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    WebinarPositive Vision of the Future 2010 60 min

    Unlocking Internal Innovation

    When a business faces new obstacles, the management invariably turns to one of two approaches: option-narrowing and rule-following. They either apply logic to define and narrow down a seemingly complete set of options or they follow a formula of behaviors that have proven successful in the past. However, both approaches are ineffective at delivering truly innovative strategies. To bring innovation to business strategy, individuals need to learn from innovative thinkers in other competitive domains, such as chess, athletics, and military combat. Kaihan’s decade-long research into the underlying patterns of competitiveness shows that truly creative strategists abandon logical approaches, and instead use time-tested patterns to seize growth strategies others ignore. In this session, Kaihan presents his proprietary approach to discovering and seizing hidden strategic opportunities. He will expand attendees’ repertoires of strategic patterns which will enable them to see new tactical options in an ever-changing economic environment. He will show how companies can embed deep and powerful strategic narratives within their people, and thereby grow faster, increase profitability, sustain their competitive advantage, and capitalize on strategic investments.

    Presenter

    KK

    Kaihan Krippendorff

    Webinar participants will come to understand why patterns are critical for resolving business challenges. Attendees will learn a systematic approach and a set of tools to consistently identify and seize strategic opportunities others overlook. Kaihan will teach participants the most common strategies that successful companies employ, the best strategic narratives that help people develop innovative solutions, and how using narratives can teach employees to think differently. This webinar will cover: •How successful companies innovate beyond products, to pricing, sourcing, people, and processes. •The role of pattern-recognition in business innovation. •Develop the skills needed to design a successful company playbook. •Application of the best strategic patterns that reveal unorthodox solutions. •How to embed these strategic patterns so that individuals can intuitively apply their approaches to solve challenges. •Understand the role of strategic narratives in designing long-term company strategy. •The real-world societal challenges that matter to all stakeholders.

    Key Takeaways

    • 1.Traditional business strategies like option-narrowing and rule-following are ineffective for achieving true innovation.
    • 2.Innovative thinking can be learned from competitive domains outside of business, such as chess, athletics, and military combat.
    • 3.Creative strategists use time-tested patterns to identify growth strategies that others overlook.
    • 4.Expanding your repertoire of strategic patterns helps you see new tactical options in a changing economic environment.
    • 5.Embedding powerful strategic narratives within an organization helps it grow faster and sustain a competitive advantage.

    The Problem with Traditional Strategic Thinking

    When confronted with new challenges, business leaders often default to one of two familiar methods: option-narrowing or rule-following. Option-narrowing involves applying logic to a seemingly complete set of choices, while rule-following relies on behaviors and formulas that have been successful in the past. According to research by Kaihan Krippendorff, both of these approaches are fundamentally ineffective at producing truly innovative strategies and can stifle growth.

    Learning from Unexpected Sources

    To break free from these limitations, Krippendorff suggests that individuals and organizations must look beyond the business world. His decade-long research into competitiveness reveals that the most creative strategists learn from and apply patterns from other competitive domains, such as chess, professional athletics, and military combat. These fields provide a rich source of time-tested patterns for seizing opportunities that others ignore.

    A New Framework for Innovation

    Instead of rigid, logical approaches, this session presents a proprietary methodology for discovering and acting on hidden strategic opportunities. Key components include:

    • Expanding Strategic Patterns: Attendees will learn to broaden their repertoire of strategic patterns, enabling them to recognize new tactical options as the economic environment shifts.
    • Identifying Hidden Opportunities: The framework provides concrete techniques for seeing and seizing strategic possibilities that are not visible through conventional analysis.
    • Embedding Strategic Narratives: The session will cover how companies can instill deep and powerful strategic narratives within their culture. This alignment empowers people to act on strategic investments, which can accelerate growth, boost profitability, and create a sustainable competitive advantage.

    By adopting these principles, leaders can challenge conventional problem-solving, enhance their organization's capacity for innovation, and cultivate a culture that embraces novel strategic thinking.

    This session delves into how organizations can cultivate genuine internal innovation by transcending traditional, logic-driven problem-solving methods. It emphasizes learning from diverse fields like chess and military strategy to identify unexploited strategic opportunities, a critical skill for sustainable growth in any economic climate.

    What you'll learn

    • How to move beyond option-narrowing and rule-following for strategic innovation.
    • Insights from Kaihan Krippendorff's research into competitive patterns from various domains.
    • Techniques for identifying and seizing hidden strategic opportunities.
    • Methods for expanding your repertoire of strategic patterns to see new tactical options.
    • Strategies for embedding powerful strategic narratives within your organization.

    Who this webinar is for

    This webinar is ideal for leaders, strategists, and executives who are looking to:

    • Challenge conventional approaches to problem-solving.
    • Enhance their organization's capacity for innovation.
    • Develop a deeper understanding of competitive patterns.
    • Seek new growth strategies and sustainable competitive advantages.
    • Cultivate a culture that embraces novel strategic thinking.

    Why it matters now

    In today's continuously evolving economic environment, relying solely on past successes or narrow logical frameworks can hinder an organization's ability to innovate and adapt. The ability to discover fresh strategic pathways and leverage internal talent for new ideas is more critical than ever. This approach ensures businesses can remain agile, competitive, and discover unique positions in dynamic markets.

    How leaders can apply this

    Leaders can apply these insights by actively challenging their teams to consider non-traditional solutions and patterns when facing business obstacles. Encourage cross-functional learning and draw inspiration from seemingly unrelated fields to foster a broader perspective on problem-solving. By embedding strong strategic narratives, leaders can empower their people to autonomously identify and pursue new growth avenues, leading to increased profitability and sustained competitive advantage.

    About this session

    Key takeaways

    Watching this webinar gives you grounded, practical perspective on Inclusivity. Expect ideas you can use in leadership conversations, not abstract theory, drawn from Kaihan Krippendorff's direct experience.

    Who this is for

    CHROs, HR business partners, talent leaders, executive coaches, organizational development practitioners, and senior leaders who are responsible for positive vision of the future inside their organization.

    Why it matters now

    Workforce expectations, hybrid work patterns, and AI-driven change keep raising the bar on culture and leadership. Sessions like this help leaders make smarter, more evidence-informed decisions about Inclusivity.

    How to apply it

    Use the ideas here to challenge a current assumption on your team, design a single concrete experiment in the next 30 days, and bring one finding back to your leadership group for discussion.

    Frequently asked questions

    Best Practice Institute

    Best Practice Institute is the research organization behind Most Loved Workplace® certification, the SPARK Model, the Love of Workplace Index™ (LOWI™), and The Workplace Report.

    The Workplace Report

    The Workplace Report is BPI's original workplace culture research and editorial briefing series for CEOs, CHROs, people leaders, talent leaders, and employer-brand teams. It turns BPI's 25 years of research, Most Loved Workplace® certification data, SPARK findings, and current workforce signals into practical analysis leaders can use.

    The report format includes executive summaries, research-backed articles, company examples, methodology notes, and practical implications for retention, hiring, culture, leadership, and employee experience. New research and analysis is published on an ongoing editorial cadence at /workplace-report.