Empowering leaders as design strategists
A
Public Works
Case Study
Empowering leaders as design strategists
A
Public Works
Case Study
How have we evolved over the last 100 years? Are we offering products that people want in ways they want them? What will the future of insurance look? What will it feel like? How might we better serve people?
Empowering leaders as design strategists
In collaboration with one of America's largest and oldest healthcare providers
In collaboration with one of America's largest and oldest healthcare providers
Offering
Training
Training
/
/
Coaching
Coaching
Actions
Curriculum Design Facilitation
Outcomes
Lunch & Learn Panels Tools & Tactics Workshops Office Hours
Impact
Tracking: CX Innovation Online Engagement Revenue Growth Talent Acquisition & Retention
These are the questions that the CX team leads at one of the largest and longest-running insurance companies in the U.S. asked us in 2021. Our response? Let’s talk about a transdisciplinary approach to design thinking.
Design thinking is nothing new. Its origins date back to the 60s. Simply put: Design thinking is a creative and strategic approach to problem-solving that integrates the needs of different stakeholders with the possibilities of technology and the goals of a business. Taking a transdisciplinary approach to the process encourages not only the creation of new ideas but also new tools and tactics. Or methods that enable teams to more effectively understand and tackle complex problems. Our client was intrigued.
Curating the curriculum
Over the years, we’ve led design thinking workshops in multinational corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies around the globe. Along the way, we’ve learned that in order for these concepts to stick, it’s helpful for participants to: hear the concepts repeated, see the concepts modeled in action, feel empowered to practice applying the concepts, and have a safe space for asking questions.
To this end, we crafted a modular experience that consisted of four 8-week sprints. Each sprint focused on a different topic. And was composed of three touchpoints – a 60-minute Lunch & Learn panel discussion, a 90-minute Tools & Tactics workshop, and a series of Office Hour consults.
To ensure the curriculum advanced our clients’ interests, we began by interviewing the CX team. And landed on four topics – reframing problems as opportunities, [un]learning and empathizing, creating moments that really matter, and transforming insights into measurable actions.Then, we identified the most effective tools,
tactics, and panelists to advance each topic.
Facilitating the curriculum
Lunch & Learns are a great way to kickoff an engagement. For 1-hour, participants get to hear a diversity of thought leaders share their learnings related to the selected topic. It’s inspiring.
During the first Lunch & Learn, leads received enthusiastic texts from their team. Momentum grew quickly. Word spread across the company that the panels were worth carving out time to attend. By the next sprint, more than 200 employees logged on for the Lunch & Learn. This is significant given one of the goals for this engagement was to cultivate an appreciation for design thinking across the company.
During our first Tools & Tactics workshop, we learned that the team was fairly well-versed in the basics of design thinking. But they were also resistant to exploring new ways of employing old processes, like humanizing customer data via behavioral personas. Rather than abandon the exercise, we got curious. And critically reflected on personas, unpacking the advantages and disadvantages. Moments like this are important. Why? They foster [un]learning.
What is [un]learning?
When we say [un]learning what we really mean is learning and unlearning. Or in the words of David Foster Wallace “learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from an experience.”
[Un]learning is an integral part of innovation. The ability to think independently, question assumptions, and see a give context from a diversity of perspectives is critical for generating new ideas and solving complex problems.
That said, empowering people to [un]learn requires considerable trust. And trust is easier to cultivate in person. But it was 2021. And our client was working remotely. So the entire curriculum had to be facilitated online. There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach. When possible, we recommend a hybrid approach to learning and development with some online touchpoints and some in-person touchpoints.
These are the questions that the CX team leads at one of the largest and longest-running insurance companies in the U.S. asked us in 2021. Our response? Let’s talk about a transdisciplinary approach to design thinking.
Design thinking is nothing new. Its origins date back to the 60s. Simply put: Design thinking is a creative and strategic approach to problem-solving that integrates the needs of different stakeholders with the possibilities of technology and the goals of a business. Taking a transdisciplinary approach to the process encourages not only the creation of new ideas but also new tools and tactics. Or methods that enable teams to more effectively understand and tackle complex problems. Our client was intrigued.
Curating the curriculum
Over the years, we’ve led design thinking workshops in multinational corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies around the globe. Along the way, we’ve learned that in order for these concepts to stick, it’s helpful for participants to: hear the concepts repeated, see the concepts modeled in action, feel empowered to practice applying the concepts, and have a safe space for asking questions.
To this end, we crafted a modular experience that consisted of four 8-week sprints. Each sprint focused on a different topic. And was composed of three touchpoints – a 60-minute Lunch & Learn panel discussion, a 90-minute Tools & Tactics workshop, and a series of Office Hour consults.
To ensure the curriculum advanced our clients’ interests, we began by interviewing the CX team. And landed on four topics – reframing problems as opportunities, [un]learning and empathizing, creating moments that really matter, and transforming insights into measurable actions.Then, we identified the most effective tools,
tactics, and panelists to advance each topic.
Facilitating the curriculum
Lunch & Learns are a great way to kickoff an engagement. For 1-hour, participants get to hear a diversity of thought leaders share their learnings related to the selected topic. It’s inspiring.
During the first Lunch & Learn, leads received enthusiastic texts from their team. Momentum grew quickly. Word spread across the company that the panels were worth carving out time to attend. By the next sprint, more than 200 employees logged on for the Lunch & Learn. This is significant given one of the goals for this engagement was to cultivate an appreciation for design thinking across the company.
During our first Tools & Tactics workshop, we learned that the team was fairly well-versed in the basics of design thinking. But they were also resistant to exploring new ways of employing old processes, like humanizing customer data via behavioral personas. Rather than abandon the exercise, we got curious. And critically reflected on personas, unpacking the advantages and disadvantages. Moments like this are important. Why? They foster [un]learning.
What is [un]learning?
When we say [un]learning what we really mean is learning and unlearning. Or in the words of David Foster Wallace “learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from an experience.”
[Un]learning is an integral part of innovation. The ability to think independently, question assumptions, and see a give context from a diversity of perspectives is critical for generating new ideas and solving complex problems.
That said, empowering people to [un]learn requires considerable trust. And trust is easier to cultivate in person. But it was 2021. And our client was working remotely. So the entire curriculum had to be facilitated online. There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach. When possible, we recommend a hybrid approach to learning and development with some online touchpoints and some in-person touchpoints.
How have we evolved over the last 100 years? Are we offering products that people want in ways they want them? What will the future of insurance look? What will it feel like? How might we better serve people?
Below:
Below:
A behind-the-curtain look at curriculum planning and facilitation
A behind-the-curtain look at curriculum planning and facilitation
Measuring long-term impact
To track the long tail of [un]learning, we benchmarked several qualitative and quantitative metrics for success prior to kicking off the engagement. And will continue to follow up with the team every 6 months for the next 2 years. Long-term goals for the curriculum included shifting the CX team’s perceptions of themselves as innovators and increasing the acquisition, engagement, and retention of team members and customers.