Becoming HERO-Powered: Are You Ready to Allow Your Employees to Turn Social Technologies into Customer-Focused Innovation Machines?

By: Josh Bernoff and Ted Schadler

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Synopsis: The concept of employee-driven innovation doesn't come up every day, and it doesn't affect every employee. But when it does come up, it can make a dramatic difference in how it feels to work at your company, because innovation-and the excitement that surrounds it-is in the air. So how can you tell if your company is on its way from being ordinary to becoming HERO-powered? In this chapter, authors Josh Bernoff-coauthor of "Groundswell"-and Ted Schadler offer several "signposts" that will reveal just how far along you are on the journey. For example, take a look at how you recognize employee HEROes-Highly Empowered and Resourceful Operatives-and how you encourage collaboration across functional groups. Even for companies at the start of this journey, employees, their managers, and IT professionals can find small, sustainable ways to encourage customer-focused, technology-based problem solving. And the transformation is worth it-in fact, this kind of innovation may soon become your main source of sustainable advantage. This chapter was originally published as Chapter 14 of Empowered: Unleash Your Employees, Energize Your Customers, and Transform Your Business