The word innovation is not often associated with government departments. Their slow-moving style is often the antithesis of the Silicon Valley model of rapid product development and pivoting in response to new data.
But that’s changing, and it’s being led, by my guest today, Dr Sarah Pearson. She’s Chief Innovation Officer and Chief Scientist at the InnovationXchange, which sits within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, aka DFAT.
On this episode…
… we talked about the challenges of driving change in a big and lumbering government department, and about the huge opportunities that lie in unlocking the entrepreneurial potential of our neighbours in the Asia-Pacific region.
Sarah also opened up about her background, and the path she took in the male-dominated world of tech as well some big decisions she made about taking time off to raise her children.
My key takeaway this week…
…any organisation can benefit from a little disruption, if it leads them to innovate, even a government department! (and maybe they’re the ones who need it most)
Good Future’s Good Books
Dr Pearson’s recommendation…
The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation
By A.G. Lafley and Ram Charan
“Over the past seven years, Procter & Gamble has tripled profits; significantly improved organic revenue growth, cash flow, and operating margins; and averaged earnings per share growth of 12 percent.
How? A. G. Lafley and his leadership team have integrated innovation into everything P&G does and created new customers and new markets. Through eye-opening stories A. G. Lafley and Ram Charan show how P&G and companies such as Honeywell, Nokia, LEGO, GE, HP, and DuPont have become game-changers.” Amazon description.
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