How a 100,000-strong company is relearning how to innovate

How a 100,000-strong company is relearning how to innovate

This article explains how Bayer is actively investing in innovation and using Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT) to train their employees

  • Publication Date: 24/04/2019
  • Language: English
  • Pages: 4
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Bayer began in the mid 2010s to invest in innovation so that the pace of change inside matched the pace outside. Bayer developed an agile network of innovators that devote 5-10% of their time to innovation, invested on a fund to explore opportunities, and invested on training sessions on innovation throughout different layers of the company.

Key takeaways from the article:

  • Build your own solution, and experiment as you go. Best practices are usually context-specific – there aren’t any ‘hidden secrets’ to innovation.
  • Innovation is a social activity, and connectivity is an asset. Innovation happens in teams, in cross-functional workshops and through many people’s involvement.
  • The dual-speed model needs a new mindset. Fast-cycle work is about experimentation, tolerance of ambiguity, and openness to failure, and these qualities do not come naturally to those who have spent their entire working lives at Bayer. This isn’t a challenge the company has completely resolved. It is still working on defining the right metrics, putting the right leaders in place, and building the necessary level of understanding across the company

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