How Design Thinking transforms the leadership experience

A reflection by our Managing Director, Phil Smithson, on his talk at the PHINMA Convocation: Catch up. Communicate. Collaborate

With an audience of the Board of Directors and below, I had the pleasure of speaking to 250 people at the PHINMA Convocation: Catch up. Communicate. Collaborate. about how Design Thinking is not just for building products but can also be used to change one’s behaviour for the better.

When you embody Design Thinking Principles, it can transform management and leadership and be used to empower employees to take ownership of problems and create their own solutions.

Ideas can come from anywhere and Design Thinking empowers people who otherwise might ask themselves: “Who am I to innovate?”.

Design Thinking tells people “Actually, who are you not to innovate? The world needs your ideas and here’s a repeatable process for making it work.”

It’s great for encouraging people to look at the world with fresh eyes and to question the status quo.

I love the freedom divergent thinking brings to people and, when done properly, the safe spaces it creates for employees who dare to dream.

This talk kicked off part of a larger engagement for PHINMA and it’s an absolute joy to work with people who truly embody their company’s mission of “building our nation through competitive and well-managed business enterprises that enable Filipinos to attain a better quality of life.”

There aren’t many organizations like PHINMA and we are proud to call them a client.

Thanks to Lin Mukhi, VP – Head of Group Human Resources, and Maria Suzanne Bonza Rapanut, HR Manager – Learning and Organization Development, for making it happen for PHINMA employees – an amazing team.

Phil Smithson