Most companies that have been around for a while are poorly adapted for the knowledge economy, and even less so for today's "creative economy", where your ability to add value is limited only by your imagination. Perhaps that's why design-led companies are significantly outperforming their peers, according to researchers at McKinsey. Their report points to four strengths these companies have in common, all of which come out of design thinking: analytical leadership, cross-functional talent, continuous improvement, and user-centricity.
These four company-wide competencies fuel smart experimentation, speed to market, and increased customer satisfaction. But they all require a level of flexibility rarely found in companies weighted down by calcified structures and processes.
The good news is that, even if your company as a whole is suffering from "bureaucrasclerosis", your team doesn't have to.
I huddled up with my colleagues on the Team Playbook team, and we found plays to build muscle in each competency area:
You don't have to wait for your C-suite to get the memo on design-led companies. Try incorporating these design-inspired techniques into your routine and begin quietly chipping away at "bureaucrasclerosis" from the grassroots level.
What else are teams doing to break free from bureaucratic legacy? Let's hear it!
Love your can-do attitude!
Fair point about "comb" shaped employees. If you go too far on specialization, you end up being helpless in too many other areas. There's a balance to strike, though, because you also can't go deep on everything.
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