framework identity

Designing a sustainable society

4 May 2009, 20:14 Lise Uduak Wollsen

3rd International Future Center Summit 

In May we are participating in a summit in Stockholm, together with our network partners from Strandgaard & Co and The International Center for Innovation. 
The participants will be an inspiring, international group of practitioners and thinkers – people from existing and up-coming so called future and innovation centers. Future Centers are open innovation environments where concepts are developed to support organisations in becoming more systematic in their process of user involvement.

At the summit professionals with shared interests and visions will have the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience and participate in workshops on social entrepreneurship, intercultural collaboration and society design. The summit is highly relevant for us and our work with both the International Center for Innovation, Future Strategy and 180° Academy where user-driven innovation plays a big role. We hope to extend our network and gain new knowledge that we can integrate in our work with our network partners.

More information about the summit can be found here

Summit Leaders
Prof. Leif Edvinsson – UNIC & University of Lund & The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Per Östling – Dalenum Development
Henrik Danckwardt – IC Community 

business concepts, business ideas, communication, concept developer, conference, create, futurestrategy, innovation, intention, people centred innovation, strategy, sustainability, sustainable business concepts, true value, user driven innovation Your comments, please!

Fight the crunch!

1 December 2008, 15:13 Pia Betton

We hear about the recession all the time. The strategies for dealing with it are very different, but when visiting different organisations, both private and public, there are similarities. Important changes are postponed, every new venture is analysed carefully and maybe even put on hold, staff costs cut and hiring stopped. All of which are potentially dangerous precautions for any organisation.

By changing the perspective, the crunch actually creates new opportunities for organisations who are willing to fight the norm.

One of them has already been proved by a small organisation, I admire; Middelfart Sparekasse (a Danish bank). Because or despite of the recession, just a few weeks ago they were awarded the title “The best workplace in Denmark”, by the Great Place to Work® Institute. For me, that is a great example of how putting people first will always be a winning strategy. Make sure you build up confidence and trust, both towards your employees, clients and other stakeholders. If you let them down, they will let you down.

Be completely clear about what you stand for. And make sure, that your customers agree. By focusing your brand and your communication, now is a great chance to re-think your positioning in the market, driven by your core value proposition. Drop 90% of your innovation projects, but keep the 10% that most closely deliver your brand. Use them to sharpen your positioning in the market and create positive attention. Also, focus on your value creation and on what makes you special. Don’t make the mistake of dropping your prices. Instead, increase your service level or offer more for the same money, but don’t start a war on pricing. Your stakeholders will think you are in a financial crises.

In short, for many organisations the crunch can be a great wake-up call that allows you to focus your organisation on what REALLY makes a difference. Trust, clarity, reliability and true value.

More about the nomination in Berlingske Nyhedsmagasin (Danish)

best workplace, brand, clarity, communication, denmark, focus, innovation, middelfart sparekasse, reliability, stakeholders, true value, trust Your comments, please!