The most vexing organizational challenges today are not the ones for which an RFP can easily be issued; rather, the task of defining early what the questions might be is increasingly becoming the focus of attention. In these contexts, human-focused inquiry can open new paths and unleash actionable ideas and tactics that lead to innovation in service delivery and forge strong and lasting connections with groups of people.

Innovation and transformation cannot simply be mandated; however what organizations can do is to create the conditions under which significant improvements are far more likely to materialize, and ensure an alignment of goals with purpose that leads to exceptional experiences and organizational performance. A well-defined strategy can deliver powerful paths and drive improvements and engagement from colleagues as well as students, patients, and relevant communities. An effective approach can define and influence the expansion of services, and it can act as a rallying point for employee attraction and retention, as well as building loyalty to the organization. Attention to strategy can focus an organization on fulfilling refreshed promises to user groups in new and meaningful ways, and define innovative services and products that are more appropriate to the developing customer or client base and the future environment.

Genuine innovation requires increased collaboration and often the realignment of work practices and processes, and takes tangible commitment and behavioral change from colleagues and leaders. We know that the workplace itself must be used as a tool to support complementary paths and initiatives, and the drivers for innovation - organizational goals and promise - must be well understood and meaningful for the organization to move forward.

Because communities and organizations are facing greater complexity in terms of connecting to user groups of all types and redefining “services” in progressively complex environments, Design Thinking - a methodology for innovation that combines creative and analytical approaches and collaboration across disciplines - is increasingly being embraced as a problem-solving tool. Clearly, it is becoming even more important to understand consumers and colleagues as “users” at a deep level, and develop action strategies and platforms of service that incorporate the distinctive promises of the community or organization while remaining centered on people as users.

We believe in collaborating, co-learning and discovering with our clients in asking fundamental questions and developing compelling solutions to defined needs. Moreover, we also believe that our role is to help support and advance Design Thinking capabilities within communities or organizations so that successful problem-solving becomes a sustainable skill and practice.