Fewer reporting lines, more storylines

As well-meaning as they are in implementing such performance-based reports, too often these systems function entirely to give people even more incentive to narrow the focus of their function within the company, and fight harder to ensure that these metrics are maximized regardless of the impact on the company. These organizational failings can be distilled […]

“Every social and global issue is a business opportunity in disguise”

Not my quote. It was Peter Drucker’s statement, a long time ago. So business sustainability is not new. However, for decades now most companies only worked on sustainability as a marketing gimmick. For others, it was about managing (reputation) risk. Result: focus on only environmental issues or on CSR charity actions. Rather disappointing, wouldn’t you […]

The power of the pack – scrum

Organizations operating as standalone entities? It is my sincere conviction they will cease to exist within a decade. We can no longer ignore the increasingly assertive ecosystem in (and from) which we profit. Connecting will need to become both extended and enhanced. And that’s where teams come in. Often being the interface with the ecosystem, […]

System doesn’t allow experiments? Game-over for innovation!

Think you can innovate by appointing an innovation manager? Or by rolling out an innovation process? Forget it. The organizations that tried, have all since backtracked. And those still intending to approach innovation in the same way, should think twice. What you really need is room for experimentation. Businesses that truly excel in terms of […]

Can you estimate your organization’s innovative capabilities?

So what’s been cooking in our Bean’s kitchen? Innovation surely has! Our recent and most favorite dish on the menu is a self-assessment tool that investigates an individual’s or an organization’s innovative capabilities. Quite an indispensable view when involving an entire organization in the process. The tool is called Innovation M&M and assesses innovative capabilities on two […]

Changing your company culture is not about trading suits for hoodies

Organizations do recognize that habits (culture) and habitat (structure or design) are both critical components of change, innovation, and growth. Want to promote collaboration and drive innovation? Change the culture. Want to recruit top young talent? Change the culture. Want to rebrand? Change the culture. On the flip-side, there’s also a growing preoccupation with design. […]

Agile and the deja vu of a punkrocker

I witnessed it myself some twenty years ago. Megalomaniac-scaled ICT projects endeavored to find answers to as many issues as possible. In most cases, this approach resulted in an overextended development time. By the time of delivery (years later in many cases, if it came to delivery at all), the solution had already been outmoded […]