MENU If You Rub Two Virtual Sticks Together, Does it Make Fire?
The Challenge of Virtual Innovation
The business world made amazing progress in transitioning to virtual operations last year. The remote workforce quickly became the norm. Call centers provided seamless support with no one in the “center.” Virtual training became standard within a few months…and was quickly improved upon a few months later. Gaps in broadband and communication technology were largely closed less than six months after the initial COVID lockdown.
Still, virtual is not the same as the real thing. As a professional development firm, Orion capitalized on new opportunities that distance learning enabled –such as nationwide networking and increased student interaction via chat– but experiential learning is still more effective when group exercises are done in the same physical room. More significantly, some of our corporate clients are struggling to reach peak effectiveness when it comes to group problem-solving. This is particularly true when creative/innovative solutions are needed. It’s hard to get that spark of a great idea without in-person synergy.
Orion has taught Process Innovation techniques for several years, both via webinars and classroom training. Some of these techniques transition well to the virtual environment; others, not so much.
How is your organization managing innovation with the remote workforce?