NextFutureToday - Episode 33: Building Trust While Moving Fast

Highlights

Evolution of PwC’s Innovation Culture

• Historical view of PwC’s reputation: from accounting to innovation

• Discussion about how innovation is expected from all employees, not just a dedicated group of "mad scientists"

• The cultural shift towards democratizing innovation within the firm

Definitions and Perspectives on Innovation

• "Big I" vs. "small i" innovation: disruptive breakthroughs vs. continuous improvement

• Technology, business model, and product innovation

• The importance of trust in driving innovation

People-Centric Approach to Innovation

• Empowering people through agency and autonomy (inspired by Dan Pink’s "Drive": autonomy, mastery, purpose)

• Change management challenges—how people react to change, especially unexpected changes in their job roles

• The role of leadership in building trust during transformations (especially in the age of AI)

Leadership, Agency, and Decision-Making

• Giving employees decision rights, guardrails, and support to innovate

• Two-way doors concept: reversible vs. irreversible decisions in innovation

• Striking a balance between moving fast and maintaining organizational trust

The Adoption Curve and Organizational Change

• Reference to the bell curve of innovation adoption (Crossing the Chasm, diffusion of innovation)

• Risks of non-adoption: falling behind as the world continues to move forward

• Strategies for accommodating different levels of innovativeness across teams

Inclusive Innovation: Everyone as an Innovator

• Rejecting the idea of a siloed innovation "incubator"

• Encouraging input from all levels, from new associates to senior partners

• The importance of reverse mentorship: blending fresh perspectives with experienced insights

Reverse Mentorship & Knowledge Transfer

• Value of reverse mentoring in driving innovation

• How young employees contribute new ideas while learning from established experts

• The dual benefit of mentorship for both junior and senior staff

Adapting to AI and Amplifying Talent

• AI as an amplifier of human capabilities rather than a replacement

• Changing talent marketplace and ongoing hiring from campuses

• Freeing up employees’ time via innovation and automation so they can focus on higher-value tasks and personal lives

Innovation Frameworks and Best Practices

• Challenges of maintaining focus in innovation projects

• Dangers of unfocused "go innovate!" initiatives

• Structured innovation through frameworks: art, science, and luck

• Methodologies for strategic foresight and pattern recognition

Horizon-Based Innovation Planning

• Multiple horizons for innovation:

  • Horizon 3: Long-term perspectives and themes (2-3+ years out)

  • Horizon 2: Emerging signals and proof-of-concept projects

  • Hands-on prototyping and rapid iteration to prove ideas

Community and Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

• Creating internal communities (e.g., RD forum) and opening participation to the entire firm

• Measuring success through engagement and scaling innovation interest

• Publishing thought leadership, fostering organic reach throughout the organization

Rapid Iteration & Sprints

• Moving from two-week to one-week sprints in development cycles

• Accepting failure and broken tests as part of the process

• "Show it, don’t tell it" mentality; demonstrate value through action

Customer-Facing Innovation and Commercialization

• Using internal innovation as a case study to drive client engagement

• Bridging the gap between technology and business, acting as translators between domains

• Empowering clients to accelerate their own innovation cycles by learning from PwC’s experiences

Building and Upskilling Diverse Teams

• Intentional upskilling and team architecture for diversity of thought

• Value of backgrounds outside traditional technology (e.g., English majors, statisticians)

• Importance of bringing together people with different expertise for better innovation outcomes

Design Thinking and Usability

• Relevance (and perceived "out of fashion") of design thinking at PwC

• Tension between product, UX, and engineering teams when delivering innovation

• Central question: are you building for people, and will they use it?

Practical Advice for Empowering Action

• "Art of the possible" vs. "what’s probable" in the age of AI

• Recommendation to bring teams together in person to accelerate finding actionable, probable solutions

• Real-world collisions and collaboration as accelerators of innovation

Find out more about:

Infocap AI Corp: bringing human-centric automation to life in Federal Agencies, the US Military, and Large Organizations across the US.

Your host, Dan Keldsen, Chief Innovation Officer at Infocap AI Corp

Today's Guest, Larry Gioia, Emerging Technology Leader in PwC’s Commercial Technology Innovation Office (CTIO)