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Innovation and Technology

Unlocking Lasting Change: The Power of Positive Deviants

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Why Change Efforts Often Fail

Some business problems—lackluster performance, escalating costs, interdepartmental conflict—persist no matter how hard companies try to fix them. Why? Most leaders impose top-down change tactics—importing outside experts or “best” practices, which never generate the grassroots enthusiasm essential to drive enduring transformation.

The Alternative: Identifying Positive Deviants

How to fire up that enthusiasm? Help struggling groups identify your organization’s positive deviants: people who are already doing things in radically different—and better—ways. Positive deviants might consist of a small cadre of engineers tackling a thorny technical problem, or a sales team scoring unusual successes with customers.

Make These Deviants Evangelists of Their Own Innovative Practices

Make these deviants evangelists of their own innovative practices. Identify them as the go-to guys—the problem solvers who have the answers. Resist any urge to co-opt their practices and impose them yourself on struggling groups.

The Power of Change from Within

Change from within—discovered, celebrated, and implemented by the people who need to do the changing—is a surefire way to bring isolated success strategies into your company’s mainstream. Goldman Sachs’s Private Wealth Management unit discovered this when it encouraged top-performing investment teams to share their practices across the unit. Result? Doubling of average productivity per team.

Leveraging Positive Deviants’ Talents

Make the Group the Guru

Facilitate the search for positive deviants, but let struggling groups own the quest for change.

Example: At Hewlett-Packard, a research division program exposed some engineers to the concept of positive deviance. Inspired, one engineer decided to tackle a persistent problem: computer failures due to overheating. He identified people scattered about HP’s global engineering fraternity who had independently dabbled in the problem and had developed prototypes. His inquiry galvanized 100 engineers to collaborate on the problem, resulting in more reliable machines that saved millions for HP.

Reframe Problems through Facts

Avoid conventional assumptions about problems’ causes and solutions. Instead, use hard data to identify the root causes of positive deviance.

Example: Billy Beane, new manager of the struggling Oakland A’s, could have badgered the team’s owners for more recruiting dollars—had he assumed that winning teams require heavy spending on superstars. Instead, he mined baseball’s near-inexhaustible vein of statistics to identify factors—such as on-base percentage—most correlated with winning games. He bypassed high-priced celebrity players for less well-known players who nevertheless embodied winning statistics—transforming the A’s into a frequent title contender despite a meager budget.

Make it Safe to Learn

Positive deviants may fear being attacked if their influence challenges others’ status. Make them feel safe discussing taboos and exploring alternative solutions.

Example: Some companies use “organizational CAT scans” to surface “undiscussable” issues. For example, at a one-day workshop, key stakeholders critical to change read anonymous quotes from one another describing the company’s problems. Subgroups then delve into the issues and generate change strategies.

Make the Problem Concrete

Expose uncomfortable truths in compelling ways.

Example: In a workshop devoted to curtailing HIV in the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar, prostitutes claimed they made clients use condoms. But when facilitators asked them to apply a condom to a banana, degrees of dexterity differentiated pretenders from practitioners. The practitioners shared their strategies for persuading clients to use condoms, enabling their colleagues to overcome their clients’ objections.

Confound Resistance to Change

New approaches to problems are often rejected by an organization. To circumvent your company’s “immune system response,” introduce new practices into the mainstream gradually and collaboratively.

Example: Influential investment professionals in Goldman Sachs’s Private Wealth Management unit identified positive deviant practices among PWM’s most successful investment teams. Squads comprising informal leaders from offices nationwide rolled out templates to help investment teams adopt the practices, and the squads explained why and how the practices worked. The tactic generated buzz throughout the unit and a high adoption rate.

Conclusion

By identifying and empowering positive deviants, organizations can unlock lasting change and create a culture of innovation and improvement. By making these individuals evangelists of their own innovative practices, companies can drive transformation from within, rather than imposing change from the top down.

FAQs

  • What are positive deviants?
    Positive deviants are individuals or groups within an organization who are already doing things in radically different—and better—ways.
  • How do you identify positive deviants?
    Identify them through observation, interviews, or surveys.
  • What is the key to successful change?
    Change from within—discovered, celebrated, and implemented by the people who need to do the changing.
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Innovation and Technology

5 Powerful Prompts To Try Today

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5 Powerful Prompts To Try Today

ChatGPT’s Groundbreaking New Scheduled Tasks Feature

ChatGPT just launched a new feature that, alongside OpenAI’s groundbreaking Operator agent, signals a future where AI is far more capable than today.

Tasks let users schedule actions to be carried out in the future or at regular intervals. While Operator can actively browse the web and complete complex tasks independently, Scheduled Tasks focuses on automated, time-based interactions.

What Are ChatGPT Scheduled Tasks?

The concept is pretty straightforward – Tasks lets us schedule prompts to be run in the future or at regular intervals, such as once a day, then wait for the results to be relayed back to us by notification or email.

What makes it exciting is that it’s part of OpenAI’s broader initiative to create truly autonomous AI assistants. While Operator handles real-time web interactions, Scheduled Tasks manages time-based automations – both representing different aspects of AI working independently on our behalf.

How To Use Scheduled Tasks

At the moment, Tasks are only available to users with a paid ChatGPT Plus, Pro or Teams subscription.

To get started, just click your profile picture and select Tasks, or select ChatGPT With Scheduled Tasks from the drop-down Model menu. OpenAI has created a page with more detailed instructions, including how to set up push notifications, on its website here.

Five Helpful Ways To Start Using Scheduled Tasks Today

Personalized Morning Weather And Travel Briefing

This prompt sends helpful daily updates before you leave the house:

Every morning at 7 am, provide me with a weather report for [my location] as well as a travel report covering disruption on any local roads or transport networks, for the current day only.

Create Topical Social Media Posts For A Business

Finding ideas for social media posts can eat into your valuable time, particularly if you’re running a business by yourself:

At 9 am every day, please generate the text for a social media post for my [insert type of business]. It should relate to something topical connected to my business and should either promote the importance of the products and services we supply or educate or inform the customer about something of interest to them.

Create A Personalized To-Do List, With Reminders

This will help you organize your day and keep track of jobs you need to get done:

Every day at 8 am, ask me what tasks I need to get done that aren’t already on my list. Generate a list of all my ongoing tasks along with tips to help me get them done. Remove tasks from my list as I tell you I’ve completed them.

Keep Up-To-Date On Topics That Matter To You

News briefings on any subject you want:

Every morning at 7 am, send me the latest news and content on the subject of [insert subject].

Meal Planning

Create a customized meal plan for the week:

Every Monday at 9 am, send me a weekly meal plan consisting of seven healthy dinners for a family of [insert family size] and provide a shopping list of all the ingredients I’ll need, broken down into categories.

Towards AI Agents?

We’re already seeing OpenAI’s vision of agentic AI taking shape. While Scheduled Tasks handles time-based automations, Operator demonstrates more advanced capabilities – actively browsing the web, making decisions, and completing complex tasks independently.

The Scheduled Tasks feature may be in beta, but combined with Operator, we can see OpenAI’s roadmap emerging. Future versions might integrate these capabilities – imagine scheduling an Operator task to automatically book your favorite restaurant every Friday or having it monitor prices and purchase items when they go on sale.

This integration would move OpenAI’s technology well beyond simply answering questions and giving advice. With Operator already handling web-based tasks and Scheduled Tasks managing time-based automations, we’re watching the evolution of AI into truly useful everyday assistants that can work independently on our behalf.

Conclusion

ChatGPT’s Scheduled Tasks feature is a significant step towards the creation of truly autonomous AI assistants. By scheduling actions to be carried out in the future or at regular intervals, users can automate AI interactions even while offline, marking a significant step toward agentic AI.

FAQs

Q: Who is eligible for the Scheduled Tasks feature?

A: The feature is currently only available to users with a paid ChatGPT Plus, Pro or Teams subscription.

Q: How do I get started with Scheduled Tasks?

A: To get started, click your profile picture and select Tasks, or select ChatGPT With Scheduled Tasks from the drop-down Model menu.

Q: Can I integrate Scheduled Tasks with other AI capabilities?

A: Yes, Scheduled Tasks can be integrated with Operator to create even more advanced AI capabilities.

Q: Is Scheduled Tasks in beta?

A: Yes, the feature is currently in beta and may have some limitations. OpenAI will continue to update and refine the feature as it moves forward.

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Innovation and Technology

The Gap Widens Between Large and Small Companies

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The Gap Widens Between Large and Small Companies

Can Large Corporations Still Innovate?

Debunking the Myth of Displacement

Research and news headlines are replete with the idea that traditional large companies can’t innovate, and that smaller digital companies will render many larger ones extinct. While we’ve seen numerous startups of the last thirty years not only disrupt businesses but become the megacorporations of today, we wondered whether this disruption is accelerating with the momentum of digital revolution. In particular, we wanted to see whether large established corporations are being increasingly displaced by new technologies, or whether they’re actually leveraging digital and other new technologies to innovate and grow.

Corporate Innovation: Not a Lost Art

Many traditional large corporations have successfully adapted to the digital era, embracing innovation and technology to stay ahead of the competition. In fact, a significant number of these corporations have created entirely new businesses or acquired innovative startups to fuel growth. This demonstrates that size alone is no barrier to innovation and that even large corporations can transform themselves to meet the changing market landscape.

Leveraging Technology

Large corporations are leveraging various digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT), to drive innovation. They are using these technologies to create new products, services, and business models that meet the evolving needs of customers. Moreover, they are applying these technologies to streamline processes, improve operational efficiency, and enhance customer experience.

A Case in Point: Traditional Banking

The banking industry is an excellent example of a traditional large corporation adapting to the digital age. Many established banks have transformed themselves to remain competitive, acquiring fintech companies and investing heavily in digital technology. Today, digital banking services are an essential part of their offerings, with mobile banking apps, online trading platforms, and contactless payments becoming the norm.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our research has shown that traditional large corporations can indeed innovate, leveraging digital and other new technologies to stay ahead of the curve. Rather than being displaced, these corporations have adapted to the changing landscape, embracing innovation to drive growth and stay competitive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are traditional large corporations really becoming extinct?

A: No, our research indicates that traditional large corporations are adapting to the digital era and continuing to innovate and grow.

Q: What is driving this change?

A: The widespread adoption of digital technologies, such as AI, cloud computing, and IoT, is driving innovation across all industries.

Q: What role do digital technologies play in corporate innovation?

A: Digital technologies are being used by corporations to create new products, services, and business models, streamline processes, improve operational efficiency, and enhance customer experience.

Q: What can we expect to see in the future?

A: We expect to see more traditional large corporations continuing to innovate and adapt to the changing landscape, leveraging digital and other new technologies to stay competitive and drive growth.

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Innovation and Technology

Education and Digital Inclusion

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Education and Digital Inclusion

Introduction: Technology for Social Change

Technology has the power to transform the way we live, work, and learn. In today’s digital age, it is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for social change. As technology continues to evolve, it is crucial that we harness its potential to bridge the digital divide and ensure that everyone has equal access to the opportunities it provides.

The Digital Divide: A Growing Concern

The digital divide is a growing concern worldwide, with millions of people lacking access to the internet and digital tools. This divide not only limits access to information and opportunities but also perpetuates social and economic inequalities. In many parts of the world, digital exclusion is a reality, and it is often exacerbated by factors such as poverty, lack of infrastructure, and limited access to education.

Education and Digital Inclusion: The Connection

Education is a powerful tool for social change, and digital inclusion is a critical component of this process. Education provides individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the digital world, access information, and participate in the global economy. By providing equal access to digital technologies, we can empower individuals to improve their lives, build better futures, and contribute to a more equitable and just society.

Challenges and Opportunities

Challenges

Despite the many benefits of digital inclusion, there are significant challenges to overcome. These include:

  • Lack of infrastructure: In many parts of the world, infrastructure is limited, making it difficult to access the internet and digital tools.
  • Cost: Digital devices and internet access can be expensive, making it difficult for low-income individuals to afford.
  • Lack of digital literacy: Many people lack the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively use digital technologies.

Opportunities

Despite these challenges, there are many opportunities for digital inclusion:

  • Mobile devices: Mobile devices have made it possible for people to access the internet and digital tools, even in areas with limited infrastructure.
  • Low-cost internet: Low-cost internet options are becoming increasingly available, making it more affordable for people to access the internet.
  • Digital literacy programs: Many organizations are offering digital literacy programs, providing individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively use digital technologies.

Conclusion

In conclusion, education and digital inclusion are critical components of social change. As technology continues to evolve, it is crucial that we prioritize digital inclusion and ensure that everyone has equal access to the opportunities it provides. By addressing the challenges and seizing the opportunities, we can build a brighter future for all.

FAQs

What is digital inclusion?

Digital inclusion is the process of ensuring that everyone has equal access to digital technologies and the internet. This includes providing individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively use digital technologies.

What are the benefits of digital inclusion?

The benefits of digital inclusion include:

  • Improved access to information and opportunities
  • Increased economic opportunities
  • Greater social inclusion

How can we achieve digital inclusion?

We can achieve digital inclusion by:

  • Providing low-cost internet options
  • Offering digital literacy programs
  • Improving infrastructure

What is the impact of digital exclusion?

The impact of digital exclusion can be significant, including:

  • Limited access to information and opportunities
  • Perpetuation of social and economic inequalities
  • Increased social exclusion

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