#businesscase #transformation
Exclusive. Interdisciplinary.
‘ParcelRobot’ was initially the name of a research project based on a business plan written and presented by Nicole Pfeffermann for Deutsche Post / DHL, Technology Management. But while the development process was underway, it became a name for this tech innovation. The idea behind the name: A robot system for automatically unloading standardised goods from swap bodies or containers. The interdisciplinary application-orientated research project was conducted at BIBA GmbH, a research institute at the University of Bremen, cooperating with three main network partners: DHL, a division of Deutsche Post World Net AG, a department of the aerospace company EADS ST Transportation AG, and two institutions which belong to the state of Bremen: BIG – Bremer Investitionsgesellschaft mbH and innoWi GmbH.
The challenge: Interdisciplinary innovation communication brings the engineering view with the management view together which means to better understand how to link an innovation/tech transfer process with a (co-)imagination process to harness the power of technology and imagination as a unique human skill. It is important to link the adoption process (diffusion theory) with the imagination process (schemata theory) to disseminate the new and create a new reality.
The result: A new understanding about how to communicate for innovation (leadership view) and how to engage others in co-creation / co-imagination to transfer an idea into a new reality. From a system view: A new awareness-driven innovation communication view, both functional and relational, with a CICO (Chief Innovation Communication Officer) who is responsible for new tasks, skills and a conscious-driven toolbox for innovation communication and a team of new innovation communicators so that they can better transform, grow and thrive in a tech/innovation process and (co)imagination process.
She always behaves professionally, communicates her ideas clearly, also effectively in writing, and her comments are well thought out and clearly articulated. The output was professional as well as valuable for our decision-making.
What's Next?!
Leadership Meets Innovation Communication
You want to thrive, uplevel and contribute as a leader to make the world a better place, commit to new leadership and innovation communication? You can develop your leadership skills so you can move forward with greater clarity, alignment and confidence as a leader. In addition, you enhance your innovation communication skills by learning more about strategy and communication for innovation and communication as innovation. You can invest in yourself to become the leader you want to be and be in your lane, helping you to build a collaborative mindset and put yourself in a position to thrive and create space for growth and impact at the same time.
Introduction for the Diamond Leadership Masterclass
What was driving explosive growth and the shift from closed to open innovation? To answer this question, it is important to look at two factors: Technology and connectivity. Fast-improving new technologies and interconnectedness lead to increased innovations and re-defined consumer interactions over time. Especially for leaders it requires a new understanding about how to collaborate, interact and co-create with other companies and digital-physical users as collaborative teams in order to transform, prosper and thrive. The development of the Web 2.0—sharing economy—with new social media platforms finally resulted in tremendous growth opportunities for companies in the new economy and led to a paradigm shift in innovation management, which decisively breaks with the traditional perspective of how to innovate, develop a business and/or promote new products and services.
Strategic innovation management involves a new way of communication for leaders because it needs... (1) adoption of the co-creation paradigm, (2) imagination and instinct for innovation, (3) application of new innovation approaches, and (4) a broader spectrum of innovation, for instance, strategy innovation, collaborative innovation, and business model innovation.
As a result, leadership communication has changed and three new themes are as follows: (1) the shift to new leadership communication with non-hierarchical communication structures and use of virtual and new communication tools; (2) the implementation of an authentic, inspirational and purposeful communication approach and (3) innovation communication to address how to create value through innovation / transformation and co-create new realities.
Interested in the Diamond Leadership Masterclass? Based on my case study experience and years of study in this field of interest I offer this masterclass for leaders (1:1 workshop sessions or a group version).