This document outlines a structured approach to embedding design thinking within organizations to foster continuous innovation. It details a ten-step process that includes securing top management support, achieving quick wins, facilitating collaboration, and institutionalizing design thinking practices. The ultimate goal is to enhance project outcomes and align them with corporate strategy through ongoing evaluation and improvement.

1. Embedding Design Thinking into Smart Organizations

2. Embedding
Design Thinking
within the
Organization
To innovate continuously you may want to
consider embedding Design Thinking within
your organization.
• In order to accomplish that, I recommend
conducting a Change Management
Project.
• Let‘s have a look at 10 steps to consider
(on the following slides).
• NB: You may want to consider Kotter‘s
Dual Operating System: Kotter, J.P. (2012)
Accelerate!, Harvard Business Review,
Nov 2012

3. 1- SECURING
SUPPORT
FROM TOP
MANAGEMENT
• Projects have the best chance if they are
known to and supported by top management.
Outline the advantages to them and explain
your approach.
• If you convince them, your undertaking will
be mentioned in corporate communications
and you will have access to helpful resources.
In addition, you can refer to the company
management in discussions and negotiations.

4. • New projects in organizations do not
automatically find the approval of everyone.
A certain inertia is quite healthy, since not
every newspaper report should lead to a
realignment of day-to-day business.
• However, in order to anchor new things in
your company, you have to take these
resistances into account and deal with them.
• I mentioned the importance of support from
top management earlier. Also important are
so-called quick wins: These are quickly
achieved successes, which you can then "sell"
company-wide in order to "promote" your
project. In the long run, only very few people
want to doubt something that is apparently
successful.
• Please take quick wins into account during
planning: Plan your undertaking in such a
way that promising interim results are
achieved at an early stage.
2- QUICK-
WINS:
CONVINCING
THROUGH
EARLY
SUCCESSES

5. 3- SELECT A
SUITABLE
(AGILE)
PROJECT -
OR INITIATE
ONE
• Design Thinking is an agile method and therefore
harmonizes well with such projects. The core of
agile projects are so-called sprints - meaning
cycles lasting 30 days (or 60 or 90), in which
previously defined goals are realized.
• The duration of the project sprints is fixed, and
the Design Thinking microprocess can be planned.
Thus, Design Thinking and an agile project can be
coordinated with each other.
• The Design Thinking microcycle results can flow
into project sprints: For example, a prototype
suggested by a Design Thinking team can then be
implemented by the project team.
• Of course, the reverse is also possible: Challenges
in a project can be dealt with by a Design
Thinking team, for example.
• Find or initiate a suitable project to collaborate
with.

6. 4-
PERSUASION
AND
SUPPORT
DURING THE
IMPLEMEN-
TATION
• Seek dialogue with the teams of shortlisted
projects. Inform them about your
undertaking and work together to identify the
benefits that Design Thinking can bring to the
project in question. Maybe the team is faced
with a tricky challenge and Design Thinking
can help?
• Ideally, this will lead you to a win-win
situation. Prioritize the project with a clear
win-win case. That favors quick wins (see
above)
• Please also accompany the implementation of
the project: New approaches that are left to
themselves may come to nothing.

7. 5-
EMBRACING
THE
RESULTS
• In any case, please take up the results
achieved by the project. Make sure the ideas
are appreciated and implemented as needed.
• If the results cannot be used, it is important
to communicate and justify this.
• Please keep in mind that innovations at the
beginning are sometimes accompanied by
additional effort. For people, it is enormously
frustrating when these expenses simply go to
waste and the efforts were therefore in vain.

8. 6- SUCCESS IS
CONTAGIOUS:
COMMUNI-
CATING
ACHIEVE-
MENTS
• We have already discussed the importance of
short-term successes (quick wins). The same
applies to important results.
• Please communicate what has been achieved.
That is important for the team's spirit and
bolsters your undertaking.

9. 7- SCALING
UP:
ROLLING
OUT
DESIGN
THINKING
• As soon as Design Thinking has proven itself
in the selected project, it can be established
in other projects or areas of the organization.
• This is the logical continuation of the previous
steps: A successful measure should
ultimately benefit the entire company.
• Even if the successes seem convincing and
have been communicated accordingly (see
above), there may still be critical voices. Talk
to them. Listen and understand their
concerns.
• Then find ways and solutions together how
Design Thinking can also benefit the critics. A
promising approach with the backing of top
management will sooner or later reach all the
appropriate organizational units.

10. 8- INSTITU-
TIONALIZE
• Create a central point of contact for Design
Thinking. This can be a person, a Design
Thinking Office, an online platform that is
supervised by specialists, etc.
• Choose the format that best suits your
organization. The current status of the Design
Thinking application, as well as suitable
methods and tools should be available quickly
and easily within the organization.

11. 9-
EVALUATE
AND
IMPROVE
• Design Thinking claims to improve the
operating result. It achieves this through the
systematic effort to develop and improve
products, services and business models.
• Ongoing evaluation should check whether this
succeeds. If not, you have an early warning
system and know where assistance and
adjustments are required.
• Design Thinking integrates ongoing
evaluation into its associated processes: The
"Testing" phase is also about evaluating the
current run; What went well? Where is room
for improvement?
• Gather these insights and consolidate them.
Derive measures from this that benefit the
entire organization.

12. 10-
STRATEGY
AND
COORDI-
NATION
• The (agile) projects are not an end in
themselves, they serve the implementation of
the corporate strategy. The task of the
management is to always keep an eye on the
overall strategy and to align and coordinate
the projects accordingly.
• Therefore, please make sure that the Design
Thinking questions are related to the
strategy. Please also regularly get an
overview of the ongoing projects and check
whether they work together optimally in the
interests of the company.
• Address possible deviations at an early stage
and consider together with the teams
whether readjustment can bring benefits.

13. Embedding
Design Thinking
within the
Organization
Further hints
• In any case, I recommend that you clearly define
your mission, including the KPIs.
• Please also make sure that you have access to the
necessary resources – even before you start your
project.
Further information
https://itsalexander.gumroad.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thealexandersimon/