“In our world, “prove it” is the absolute enemy of innovation. You can only prove things that have happened in the past. A business person who wants innovation must be open to the logic of “what might be” not just the logic of “what is”.
With this words, Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman School of Management, introduces the concept of Design Thinking. Born as a practical method for designers, architects and urban planners to create solutions, this approach was then adopted in several other fields. Business is one of them.
It was at Stanford University that Design Thinking was for the first time adapted to business problems. Because it involves a series of cognitive activities creating an “innovation mindset”, it can be useful for managers to solve business problems in a more creative way. Today, the design process teaches to business students to combine empathy, ingenuity and rationality to think outside the box, to freely express themselves and to let creativity flow. The process results in the creation of successful innovations that meet users’ needs.
This ensures that managers don’t only behave as mechanic “problem-solvers”, but become the pure engine of innovation and growth. In other words, Design Thinking ultimately gets the managers to become themselves designers.
Women in Business Association got a little taste of Design Thinking in Business with a first one-day workshop organized by the Milan LeanIn Circle and is thrilled. The instructors worked on the preliminary activities of inspiration, empathy and communication. But we want to go more in deep. A follow-up with more workshops and conferences on the subject are on their way and will be open to the public.
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Francesca Ballerini