strategic objectives.

Case Study 1: Company A’s Digital Transformation

Background

Company A, a manufacturing giant, embarked on a digital transformation journey aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and driving customer-centric solutions. Their goal was to integrate AI and IoT into plant operations.

Innovation Metrics Used

Operational Efficiency: Metrics focused on downtime reduction, energy savings, and predictive maintenance accuracy.
Customer Impact: Measured through NPS scores post implementation and adoption rates of new digital services offered.

Outcomes

Within two years, Company A achieved a 20% reduction in plant downtime and a 15% increase in customer satisfaction scores. The digital transformation not only enhanced productivity but also created new revenue streams through customer-centric digital services.

Case Study 2: Startup X’s Innovative Financial Solution

Background

Startup X, founded to disrupt the financial industry, offered a novel mobile-payment platform targeted at underserved markets. Their key challenge was to make financial services accessible in regions with low banking penetration.

Innovation Metrics Used

Market Penetration: Assessed through the number of new accounts opened and transaction volumes.
Social Impact: Analyzed through increased financial literacy and economic participation in targeted areas.

Outcomes

Within 18 months, Startup X registered a 50,000 new users increase and saw a 250% growth in monthly transactions. Additionally, local studies indicated a 30% rise in financial literacy within their user base, showcasing a significant social impact.

Conclusion

Measuring innovation impact is an evolving discipline that requires clarity, context, and methodological rigor. By learning from successful case studies and adopting comprehensive metrics, organizations can ensure that their innovation efforts translate into tangible, sustainable growth and societal benefits. The key is to constantly iterate, learn from real-world outcomes, and adjust strategies to enhance the impact of innovation efforts.

Embrace innovation, measure wisely, and transform your organization into a powerhouse of creative growth.

Image credit: misterinnovation.com

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Ensuring Accessibility in Emerging Technologies

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Ensuring Accessibility in Emerging Technologies

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

In our rapidly evolving digital landscape, emerging technologies are playing a pivotal role in reshaping how we interact, work, and live. However, with innovation comes the responsibility of ensuring these advancements are accessible to everyone, regardless of ability. It’s crucial that the drive for new technology does not come at the cost of inclusivity. In this article, I will discuss the importance of accessibility and highlight two case studies that exemplify successful integration of accessibility in emerging technologies.

The Importance of Accessibility

Accessibility is not just a feature—it’s a necessity. Ensuring accessibility in emerging technologies means creating equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities to participate fully in society. Accessibility should be embedded in the core design process of every new technology, ensuring that barriers are eliminated from the start, not modified after the fact. It is both ethically sound and economically smart, as it widens the potential user base and brings valuable perspectives to the table.

Case Studies

Case Study 1: Microsoft’s Incorporation of AI in Accessibility Tools

Microsoft has been at the forefront of incorporating artificial intelligence to power accessibility tools, setting a benchmark for technology companies worldwide. One of the standout initiatives includes the use of AI to improve the functionality of its software products, such as Word and Outlook, with features like accessibility checkers and real-time subtitles.

Moreover, with the help of AI, Microsoft has developed Seeing AI, an app designed to empower people who are blind or have low vision by describing the world around them. This app uses the smartphone camera to read printed text, describe scenes, and even recognize faces. This case study demonstrates how AI can be leveraged to enhance accessibility, promoting greater independence and inclusion for users.

Case Study 2: The Emergence of Accessible Virtual Reality by Oculus

The virtual reality (VR) sector has been one of the most exciting areas of technical advancement, yet often criticized for lacking accessibility. Oculus, a leader in the VR field, has initiated significant changes to ensure its products are more inclusive.

Oculus introduced features like adjustable text size, screen reader support, and customizable contrast settings to make their headsets usable by individuals with visual impairments. Additionally, they have been working with accessibility consultants and directly with users who have disabilities to gather feedback and iterate on their designs constantly. This exemplifies how a company can prioritize accessibility and innovation simultaneously, striving to make VR an inclusive space for all.

Conclusion

Ensuring accessibility in emerging technologies is a multifaceted challenge that requires dedication, foresight, and collaboration. Companies need to view accessibility not as an add-on, but as an integral part of the design and innovation process. By learning from the stellar examples set by organizations like Microsoft and Oculus, others can follow suit, ensuring a future where technology serves to bring us all together.

In embracing the principle that accessibility drives innovation, companies not only fulfill a moral obligation but position themselves as leaders in an increasingly conscientious global market. Let us innovate with the goal of inclusivity in mind, ensuring that the benefits of technological advancements are extended to every individual.

Image credit: Pixabay

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The Role of Continuous Improvement in Agile

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The Role of Continuous Improvement in Agile

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

The principles of agile development have revolutionized how teams work together, prioritize tasks, and deliver value to their stakeholders. Embedded within agile methodologies is the concept of continuous improvement, serving as a fundamental pillar to drive adaptability, efficiency, and growth. In this article, I will explore the crucial role of continuous improvement in agile, supported by two insightful case studies that highlight its transformative power.

The Essence of Continuous Improvement in Agile

Continuous improvement, embedded deeply in agile methodologies, ensures that teams constantly evaluate their processes, learn from their experiences, and iteratively enhance their workflows. This principle is particularly manifest in the ‘inspect and adapt’ process, which is central to Scrum’s sprints. Agile’s emphasis on regular reflection and incremental advancements enables teams to address inefficiencies and innovate without burnout.

Key Benefits of Continuous Improvement

Increased Efficiency: By continually reviewing processes, teams can streamline workflows, eliminate waste, and focus on high-value tasks.
Enhanced Quality: Iterative review periods allow teams to identify and fix issues quickly, improving the quality of deliverables.
Adaptability: Teams can swiftly adapt to changes, ensuring that they remain aligned with market demands and organizational goals.

Case Study 1: TechnoSolution Inc.

TechnoSolution Inc., a mid-size software development firm, embraced agile methodologies but initially struggled with rigid structures that stifled innovation. By implementing continuous improvement through retrospectives at the end of each sprint, the company saw substantial gains.

Teams began to utilize root cause analysis to understand deployment delays. Through strategic adjustments, they effectively reduced lead times by 30% and enhanced customer satisfaction. Continuous improvement fostered an environment where employees felt empowered to voice concerns, leading to increased morale and innovation.

Case Study 2: CreativeDesign Studios

CreativeDesign Studios, a leader in UX/UI design, recognized the importance of agility in staying ahead of design trends. However, the fast pace of agile sprints initially overwhelmed their creative process. By embedding continuous improvement methodologies, they transformed challenges into opportunities.

Through bi-weekly retrospectives, team members shared insights on design bottlenecks, resulting in a new collaborative workflow. With this approach, each sprint began to incorporate new tools and techniques based on previous learnings. Over six months, project delivery times were halved, and client feedback scores surged by 40%. Continuous improvement invigorated their agile framework and fueled creative excellence.

Conclusion

Continuous improvement is the heartbeat of agility, enabling teams to grow, adapt, and excel. It demands a culture of openness, reflection, and relentless pursuit of excellence. As demonstrated by TechnoSolution Inc. and CreativeDesign Studios, embedding continuous improvement within agile processes not only enhances performance but also fosters an innovative and dynamic work environment. Organizations that embrace continuous improvement within the agile ecosystem position themselves for long-term success and resilience.

By leveraging the power of constant refinement, teams are empowered to break down barriers, drive innovation, and deliver value in a rapidly changing world. Continuous improvement isn’t just a practice; it’s the pathway to enduring success.

Image credit: misterinnovation.com

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Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2021

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After a week of torrid voting and much passionate support, along with a lot of gut-wrenching consideration and jostling during the judging round, I am proud to announce your Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2021:

Janet Sernack
Janet Sernack is the Founder and CEO of ImagineNation™ which provides innovation consulting services to help organizations adapt, innovate and grow through disruption by challenging businesses to be, think and act differently to co-create a world where people matter & innovation is the norm.

Greg Satell
Greg Satell is a popular speaker and consultant. His first book, Mapping Innovation: A Playbook for Navigating a Disruptive Age, was selected as one of the best business books in 2017. Follow his blog at Digital Tonto or on Twitter @Digital Tonto.

Braden Kelley
Braden Kelley is a Human-Centered Experience, Innovation and Transformation consultant at HCL Technologies, a popular innovation speaker, workshop leader, and creator of the Human-Centered Change™ methodology. He is the author of Stoking Your Innovation Bonfire from John Wiley & Sons and Charting Change from Palgrave Macmillan. Follow him on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Jesse Nieminen
Jesse Nieminen is the Co-founder and Chairman at Viima, the best way to collect and develop ideas. Viima’s innovation management software is already loved by thousands of organizations all the way to the Global Fortune 500. He’s passionate about helping leaders drive innovation in their organizations and frequently writes on the topic, usually in Viima’s blog.

Robert B Tucker
Robert B. Tucker is the President of The Innovation Resource Consulting Group. He is a speaker, seminar leader and an expert in the management of innovation and assisting companies in accelerating ideas to market.

Rachel Audige
Rachel Audige is an Innovation Architect who helps organisations embed inventive thinking as well as a certified Systematic Inventive Thinking Facilitator, based in Melbourne.
Howard Tiersky
Howard Tiersky is an inspiring and passionate speaker, the Founder and CEO of FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency, innovation consultant, serial entrepreneur, and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance. IDG named him one of the “10 Digital Transformation Influencers to Follow Today”, and Enterprise Management 360 named Howard “One of the Top 10 Digital Transformation Influencers That Will Change Your World.”

Paul Sloane
Paul Sloane writes, speaks and leads workshops on creativity, innovation and leadership. He is the author of The Innovative Leader and editor of A Guide to Open Innovation and Crowdsourcing, both published by Kogan-Page.

Pete Foley
A twenty-five year Procter & Gamble veteran, Pete has spent the last 8+ years applying insights from psychology and behavioral science to innovation, product design, and brand communication. He spent 17 years as a serial innovator, creating novel products, perfume delivery systems, cleaning technologies, devices and many other consumer-centric innovations, resulting in well over 100 granted or published patents. Find him at pete.mindmatters@gmail.com

Nicolas Bry
Nicolas is an International Innovation Executive, expert in corporate innovation programs, and innovation labs, designing place where good innovation thrives! He currently helps the 20 innovation managers of Orange Africa to develop their projects locally. In 2019 he wrote The Intrapreneurs’ Factory, a practical guide to leverage intrapreneurship for your company, and is the writer of the innovation blog RapidInnovation.fr.

Arlen Meyers
Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA is the President and CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs at www.sopenet.org

Linda Naiman
Linda Naiman helps executives and their teams develop creativity, innovation, and leadership capabilities, through coaching, training and consulting. She brings a multi-disciplinary approach to learning and development by leveraging arts-based practices to foster creativity at work, and design thinking as a strategy for innovation.
Anthony Mills
Anthony Mills is the Founder & CEO of Legacy Innovation Group (www.legacyinnova.com), a world-leading strategic innovation consulting firm working with organizations all over the world. Anthony is also the Executive Director of GInI – Global Innovation Institute (www.gini.org), the world’s foremost certification, accreditation, and membership organization in the field of innovation. Anthony has advised leaders from around the world on how to successfully drive long-term growth and resilience through new innovation. Learn more at www.anthonymills.com. Anthony can be reached directly at anthony@anthonymills.com.

John Bessant
John Bessant has been active in research, teaching, and consulting in technology and innovation management for over 25 years. Today, he is Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Research Director, at Exeter University. In 2003, he was awarded a Fellowship with the Advanced Institute for Management Research and was also elected a Fellow of the British Academy of Management. He has acted as advisor to various national governments and international bodies including the United Nations, The World Bank, and the OECD. John has authored many books including Managing innovation and High Involvement Innovation (Wiley). Follow @johnbessant

Mike Shipulski
Mike Shipulski brings together people, culture, and tools to change engineering behavior. He writes daily on Twitter as @MikeShipulski and weekly on his blog Shipulski On Design.

Scott Anthony
Scott Anthony is a strategic advisor, writer and speaker on topics of growth and innovation. He has been based in Singapore since 2010, and currently serves at the Managing Director of Innosight’s Asia-Pacific operations.
Jeffrey Phillips
Jeffrey Phillips has over 15 years of experience leading innovation in Fortune 500 companies, federal government agencies and non-profits. He is experienced in innovation strategy, defining and implementing front end processes, tools and teams and leading innovation projects. He is the author of Relentless Innovation and OutManeuver. Jeffrey writes the popular Innovate on Purpose blog. Follow him @ovoinnovation

Phil McKinney
Phil McKinney is the Author of “Beyond The Obvious”, Host of the Killer Innovations Podcast and Syndicated Radio Show, a Keynote Speaker, President & CEO CableLabs and an Innovation Mentor and Coach.
Gijs van Wulfen
Gijs van Wulfen helps organizations to structure the chaotic start of innovation as author, speaker and facilitator. He is the founder of the FORTH innovation method and author of the innovation bestseller The Innovation Expedition. He was chosen by LinkedIn as one of their first 150 Influencers. Follow Gijs @gijsvanwulfen
Kate Hammer
Kate Hammer is a joint founder of KILN, working with large-scale companies in the USA and Australia to transform their internal innovation processes. Kate works as a business storyteller. In 2012, she created StoryFORMs to help others articulate their commercial & organisational stories. Kate offers workshops & 1:1 coaching.

Phil Buckley
Phil Buckley is an award-winning author and change management strategist with over 32 large-scale change initiatives, including co-leading global change management for the $19.6 billion Kraft Foods acquisition of Cadbury. He is the author of two books: Change on the Run and Change with Confidence. You can find Phil’s podcast and monthly newsletter at www.changewithconfidence.com.

Tamara Ghandour
Tamara Ghandour of GoToLaunchStreet is a TED speaker and entrepreneur. From building and running multimillion dollar businesses, advising Fortune 500 like Disney, Procter and Gamble and RICOH on fostering innovative ideas and people. Tamara’s life is about breaking through the status quo for game-changing results, and that’s what her keynotes, online programs and assessments can do for you.

Tom Koulopoulos
Tom Koulopoulos is the author of 10 books and founder of the Delphi Group, a 25-year-old Boston-based think tank and a past Inc. 500 company that focuses on innovation and the future of business. He tweets from @tkspeaks.

Michael Graber
Michael Graber is the cofounder and managing partner at Southern Growth Studio, a Memphis-based firm that specializes in growth strategy and innovation. A published poet and musician, Graber is the creative force that complements the analytical side of the house. He speaks and publishes frequently on best practices in design thinking, business strategy, and innovation and earned an MFA from the University of Memphis.

Yoram Solomon
Dr. Yoram Solomon is the author of The Book of Trust and 12 more books, a TEDx and keynote speaker, the founder of the Innovation Culture Institute, and an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship. You can follow him everywhere on @yoramsolomon.

Shilpi Kumar
Shilpi Kumar an inquisitive researcher, designer, strategist and an educator with over 15 years of experience, who truly believes that we can design a better world by understanding human behavior. I work with organizations to identify strategic opportunities and offer user-centric solutions.

Shawn Nason
Shawn Nason, founder and CEO of MOFI, lives his life with a commitment to make everyone he meets a part of his family. Armed with the gift of discernment, he has the uncanny ability to walk alongside people as they struggle to connect with their deepest passions and engage their most debilitating demons. He challenges the world around him to be fully present, get real, and knock down the barrier that separates the various compartments in their lives.
John Carter
John Carter has been a widely respected adviser to technology firms over his career. John is the author of Innovate Products Faster: Graphical Tools for Accelerating Product Development. As Founder and Principal of TCGen Inc., he has advised some of the most revered technology firms in the world.

Jeff Rubingh
Jeff Rubingh is a technology innovation expert, consultant and analyst. Focused on the intersection between technology and business, Jeff helps clients identify ground-breaking solutions that maximize ROI across existing and emerging technology disciplines.

Ludwig Melik
Ludwig Melik is CEO of Planbox, whose mission is to help organizations thrive by transforming the culture of agile work, continuous innovation, and creativity across the entire organization… Connect with him on LinkedIn or join the conversation by following Planbox on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Soren Kaplan
Soren Kaplan is the bestselling and award-winning author of Leapfrogging and The Invisible Advantage, an affiliated professor at USC’s Center for Effective Organizations, a former corporate executive, and a co-founder of UpBOARD. He has been recognized by the Thinkers50 as one of the world’s top keynote speakers and thought leaders in business strategy and innovation.

Shelly Greenway
Shelly Greenway is a front-end innovation strategist and partner at The Strategy Distillery – a brand innovation consultancy that specialises in opportunity hunting and proposition development. Their success rates are driven by their proprietary consumer co-creation IP. Follow @ChiefDistiller

Eric Eskey
Eric Eskey is a Managing Director at Strategyn, an innovation consultancy. Eric is in the business of creating the future. I aim to use the resources he has – his work, investments, voice, and imagination – to encourage innovation and defeat the hidden forces that resist it.
Mick Simonelli
Mick Simonelli is an innovator with 20+ years of implementing change and positive disruption at USAA. As a military veteran, he held transformation roles in numerous military organizations; and as a business executive, he purposely hired vets to help launch numerous innovations as the Chief Innovation Officer for a Fortune 500 company. Mick currently serves as an innovation consultant and can be found at www.micksimonelli.com Follow @MickSimonelli
Mitch Ditkoff
Mitch Ditkoff is the Co-Founder and President of Idea Champions and the author of “Awake at the Wheel”, as well as the very popular Heart of Innovation blog.
Peter Cook
Peter Cook leads Human Dynamics and The Academy of Rock, providing Keynotes, Organisational Development and Coaching. He is the author of seven books on business leadership. His three passions are science, business and music, having led innovation teams for 18 years to develop life-saving drugs including the first treatments for AIDS and the development of Human Insulin. Peter is Music and Business editor at Innovation Excellence. You can follow him on twitter @Academyofrock.
Mukesh Gupta
Mukesh Gupta is Director of Customer Advocacy, SAP India Private Limited. He also served as Executive Liaison for the SAP User group in India, and as a Global Lead in Sales & Business Development. He blogs, and shares podcasts and videos, on his site rmukeshgupta.com
Paul Hobcraft
Paul Hobcraft runs Agility Innovation, an advisory business that stimulates sound innovation practice, researches topics that relate to innovation for the future, as well as aligning innovation to organizations core capabilities. Follow @paul4innovating

Ralph Christian Ohr
Dr. Ralph-Christian Ohr has extensive experience in product/innovation management for international technology-based companies. His particular interest is targeted at the intersection of organizational and human innovation capabilities. You can follow him on Twitter @Ralph_Ohr.

Randy Pennington
Randy Pennington is an award-winning author, speaker, and leading authority for helping leaders deliver positive results in a world of uncertainty and change. To learn more or to engage Randy for your organization, visit www.penningtongroup.com, email info@penningtongroup.com, or call 972-980-9857 (U.S.).

If your favorite didn’t make the list, then next year try to rally more votes for them or convince them to increase the quality and quantity of their contributions.

Our lists from the ten previous years have been tremendously popular, including:

Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2015
Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2016
Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2017
Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2018
Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2019
Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2020

Download PDF versions of the Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2020 and 2021 lists here:

. . .

Happy New Year everyone!

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Sustainable Innovation Goes Beyond Compliance

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Sustainable Innovation Goes Beyond Compliance

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

As organizations around the globe face mounting pressures to conform to environmental regulations and societal expectations, the buzzword on everyone’s lips is “sustainability.” However, simply adhering to compliance is no longer sufficient. To thrive in today’s dynamic market, companies must move “Beyond Compliance” and embrace sustainable innovation as a strategic advantage. In this article, we delve into the foundations of sustainable innovation and explore how leading companies are implementing transformative practices that go beyond mere regulatory requirements.

The New Frontier of Sustainable Innovation

Sustainable innovation demands a paradigm shift where organizations integrate environmental, social, and economic considerations into their core strategic processes. It focuses on creating long-term value through products and services that not only meet current needs but also anticipate future demands. The challenge lies in developing innovative solutions that are truly sustainable, transcending traditional compliance measures that often serve as minimal standards.

Case Study 1: Patagonia’s Environmental Stewardship

Patagonia, the renowned outdoor clothing company, exemplifies a leader in sustainable innovation. Beyond simply relying on compliance with environmental regulations, Patagonia has embedded environmental stewardship into its company culture. They have pioneered initiatives like their “Worn Wear” program, which extends the life of products by encouraging repairs and resale. This initiative has reduced waste and fostered a circular economy for outdoor gear.

Furthermore, Patagonia invests heavily in sustainable materials, opting for organic cotton and recycled polyester, and has redefined its supply chain to minimize carbon footprints. By doing so, Patagonia not only adheres to regulations but also inspires industry-wide practices that emphasize longevity, durability, and a genuine commitment to the planet.

Case Study 2: Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan

Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan serves as a benchmark for companies striving to innovate beyond compliance. By focusing on reducing their environmental impact and enhancing positive social outcomes throughout their value chain, Unilever has made serious commitments to sustainable practices.

One of the most notable elements of this plan is Unilever’s dedication to sourcing 100% sustainable agricultural raw materials. This shift has encouraged suppliers to adopt more sustainable farming techniques, thereby reducing carbon emissions and promoting biodiversity. Additionally, by implementing initiatives like improving sanitation access and enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, Unilever has addressed broader societal challenges while simultaneously future-proofing their operations.

Conclusion

Sustainable innovation is not merely about checking boxes on a compliance sheet; it is about re-imagining what is possible within the corporate structure and society at large. Companies like Patagonia and Unilever demonstrate that when organizations dare to go beyond compliance, they not only innovate but lead the charge towards a more sustainable future. As businesses continue to evolve, the challenge will be maintaining this momentum and inspiring sustainable practices across industries for the generations to come.

Image credit: Pixabay

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Developing 21st-Century Leader and Team Superpowers

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Developing 21st-Century Leader and Team Superpowers

GUEST POST from Janet Sernack

According to McKinsey & Co, in a recent article The new roles of leaders in 21st-century organizations they say that the focus of leaders, in traditional organisations, is to maximize value for shareholders. To do this effectively, they say that traditional leaders typically play four different roles – the planner (developing strategy and translating it into a plan); the director (assigning responsibility); and the controller (making sure everyone does what they should minimize variance against the plan). Whilst these represent the core and foundational business management and leadership roles essential to successful organisational performance, the world has changed significantly, and traditional organisations are being severely disrupted. Requiring the development of new, adaptive, and supplementary, and new leadership and team roles, which embrace the set of 21st-century superpowers for leaders and teams – strategically supported by digital technologies, and an ecosystem focus to thrive in the face of exponential change and a VUCA world.

Maximizing the dormant space

This creates a space of unparalleled opportunity towards reshaping the world anew by activating what might be considered the dormant space, between traditional leadership roles and the possibility of a set of 21st-century superpowers for leaders and teams.

To be embraced, enacted, and embodied by conscious leaders and collaborative teams in more purposeful, meaningful, and innovative ways that serve people, customers, and the common good.

The new roles of leaders and teams in the 21st century

The leadership paradigm has shifted, in the past 20 years, to focus more on “co-creating meaningful value with and for all stakeholders, expanding beyond shareholders to include customers, employees, partners, and our broader society”.

Taking the stance that in an open system, everyone must win through co-creation, collaboration, experimentation, and innovation that results in delivering great customer experiences. To retain and sustain current customers, and to attract and attain new ones in an increasingly competitive global marketplace!

Making the key “leadership challenge of our times” as one which cultivates transformative eco-system-led learning and change, nurturing connections, exploration, discovery, creativity, collaboration, experimentation, and innovation at all levels of the system.

Requiring the traditional organisational leadership roles, to shift towards bravely and boldly “stepping into the uncharted territories of future possibility” and weaving these possibilities into the way people work and commune together.

To co-create new “holding spaces” for igniting, harnessing, and activating people’s collective intelligence to embrace and execute change and deliver the desired commercial outcomes their organisation wants.

Openings for unparalleled opportunities

It seems that we not only survived through the emotional and mental anxiety and overwhelm of living in “a world of disruption, drama, and despair” we also saw the range of disruptive events as a “crack” or opening in our operating systems, for unparalleled opportunities.

By intentionally embracing the “key changes that currently reshape all our innovative learning systems” including the action confidence (courage and capacity to step into something new and bring it into being, creating reality as we step into it) to:

Deepen the learning cycle (from head-centric to the whole person: heart, head, and gut-centric).
Broaden our perspectives and actions (from an individual focus to an eco-system focus).

A moment in time – taking a deep breath

One of the many challenges our collective at ImagineNation™ faced during the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns (we had six long ones here in Melbourne, Australia over 18 months) was the opportunity to slow down, hit our pause buttons, retreat and reflect and take some very deep and slow breaths.

To make time and space to rethink, respond, regroup, experiment, and play with a range of wondrous, imaginative, and playful ideas, to unlearn, learn and relearn new ways of being, thinking, and acting to sense and actualize a future that is wanting to emerge – even though, then and right now, it was and still is unclear how.

Acknowledging that whilst many of us, and the majority of our clients were experiencing the range of significant emotional reactions, mental stalling, and the anxiety and overwhelm of living in “a world of disruption, drama, and despair” as well as sensing and perceiving the world that is emerging as one of unparalleled opportunity”.

Stepping up and into new spaces of possibility and learning

Individually and collectively, we focussed on a range of rethinking, responding, and regrouping strategies including adopting new 21st-century leadership roles.

Initially by taking responsibility for sustaining our own, our partners, and our families, emotional energy, mental toughness, engagement, and overall wellness.

Then consciously enact and embody the new set of emerging 21st-century leadership roles as visionaries, architects, coaches, and catalysts:

Being visionaries: by co-creating a collaborative and global collective of aligned ecosystem partners with clear accountabilities within a virtual, profit share business model.
Being architects: by iterating, pivoting and sharing our IP and learning programs to close peoples’ “knowing-doing gaps” to help them unlearn, learn, relearn, reshape and develop their 21st-century superpowers for leaders and teams.
Being coaches: by exploring working with the range of innovative new coaching platforms, including BetterUp and CoachHub to better democratize, scale, and share our strengths, knowledge, and skills to help a significant number of people deal more effectively with the impact of virtual hybrid workplaces.
Being catalysts: by focussing on partnering with clients to break down their self-induced protective and defensive “silos” to support them to become aware, acknowledge, accept, and resolve their feelings of loneliness, isolation, and disconnection, and overall anxiety.

21st-century superpowers for leaders and teams

It seems that these are just some of the 21st-century superpowers for leaders and teams which act as the foundations necessary to survive and thrive through the emerging decade of both disruption and transformation.

Summing these up into more concrete actions for leaders and teams include cultivating and sustaining these five superpowers:

Transformational Literacy: The ability to increase our capacity to collaborate and co-create across institutional and sector boundaries through “shifting consciousness from ego-system awareness to eco-system awareness.” to pioneer solutions that bridge the ecological, the social, and the spiritual divides existing in the 21^st
Nimbleness and Agility: The ability to shift and re-think and re-learn in changing contexts, to quickly experiment, iterate and pivot to adapt and move forwards collaboratively through mindset flips to emerge creative ideas and innovative solutions that are appreciated, valued, and cherished.
Scalability: The ability to rapidly build desired and most relevant internal capabilities, to shift capacity and service levels through increasing creativity, invention, and innovation in ways that meet changing customer expectations, and satisfy their demands and future requirements.
Stability: The ability to maintain “action confidence” and operational excellence under pressure that frees people from the constraints of “getting it right” and allows them to continuously unlearn, learn, relearn and change through “failing fast” or forward, without being blamed or shamed.
Optionality: The ability to “get out of the box” to build and develop value chains, stakeholder engagements, or an ecosystem focus to acquire new capabilities through external collaboration.

Walking the path forward

According to Otto Scharmer, in a recent article “Action Confidence: Laying Down the Path in Walking” the leadership qualities we also need to nurture in order to lean into the current moment and to source the courage to act are: Humility. Vulnerability. Surrender. Trust.

It might be time to hit your own pause button, retreat and reflect, inhale a deep breath in this precious moment in time to develop your path forwards and develop an ecosystem focus and an ecosystem focus and a human-centric, future-fit focus.

To embrace, enact and embody a set of 21st-century superpowers for leaders and teams and reshape your innovative learning systems by developing the action confidence to adopt an ecosystem, whole person, and a whole perspective that contributes to the good of the whole.

Join our next free “Making Innovation a Habit” masterclass to re-engage 2022!

Our 90-minute masterclass and creative conversation will help you develop your post-Covid-19 re-engagement strategy. It’s on Thursday, 10th February at 6.30 pm Sydney and Melbourne, 8.30 pm Auckland, 3.30 pm Singapore, 11.30 am Abu Dhabi and 8.30 am Berlin. Find out more.

Image credit: Unsplash

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