When I was looking for information on what the world could look like in 2050, I only found material describing things that are more or less foreseeable today. Air taxis, autonomous driving, virtual work... Nothing that goes beyond the scope of our imagination. And I'm on a Film from 1972 pushed. The makers of this film are visionaries who thought of tablets and virtual communication, high-speed trains, e-mobility and car sharing almost 50 years ago — before the Internet.
Where are these visionaries today? Probably in your company. There are always people who think extremely laterally and diversely. Who come up with solutions that colleagues cannot understand. You should listen to these people and give them more free rein. Of course, there are already companies with Chief Creative Officers, Chief Innovation Gurus, Chief Pioneers. This is a good start because it gives room to think outside the box. However, free thinking should not be limited to specific departments.
Anyone can have breakthrough ideas if given the opportunity. I see this again and again in workshops: When you confront participants with design-thinking material, they usually start with defense, then curiosity and then unexpected creativity. It is not for nothing that companies that give their staff space and time to do so have found that the best ideas come up during these periods.
Especially now, when it comes to bringing the German economy back to the top, innovative ideas and abbreviations from familiar paths are important for success. Are you already giving your employees the opportunity to contribute ideas and perhaps even implement them? Design thinking workshops are one way to FabLabs another one. A Dutch customer of mine describes this approach with kurks — kreative uIt de raam kijken — Look creatively out the window. No matter what you call it and organize it, it's important to let your inventive spirit run wild.
How can you do that for yourself? I would be happy to show you options!
