Innovation Cultures - Thinking Innovation v2 | Page 4

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear colleague There is no universal definition for culture, however the general concept implies some kind of prepared environment favorable to growth and sustainability. While not something tangible, an organization’s culture is key to its ability to evolve and grow. And both qualities are necessary for meeting and exceeding the revenue expectations of corporations as well as for the transformational capabilities needed for government renewal. Teresa Di Cairano In fact, one can argue that the main purpose of culture is to ensure an individual’s and organization’s future state. But culture, like air and water, lives in an ambience that adapts to learning from its environment. In short, the more we understand, the more knowledge we have, the more we evolve. So what are the key enablers of creating smarter work environments? cul • ture Noun The arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. Verb Maintain in conditions suitable for growth. Synonyms cultivation – civilization cultivate – grow – raise In this charter issue of Intervista’s innovationcultures magazine, the feature focus is The Future of Work. We look at what are the emerging trends in the workplace and why they matter. In the past decade, how we work and where we work have undergone dramatic change. We are spending less time in cubicles as companies seek to unlock creativity and innovation through open space designs, and rethinking the rationale for being in the office, at all. We are less tied to the physical restrictions of working in one place. Less constrained, for better or worse to a 9-to-5 agenda. But to bring this change in workplace design and values, we need to look both at the enabling technologies for enterprise collaboration, and how to overcome the cultural barriers to a highly networked and virtual work environment. Also with a view on design, we look at how Information Architects can learn from designers in their use of personas and an understanding of the emotional aspects of design. As part of our lead column, we will explore why talent branding is shaping how we make our organizations attractive to the people we need to build our dream teams. Teresa Di Cairano Editorial Director innovationcultures 2