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Cultivating a Customer Centricity & Innovation Mindset using Design Thinking Methods
Taking matters into their own hands
This Icelandic organization, established after the 2007/2008 banking crisis, has relied heavily on consultants for its transformation over the past 15 years. Now, the bank is determined to take control of its own future. Following in-depth internal research, their goals include promoting a culture of innovation and risk-taking and developing a genuinely customer-centric approach.
How might we assist Arion Bank in recognizing and transforming its current project management patterns, enabling the creation of customer-centric and purpose-driven innovative solutions?
The program, designed to cultivate a Customer-Centric and Innovation mindset, comprises three phases:
1. Training & Practice in a safe environment
2. Application in New Projects
3. Guided implementation (Innovation Coaching)
1. TRAINING & PRACTICE
A diverse group of motivated participants, from various functions and leadership levels, undergoes two 2-day sessions focused on Customer Centricity and Human-Centered Innovation. Between sessions, participants apply their new skills to a project, followed by reflection and next steps.
2. NEW PROJECTS
Designated projects and teams begin under the guidance of an Interim Project Innovation Facilitator, allowing them to practice new methods, reinforce the innovation mindset, and correct old habits. The facilitator models new practices, such as leading Agile meetings, involving the customer continuously, and addressing root causes. When ready, leadership is handed over to the internal lead.
3. INNOVATION X ENERGY COACHING
After the internal lead takes over, the Innovation Facilitator gradually steps back. The internal leads receive ongoing coaching to overcome challenges and avoid falling back into old patterns, using their strengths to keep progressing.
The Journey in an image
Outcomes
Enhanced Customer-Centric and Innovative Practices
Master Customer-Centricity and Innovation: Equip participants with tools for improving products and developing new business ventures.
Design for Diversity: Develop skills to design inclusively and leverage cognitive diversity.
Adopt Design Thinking: Utilize Design Thinking techniques to drive innovation.
Cultivated Culture of Innovation and Customer Focus
Foster Courage and Discipline: Encourage continuous customer engagement, fearless ideation, and frequent prototyping and testing.
Promote Agile Practices: Instill a culture of agility and adaptability in project management.
Increased Awareness and Overcoming Barriers
Identify and Address Blockers: Recognize personal and team obstacles to customer-centricity and innovation, and develop actionable plans to overcome them.
Methods Tools Techniques
Design Thinking, Ethnographic Research, Agile Ways of Working, The Art of Facilitation, Energy Levels (iPEC), Effective Meetings, Social Physics , Designing for Inclusion, Effective Communication, the Golden Circle
Duration of the Programme
TRAINING & PRACTICE
Training: Two 2-day sessions held approximately one month apart.
NEW PROJECTS
Duration: Project-dependent. For this client, three projects were selected, each requiring 4 to 6 months to reach pilot launch.
COACHING
Duration: 4 to 6 months, beginning with weekly sessions and gradually transitioning to monthly sessions.
Team Structure
We engaged with a core team consisting of:
Lead Learning Designer / Facilitator (E4G): Responsible for designing and delivering the training sessions, uncovering the organization’s and people’s needs through deep research, and ensuring that the content and approach align with the program’s goals.
Client Partner (Agent): Served as the liaison between our team and the client, facilitating communication, managing logistics, and supporting the implementation of the program.
Together with our client, we formed a collaborative team structure that included:
Client Partners: Two representatives from the client side, actively involved in aligning objectives and co-creating solutions. They played a crucial role in ensuring that the program was tailored to the client’s specific needs and context.
This collaborative approach ensured seamless integration and effective delivery of the program, fostering strong alignment and successful outcomes.
Our Learnings
TAILORED BUSINESS SCENARIOS, created from in-depth pre-training research, help demonstrate the value of the research and prevent potential resistance by enhancing recognition and engagement.
CUSTOMIZED TRAINING CONTENT, based on insights from in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, was designed to align with participants' current status and mindset. Since this can vary within the group, the content was adapted to ensure greater impact.
TRAINING AND ENGAGING LEADERS is crucial to begin projects like this with, that involve culture and ways of working. Ideally, leaders should serve as role models, demonstrating human-centered behaviors such as holding conversations with customers, experimenting with low-fidelity prototypes, and seeking feedback from both employees and customers.
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