When it comes to innovation, many organizations struggle to find the right balance between communication and development and the issue of involving only those that “need to know.” Developing a strong, central design ethos can be difficult, but it is essential if you are thinking about making changes within your organization.
Check out this blog from Ian Callum, “Why the Most Successful Companies Embrace Design”: https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140602124457-338303448-why-the-most-successful-companies-embrace-design. In it, Callum discusses design ethos, and how it needs to be central in every company’s design strategy. Furthermore, not only does it need to be central, it needs to come from not only those in positions of leadership, but from the entire workforce: “You need good people, who understand the products they’re designing, with empathy.” Bringing in a third party or a contractor to help develop ideas, or relying solely on those in management positions, without taking advantage of those who actually deal with the day-to-day, isn’t maintaining a smart design ethos.
So who really participates in developing successful innovative business ideas? Well, that depends on who you involve. Are you asking the right people to invest their time? Are you limiting the knowledge to those in leadership positions or are you opening up the floor to everyone? In some cases the former will work, but in most cases, getting out on the floor for suggestions just might yield more profit.
If your organization needs to make some changes, don’t just assume that your leaders have all the answers. Sometimes giving design powers to those outside of the upper echelons, those who understand the products they are designing, will actually give you better results.
For more strategies to get you started, please contact Innovators Alliance. Our CEO peer-to-peer organization might just get those innovation gears moving with more momentum. Call us today at 1-905-332-0340.
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