As Traditional Silos Break Down, Companies Require Innovative Solutions to Transition From Industrial to Digital Organisations.
OVER THE PAST two months, I had some unusual conversations with senior leaders. During an interaction, the HR leadership of a conglomerate wanted to see how it could use design thinking to frame more usercentric HR policies. In another, a leader of an IT organisation wanted to know if design thinking could improve the effectiveness of performance appraisal processes in his organisation. Another friend had just taken over as the CEO of a large organisation, had seen a video I had shared on design thinking, and wanted to know if it could be used to drive change management. So, what is design thinking? Why does it matter so much to business leaders today?
Simply put, design thinking is an approach to creative problem-solving, especially suited to semi-structured and unstructured problems. For instance, if you want to know how to make citizens of Mumbai respect the environment more, that would be an unstructured problem. You do not know who litters and who does not, you do not fully know the reasons why, and you do not have clear, a priori information on the methods, resources and tools required to solve the problem. Defining the problem is, in itself, a major part of the problem. We need to understand it more to solve the problem better, and this is how design thinking helps:
Eclectic, non-hierarchical team: First, the team required to solve the problem is often eclectic and non-hierarchical. An ideal team to solve the environmental problem described above might include a municipal corporation leader, a ragpicker, a consumer activist, an ethnographer, an anthropologist, and so on. The team has to bring diverse perspectives to bear on the problem at hand. It is not necessary that every team member has prior exposure to the problem, but diversity of perspective and curiosity are prerequisites.
This story is from the March 11, 2017 edition of Business Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 11, 2017 edition of Business Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
"Hire for attitude, not ability"
Thryve Digital is a player in the healthcare technology sector delivering next-generation solutions
Road Warrior
For Khalid Wani, Senior Director of Sales at Western Digital India, life is much more than just the corner office. Biking across the world is one way he derives meaning for his life
WIDENING THE POOL
THERE HAS BEEN A JUMP IN INDIVIDUALS INVESTING DIRECTLY IN THE STOCK MARKETS, BUT MUMBAI AND AHMEDABAD STILL ACCOUNT FOR THE LION'S SHARE. THERE DEFINITELY IS SCOPE FOR IMPROVEMENT IN TERMS OF PENETRATION LEVELS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
CRISIS IN THE CLOUDS
INDIAN AVIATION IS IN CRISIS. AIRLINES ARE GRAPPLING WITH FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS, CREW SHORTAGES, AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT POOR SERVICE, ARE BLEEDING DUE TO RISING COSTS WILL THE FASTEST-GROWING AVIATION MARKET RECOVER?
"India should start privatising public sector banks"
Arvind Panagariya, Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, on growth, inequality, jobs, the banking sector, and more
THE DARK SIDE OF GOLD LOANS
THERE HAS BEEN A SHARP RISE IN GOLD LOANS IN RECENT YEARS. BUT THERE IS A SEEDIER SIDE TO THIS, AS IS EVIDENT FROM THE RED FLAG THE RBI RAISED RECENTLY. WILL THE REGULATOR'S MOVE PROTECT CUSTOMERS?
"I LET MY WORK DO THE TALKING"
Megha Engineering & Infrastructures MD P.V. Krishna Reddy on being low profile, the infra opportunity and much more
"Core of insurance lies in long-term security"
Vibha Padalkar, MD & CEO of HDFC Life, on the insurance provider's performance, surrender charges, and future innovations
Distress in the Books
Bandhan Bank, the brainchild of Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, has made the journey from an MFI to a bank, but with many hurdles. Now with his resignation as MD & CEO, is the lender staring at more uncertainty?
A Stellar Debut
The TAC Infosec IPO saw bids worth ₹8,417.33 crore pouring in, thanks to intense bidding from all categories of investors