Five overall key takeaways from the People & Culture track detail some of the main innovation themes from the 2024 edition of FEI. All Things Innovation has endeavored to curate the list with a selection of key resources devoted to each topic.
FEI 2024 People & Culture Track Key Takeaways
- Innovation as a Continuous Journey: The sessions emphasized that innovation is not a one-time event but an ongoing process that requires constant adaptation and experimentation.
- Additional Resources: “Innovation in a crisis: Why it is more critical than ever,” from McKinsey & Company.
- “What is Continuous Innovation? Definition, Examples and Management,” from IdeaScale.
- “The Ultimate Guide to Continuous Improvement,” from Hype Innovation.
- “Embracing Continuous Improvement: A Catalyst for Innovation and Growth,” from Wazoku.
2. The Importance of Culture: A supportive and collaborative culture is essential for fostering innovation. Organizations must create environments that encourage risk-taking, experimentation, and diverse perspectives.
- Additional Resources: “What It Really Takes to Foster an Innovation Culture in Your Organization,” from Itonics.
- “An Innovation Culture That Gets Results,” from BCG.
- “How You Can Foster A Culture Of Innovation To Drive Growth,” from Forbes.
- “To Foster Innovation, Cultivate a Culture of Intellectual Bravery,” from Harvard Business Review.
3. The Power of Storytelling: Effective storytelling is crucial for connecting with consumers and building brand loyalty. Companies should focus on creating compelling narratives that resonate with their target audience.
- Additional Resources: “Brand storytelling: Creating a story that resonates,” from Sprout Social.
- “Storytelling in Content Marketing: The Ultimate Toolkit,” from The New York Times.
- “Telling a good innovation story,” from McKinsey & Company.
- “Storytelling That Drives Bold Change,” from Harvard Business Review.
4. The Value of External Collaboration: Partnering with external experts, such as academics and industry leaders, can provide valuable insights, diverse perspectives, and access to specialized knowledge.
- Additional Resources: “The Partnership Playbook: Opening Internal & External Innovation,” from All Things Innovation.
- “The Ultimate Guide to Open Innovation,” from Itonics.
- “Why Collaboration Is Critical in Uncertain Times,” from Harvard Business Review.
- “Teams That Collaborate, Innovate,” from Berkeley.
5. The Future of Innovation: The sessions highlighted the need to prepare for an uncertain future by embracing futures thinking, considering multiple scenarios, and staying ahead of emerging trends.
- Additional Resources: “The Ultimate Guide to Strategic Foresight,” from Itonics.
- “Tapping Into Future Customer Needs Using Strategic Foresight,” from Advertising Week.
- “The future isn’t what it used to be: Here’s how strategic foresight can help,” from World Economic Forum.
- “Four futures of generative AI in the enterprise: Scenario planning for strategic resilience and adaptability,” from Deloitte.
Click the following links to dive into each People & Culture session:
- Mastering An Upfront R&D Strategy: An Innovation Culture Case Study: Liza Sanchez, Vice President, Research & Development, PROCTER & GAMBLE
- Collaborative Edge: Research Partnerships Fueling Innovation: Kofi Gyasi, CEO, NotedSource & Ny Mia Tran, Professor of Psychology, Salem State University
- From Idea to GTM: Innovation & Sales Uniting for Growth: Michele Sandoval, Director of Innovation & Steve Wallace, National Sales Director, E&J Gallo Winery
- Zero To N Innovation: Attaining Ambidexterity: Prapti Jha, Former Design Strategy & Research Design Thinking & Innovation, Harvard
- Next Generation Technologies: Putting The Talent Puzzle Together: Serene Hamsho, President, American Offshore Wind Academy
- Introducing Smart Sensors: Understand Consumer Behavior Better Than Ever With New Tech: Nihal Advani, Founder & CEO, QualSights
