Parsable Blog

Driving Innovation from Unlikely Sources: Curiosity, Diversity & Technology

Anisha Padamshi

Different practices, disciplines, hobbies and life experiences all contribute to what you perceive to be “true.” Truths can evolve over time and can be applied to so many facets of life, and serve as the inspiration for driving innovation in the workplace.  

In our latest episode of “Conquering Chaos: A Show for Manufacturing Leaders,” Parsable’s connected work expert and podcast host, Josh Santo, chats with Tope Sadiku, Global Head of Digital Employee Experience at The Kraft Heinz Company, about how to find and fuel innovation from unlikely sources. The conversation focuses on the notion that “truth” depends on a person’s unique perspective and experience, and digs into the important role that curiosity, diversity and technology all play in driving innovation. 

Listen to the full podcast episode here

Uncovering the Truth with Curiosity

The term “truth” can be subjective and debatable. Sadiku describes how she “sought to move away from this idea that there is one truth” and that most “truth” is what it means to an individual. This idea impacts how she looks at the concept of diversity as well. Diversity can mean a diverse background, different experiences and a unique combination of human involvements that results in certain truths. 

How do we flourish knowing that every individual has their own truths? What do we do when we find out new information? Being curious about finding the answers to these questions, Sadiku argues, will ultimately help us think differently and meet the true promise of a diverse workforce. 

Discovering Inspiration for Innovation 

One of the biggest advantages of building a diverse workforce is being able to leverage everyone’s different experiences and truths to drive innovation. But even with diversity, how do we really innovate when so many people across organizations stick to the same routine over and over? Many people continue to do the same things they’ve been doing for years, whether it’s easy, comfortable, known to work, and so on. 

Sometimes the inspiration for innovation needs to come from something that’s not work-related.  Sadiku describes, for example, how she was inspired to think differently at work by honeybees and how they approach problem-solving while building a new hive. Yes, honeybees! 

Blending Digital and Employee Experience 

As the Head of Digital Employee Experience, Sadiku is responsible for delivering a “delightful experience with technology” across the organization. Considering that technology is in almost everything we do, and the fact that delightful could mean different things to different people, the task has been no easy feat. 

Technology can be viewed as a supplement for success. Sadiku works under the notion that the lines between the physical and virtual world are blurring and sees parallels with the way brains and machines approach certain challenges. That’s one way to look at how Parsable, as a connected worker technology solution, helps spread wealth across an organization by supplying the right people with the right information at the right time – human and machine working together to help improve the process and experience overall. 

For more insight on how to understand truths and find inspiration from unlikely sources, listen to the full podcast episode.