Starting my conversations on "Innovation" I realized that most of innovation today is linked to process, organization structures, roles and competencies, in one single word: Culture.
Italy is one of the most creative country but not so good in implementing Innovation. Having good and unique Ideas is not enough to innovate. we need methodology and first of all New leaders profile.
Good point! And looking at your headline, something else springs to my mind. Do we offer people "Innovation Spaces"? In how far do our office environments support idea creation, creativity as such or thinking outside the box. Looking at the premises in Wiesbaden and comparing it to groundbreaking new office concepts (e.g. to be found in IT companies as Google or Facebook, but also in some major banks), I wonder if a creative approach to setting up the work environment will not significantly support a culture of innovation - not to mention employee motivation/satisfaction. At Google and Facebook work & play are melting together, officially allowing to break out of the office environment to relax and open up for new ideas and then make great new things happen. (Andreas Kleist, PME)
ReplyDeleteInnovation spaces could be created as well by networking to increase the exchange of ideas. Regular "innovation camps" such as a few days brainstorming meetings could be a good souce. People from different areas (R&D, marketing, sales, manufacturing, recycling) should be invited developing ideas. IMD is one professional example. But the "innovation camp" I am thinking of should not be limited to higher managers. The groups should be moderated by experts, and the results could be posted at KMP. In a subsequent blogging phase, others are invited to comment --> final evaluation --> development of a concepts --> selection --> implementation
ReplyDeleteLet's take this to another stage! Have you seen "The Social Network"? How does Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg solve his challenge to write a paper about some modern art paintings? Well, he posts the pictures of these on his Facebook-Account and then has experts/friends/fellow students give him hints and ideas on how to interpret the paintings.
ReplyDeletePanasonic is also a social network, but technically we do not offer our employees an elegant solution to INTERNALLY keep in touch as many of them do externally via Facebook, Linkedin, XING and the likes.
Lotus Notes does not count! ;-)
In my opinion, we are losing a lot of problem solving capability and creative potential, by not actively encouraging our staff to keep in touch and ask questions across organizational boundaries. Thus we might tend to come up with solutions and ideas created in the same "silo" as always. Will this spark a giant leap ahead? You know the answer. RARELY! What we are lacking is a functioning, internal social network (IT-based).
EXAMPLE:
Everyone of us will have experienced the following and will experience it again in Lausanne: You go to an international Panasonic training, meet great and inspiring people and often enough learn, that there are quite a lot of people working on the same issues or who are able to challenge your "silo" perspective from a different angle. So far, so great, BUT how do we keep in touch? How do we make use of these different perspectives afterwards...? Answer for yourself. After my SMDP course in 2010 I wanted to set up an SMDP group under my Facebook account, but failed because a clear separation of private (Facebook account) and business (SMDP group under my profile) could not be set up.
How great would it have been to keep this global network alive in the light and easy Facebook way within Panasonic.
SOLUTION:
Get a Panasonic Branded internal (closed!) Social Media Platform with functionalities comparable to Facebook. This could be integrated in KMP as a personal networking page for each employee globally. Does Facebook offer such corporate networks? To be checked and ISM to be considered of course.
After the IMD course we could add each other as friends/mentors/buddies/colleagues (you name it) and keep informed about things that are moving us and support each other with our challenges to come. And then you go to the next course, the next big meeting and you add more people, and more, and more...
About innovation Spaces..
ReplyDeleteInnovation is historically a cornerstone of Siemens’ success. They align R&D activities with business strategy, hold key patents and have a strong position in both established and emerging technologies.
Siemens researchers and developers worldwide reported 8,800 invention disclosures in fiscal year 2010,corresponding to 40 for every working day. Every year, Siemens honor some of its most creative people (have a look at its web site).
Siemens Italia that has its main Office in Milan very close to our New one.. changed at all its Offices lay out.
New layout office unlock the energy and creativity of employees, embracing the new and different. How?
Each employee knows only what floor he has to work, but there are not personal desk.
You can decide every single day when do you sit. The reason of the new lay out is to encourage people to have proactive relationship with other departments and Functions and may be also to increase Innovation and creativity. I suppose that also Managers profile in this new environment had to change.(Sara,PIT)