Generali

The word innovation was something that just meant that he was gonna waste a lot of money and was a complete waste of time. [inaudible 00:14:06] sold to him at the end and they loved it and they've technically signed this thing off, and it's moving forwards to actually become ... We created the skeleton, as it were, and the path for them to follow. [7755],[7735],[7753]
Yeah, to help them create an innovation capability for themselves. And for me, it obviously went very well, mainly because one of the CEOs originally ... The word innovation was something that just meant that he was gonna waste a lot of money and was a complete waste of time. [inaudible 00:14:06] sold to him at the end and they loved it and they've technically signed this thing off, and it's moving forwards to actually become ... We created the skeleton, as it were, and the path for them to follow. [7741]
I think by putting across what could possibly be a bite-size chunks of very logical, simple, elements to the whole structure of the innovation capability. A part of our thinking was to develop very visually orientated frameworks that were easy to understand. This is where we are, this is where we want to be, this is how we're gonna get you there. These are the elements of your organization, they will tie in this way, they fit together and they overlap here, this is what develops out of it, which is the culture. It just fit. For me as well, I use ... As the communications designer and the person who came in last, I use myself as the lowest common denominator. If I didn't get it, then it wasn't right. Because if I couldn't get it, and I'm not the smartest man in the world and I'm not the stupidest man in the world, it's kind of like, okay, if this doesn't make any sense to me, then ... [7736]
So if you were sitting in Generali and you read and understand because maybe you're Italian and you've not heard that phrase before, the little explanation [inaudible 00:15:50] make you feel comfortable, like okay, I understand what it is. I think, in the presentation and in all the communications we did, that was kind of key throughout. So I think that's possibly why it worked. [7756]
Yeah. It was great because they come with a business [inaudible 00:15:29]. They might say something that didn't quite ... I wouldn't understand because it might be too business orientated, and so we just accompanied that sort of title with a little sort of explanation that made sense to me. So if you were sitting in Generali and you read and understand because maybe you're Italian and you've not heard that phrase before, the little explanation [inaudible 00:15:50] make you feel comfortable, like okay, I understand what it is. I think, in the presentation and in all the communications we did, that was kind of key throughout. So I think that's possibly why it worked. [7737]
opinion occurring at different points in the process, instead of opinions occurring together and then you're "Okay." [7757]
They ranked from ... Although the hierarchy in IDEO is fairly flat. There are people with more responsibility. I think for us, with the second phase at Generali, we made sure they worked together, rather than at separate points. I think one of the things that lots of creative environments suffer from is opinion occurring at different points in the process, instead of opinions occurring together and then you're "Okay." That's where a change in opinions occurring together. There can be a shift in some of that thinking but it becomes very difficult if you have opposite, polar opinions at specific points in the project. [7740]
I think generally, most of them are very sort of risk intolerant. Mainly because if they make a huge mistake, their jobs are on the line, I would imagine. I think one of the interesting factors for me, my most immediate path would be marketing. In the mainstream, it's becoming more difficult to find people who will take risks. Those are all extremes, but it's becoming less and less, specifically more in terms of brand design. People who are sort of ... It felt to me like it was almost becoming formulaic. It's very difficult to find someone to sit down with and go, "Right, what do you want to do?" "I really wanna change the world. I really wanna do this." Very rarely does that occur, and so they almost have their however many hundred pounds a year job and they're a marketing director at whichever large corporation and they don't wanna rock the boat. [7746],[7750]
It felt to me like it was almost becoming formulaic. It's very difficult to find someone to sit down with and go, "Right, what do you want to do?" [7758],[7759]
And in Generali's case. In Generali's case, it was difficult I suppose. In the beginning we had three main collaborative workshops with them to build up this innovation capability. In the beginning, I think they were very sort of cynical. They came from different areas of the business, which is great because you had a complete convergence of all of their areas of business and all, enough. They were quite cynical in the beginning. [7752]
As the collaborative nature went through the free workshop, they actually kind of ... I think they saw. Well, when they understood the work as well, and we had created it together, we hadn't said, "This is what we think. You do it." It's very much, "This was your opinion. We had brainstorms. You said you wanted this. We've written these things down. Here they are." I drew them up as frameworks. This is where you do this. These are the elements. I think at that point, they suddenly felt empowered by it. They presented it as well to their peers, their CEOs. We didn't present it. It was their project. [7738]
n the beginning we had three main collaborative workshops with them to build up this innovation capability. [7761]
They came from different areas of the business, which is great because you had a complete convergence of all of their areas of business and all, enough. [7760]
They were quite cynical in the beginning [7762]
And because it became their project, they immediately bought into it. The risk seemed to disappear for them because it's like we are the [inaudible 00:21:27]. Or we stay as we are, which is the status quo, it's boring, and it's not gonna help us in the future. We need to do this. So there was almost like a belief, a switch, like a religious belief almost that they had this feeling. So I suppose both being that collaborative and allowing them to present it to their own peers, the risk became almost negative. [7747]
The risk seemed to disappear for them because it's like we are the [inaudible 00:21:27]. Or we stay as we are, which is the status quo, it's boring, and it's [7763]
But in the end, we had a sort of period of gap where the client kind of disappeared for a little while and then reappeared, and because that gap occurred, we had a lot more of a tighter schedule to get things done, which was a plus and a minus. I mean the minus would be that obviously we had to work slightly longer hours to get things done. [7754]
And you change and you rapidly prototype constantly. Which is great and actually a quite interesting way of working. More like how I would normally work actually, how I had worked outside of IDEO. Rapid designs, presenting, and then changing iterations. [7766]
And you change and you rapidly prototype constantly. Which is great and actually a quite interesting way of working. More like how I would normally work actually, how I had worked outside of IDEO. Rapid designs, presenting, and then changing iterations. PROJECT ID [7764],[7765]
But in the end, we had a sort of period of gap where the client kind of disappeared for a little while and then reappeared, and because that gap occurred, we had a lot more of a tighter schedule to get things done, which was a plus and a minus. I mean the minus would be that obviously we had to work slightly longer hours to get things done. The plus is that actually you focus and you go, "Okay, we have to make a decision. [inaudible 00:22:52]" you make a decision, you stick with it, and then you go, "Okay, this is incorrect." And you change and you rapidly prototype constantly. Which is great and actually a quite interesting way of working. More like how I would normally work actually, how I had worked outside of IDEO. Rapid designs, presenting, and then changing iterations. [7744]
"These are the compartments. What do you do currently? What do you do wrong? How do you see it? What would you like to do? What would be your ultimate dream environment, job, and incentives, and all the different elements?" [7767],[7768]
And by doing all of those things, it brought out the ultimate inspiration for them, and I think that was key because we could redesign something that we perceive to be a really great innovation capability [7770],[7769]
I suppose it came partly from the client themselves, in terms of understanding where they are now and where they needed to be, so it was very much listening to them, we get an understanding of the structure of an innovation capability, what the elements are. But it's almost like these are sort of empty compartments and then by sitting down with the clients, saying "These are the compartments. What do you do currently? What do you do wrong? How do you see it? What would you like to do? What would be your ultimate dream environment, job, and incentives, and all the different elements?" And by doing all of those things, it brought out the ultimate inspiration for them, and I think that was key because we could redesign something that we perceive to be a really great innovation capability, but it doesn't fit Genera [7743]
And I think that's probably one of interesting keys to it was that it was actually a new form of Generali, not this new fantastic new innovation capability. So it was like a happy medium. It was a place for them to feel comfortable and build from, and have a roadmap starting point to get to where they need to be. So the ideas that we come up with now may be redundant in two years because they may have changed certain technological advances or something like that, but the starting point now is them and what they need. [7742]
I think, speak to Nate and he would say something different in terms of getting hold of them. They would be difficult to get a hold of. I've had this before with clients as well. When they ring you, you kind of jump and "Yeah, how can I help you?" When you need their help, they're very difficult to get a hold of, generally. [7739]
When they ring you, you kind of jump and "Yeah, how can I help you?" When you need their help, they're very difficult to get a hold of, generally. PROJECT ID [7771]
So I'd say, "Are you all right?" Yeah, he was up all night. Yeah, and you get him coffee. So yeah, it was really nice. It was like a family unit, which was nice. [7773],[7772]
Yeah, great. I mean we ... Sectionizing outside. There was ... We had a sort of exercise routine we would do together. We would constantly get lunch together. It wasn't necessarily talking about the projects. We could be talking about our lives outside. Nathan just had a baby not a year ago, so sometimes he would come in and look knackered. So I'd say, "Are you all right?" Yeah, he was up all night. Yeah, and you get him coffee. So yeah, it was really nice. It was like a family unit, which was nice. [7751]
Around that, then we overlapped and would lead certain things and not others and help out in different areas and facilitate bits. [7774]
Interestingly enough, I was talking to Nathan about this the other day, we just had a review on this project. I was asking about roles and if IDEO projects always had people who have specific roles. Like, they have a project leader but beyond that. N was like, "HF." And I was [inaudible 00:27:21]. So we stuck to those three core ... Those with [inaudible 00:27:24]. Around that, then we overlapped and would lead certain things and not others and help out in different areas and facilitate bits. But the core competency always remained the same. So you knew ultimately, you were always responsible. Interestingly [inaudible 00:27:46], that occurs on every project, I've been told. I don't know, but it's just something we were discussing in the review at the end of [inaudible 00:27:54]. So I think that's quite important in terms of interpersonal relationships with each person having a specific ... Even if it's just 50% of the time, you know your actual core role, and out of that you can help develop [inaudible 00:28:13]. [7745],[7748]
other day, we just had a review on this project. I was asking about roles and if IDEO projects always had people who have specific roles. Like, they have a project leader but beyond that. N was like, "HF." And I was [inaudible 00:27:21]. So we stuck to those three core ... Those with [inaudible 00:27:24]. Around that, then we overlapped and would lead certain things and not others and help out in different areas and facilitate bits. But the core competency always remained the same. So you knew ultimately, you were always responsible. Interestingly [inaudible 00:27:46], that occurs on every project, I've been told. I don't know, but it's just something we were discussing in the review at the end of [inaudible 00:27:54]. So I think that's quite important in terms of interpersonal relationships with each person having a specific ... Even if it's just 50% of the time, you know your actual core role, and out of that you can help develop [inaudible 00:28:13]. [7749]
Reference Tags
[7755] Pro-innovation bias,[7735] Communicating ideas across domains,[7753] Trust,[7741] Lack of real innovation mandate,[7736] Communicating ideas across domains,[7756] Communicating ideas across domains,[7737] Communicating ideas across domains,[7757] Methodologically creative,[7740] Indecisive leadership,[7746] Pro-innovation bias,[7750] Risk compensation,[7758] Conservatism,[7759] Status quo bias,[7752] Status quo bias,[7738] Communicating ideas across domains,[7761] Collaborative-Creative Disposition,[7760] Communicating ideas across domains,[7762] Pessimism bias,[7747] Promote autonomy & sense of ownership,[7763] Risk compensation,[7754] Unbalanced workload pressure,[7766] Win-win conflict about ideas,[7764] Collaborative-Creative Disposition,[7765] Listening disposition,[7744] Optimism,[7767] Creative Confidence,[7768] Methodologically creative,[7770] Believes one has a hopeful path,[7769] Believes one has high agency,[7743] Listening disposition,[7742] Win-win conflict about ideas,[7739] Communication issues,[7771] Communication issues,[7773] Believes one has a hopeful path,[7772] Resilience,[7751] Romanticized notion of team,[7774] Win-win conflict about relationships,[7745] Organizing effectively,[7748] Promote autonomy & sense of ownership,[7749] Promote autonomy & sense of ownership