During the past five and a half months in lockdown, my twelve-year-old daughter has become somewhat of an expert in the game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild. I have become an armchair fan myself but for different reasons!
For those of you who haven't entered the world of Zelda, Link is an elf-like character in his pursuit to rescue the Kingdom of Hyrule from the evil of Ganon building a stash of gadgets and tools along the way to help. Just like in business, Link must take advantage of all the tools available and seek out new in order to evolve, grow, and thrive.
As I sit there and watch the journey unfold, I find myself fascinated by the comparison of video games of the past with this, what I could only describe as a work of art and genius by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, published by Nintendo.
Beyond the discovery of new lands, and of shrines, and the various trials to complete, Zelda is an example of the art of possibility. How the Pacman, Space Invaders, Super Mario of yesterday have developed and evolved into a virtual world so realistic that you could easily be immersed and even get lost.
I have often pondered the parallels in our own business, innovation, and progress in the world of work.
In a previous article, I wrote about, The Problem About Innovation, Is RISK! and how traditional organizations are simply not designed to encourage, never mind incentivize risk.
The long term vision and investment that Zelda BOTW must have needed was either the stuff of crazy people or big minds many steps ahead of us mere mortals - pushing the boundaries of the status quo, discovering the unknown, and exploring new horizons.
One of my favorite quotes from all time is about the legendary Henry Ford,
"If Henry Ford had asked his customers, they would have told him they wanted a faster horse"
In the game, every now and again, a rare, magical dragon appears bringing with it a feeling of calm, heavenly music plays, creating a sense of importance, enchantment, and of opportunity. For those skilled enough, a Dragon Scale can be harvested offering beauty, charm, and good luck, a prize to be both delighted and proud and to assist with progress.
It is these magic dragons that we seek in the world of innovation. What is the product, service, or thing that is going to transform the future, the client experience, the human experience?
We have been lucky so far in discovering and working with innovators including POS Solutions with #touchless #computervision #artificialintelligence that speed up service, reduce lines, and make for an enhanced consumer experience, never mind turning operations into 24/7, and boosting top, and bottom-line performance during these challenging times.
Innovative on-site #maintenancesoltions so crucial in this time and consumers' need for confidence and safety. Intelligent #Robotics that take away menial tasks and allow operators to concentrate on what's important, and become more efficient. Intelligent #procurementtechnology that helps companies get visibility and enables them to buy smarter, and tread the path to cost reduction as a result. A client (and prospect) health barometer helping you to retain existing clients and grow with new. To our #datascience platform that is designed to answer previously almost impossible conundrums.
Discovering the Unknown, Exploring New Horizons
Working with @ExplorersLab we are about to establish our maiden #expedition to explore the boundaries of innovation in the world of work:
What does the commute of the future look like?
What is the future of corporate and retail real estate?
How do organizations really support and nurture the sense of belonging and community in this newly dispersed workforce?
All big questions that we hope to answer as we continue our own path of discovery and evolution.
Want to join us on our Expedition? Let us know!
4xi Innovation Gateway
On a call recently with a trusted and valued mentor, President & CEO of a large and growing facilities services business, we explored the principle of an Innovation Gateway. How we filter the myriad of 'ideas' into a pipeline of meaningful innovation for our 4 key constituents, Employers, Operators, innovators, and Accelerators. Here is what we came up with:
We continue to build our #InnovationPipeline, helping #Innovators innovate, scale, and grow. #Employers and #Operators to gain access to opportunities for progress without the same levels of risks traditionally associated with internal development.
Just like BOTW, I am grateful to the youth of my daughter and how over the years she has opened my eyes and taught me so much. It constantly reminds me that in order to innovate, we can never stop learning and pushing the boundaries of the possible, and some times the impossible.
4xi can help you in the pursuit of your own Magic Dragon!
Inspiring the future of work, together.
Our strength is in the power of our collective. 4xi will help you discover the unknown and explore new horizons.
w: www.4xiconsulting.com
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