Getting into that rhythm will be, like innovation itself, a journey. As such, it needs a clear set of targets. So we’re taking our first steps into the world of content by creating a theme for our Greenhouse contributions—and mobilizing around it.
Here’s what that means, and how it will work. Each quarter, we’ll pose a big, burning question from the front lines of innovation. Then we’ll utilize an always-expanding toolkit of multimedia formats to showcase the diverse ways our people and our clients answer it. We’ll be continually updating and building upon our narrative—as well as refining the layout and functionality of the Greenhouse itself—over the course of the quarter.
While there’s of course no “rule” that all Greenhouse content has to conform to the quarterly theme (how bizarrely un-?What If!-y would that be?), it’s a move that will help focus our efforts and ensure that our content is consistently delivering as an editorial whole.
And so, without further ado, our debut Greenhouse theme is…
What does it really take to build innovation as a capability?
As you can see on our Greenhouse landing page, we’re kicking things off with an array of stories that start tackling that question. Some highlights:
- Matt Kingdon looks back on 10 years of TopDog, and extracts five essential principles of capability-building;
- Barrie Berg highlights what leaders have to do for innovation to take root in a highly operational, results-oriented organization;
- With strategic innovation replacing frenetic entrepreneurialism as the winning force in China, Yi Ta Chng takes stock of a world of new opportunities;
- Simon Bray breaks down the fundamentals of innovation capability for a crowd of senior executives assembled at Google’s NYC headquarters (captured in high-definition video!);
- Becky Rea and Atif Sheikh unpack “the pocket universe”—and share their latest thinking on creating enterprise-wide innovation momentum;
- Dan Heasman and I sit down with Amy Radin—who became one of America’s first Chief Innovation Officers when Citigroup appointed her to the role in 2005—to get her take on innovation leadership;
- Matt Bolton shares a series of informal observations on effective innovation practitioners;
- The directors of the Innovation Capability team in the Americas give their elevator answers to five frequently-asked client questions.
To keep the Greenhouse fresh, we'll be continually updating its contents. Here are just a few of the pieces currently in development:
- An in-depth profile of Molson Coors CEO Peter Swinburn, a business leader who has succeeded in creating a company that competes on innovation;
- ?What If! co-founder Dave Allan on what it takes to lead for innovation;
- A freshly redesigned Ecosystem infographic—and a definitive piece on the concept by our Innovation Capability team in the Americas;
- Video conversations with senior leaders at Centrica and International Diplomat about the game-changing impact ?What If! has had on their respective ventures.
Finally, on a personal note (hey, it’s where your mind tends to go when you’re in the home stretch of a website launch), I want to express how honored I am to be here at ?What If!—and how excited I am to help our people and our clients unlock their own dispatches from innovation’s front lines.
And with that I declare the Greenhouse…open for business!
