Think inside the box!

The following text was also published under the vignette “Esbrinytt” in Entré No 2, 2017:

Thinking outside the box and looking for new, exciting solutions that do not exist within your own organization has become one of the great virtues of our time. But at Estrad on May 9, speakers Åsa Öberg and Roberto Verganti turned the perspectives around. They argue that innovation processes must start from within.

Roberto Verganti and Åsa Öberg, Politecnico di Milano, Italy, gave a talk entitled “Innovation in your box: Why meaning – not ideas – is the key to success”. They argue that today we do not need to chase after new ideas. On the contrary, we are inundated with a flood of attractive, fun and innovative ideas. It’s a matter of sifting through them and finding what suits your organization.

As researchers and consultants, Öberg and Verganti have worked with a wide range of companies in different countries, and in a wide range of industries – both public and private. Gillette, Gucci, the Church of Sweden, Alfa Romeo, Deloitte, Unilever, Microsoft, IBM, Vodafone, L’Oréal, ABB and Tetrapak are just a few.

– We haven’t met a single company that says they lack ideas. It’s rather that they haven’t yet found the Idea with a capital I. Often it’s right in front of their eyes, but it’s still hard to spot, said Roberto Verganti.

The researchers discussed innovation from two levels. The lower one is about solutions – “how?” – and is the one most innovation books focus on. The higher level interests Verganti and Öberg more. It asks the question “why?” and is about the meaning of innovation.

– When people use things, they always have a reason to do so. There is a purpose, said Verganti.

Åsa Öberg told us about an Italian company that manufactures house accessories such as alarms, gates and awnings. After a period of strong growth, they felt they had lost their direction and didn’t know what the next step should be.

– We gathered the managers and asked them what is the meaning of home. They were each asked to choose an image that they thought was representative of the meaning of a home. For example, it should be like a fortress, a museum, something that is mobile, artistic or controlled.

– Everyone had visions, and everyone was happy with their choice of image. But when we presented the choices, it turned out that everyone had chosen differently. The room fell silent. It was a real wake-up call for them to find out that they had different visions, said Öberg.

Once the company has found its direction, it is time to be challenged. External sparring partners – or ‘interpreters’ – can bring a lot of value. But it is important not to choose the most obvious ones. For example, a fashion company will not get the feedback it needs if it uses fashion bloggers as interpreters.

Åsa Öberg gave the participants a challenge:

– Which three interpreters would you like to meet, who are not currently in your network? Think about it, because they can help you see things in a new way.

Verganti’s and Öberg’s lecture can be seen in full on Esbri Play.