[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] I’m sat at a huge wooden meeting table
I’m sat at a huge wooden meeting table
I’m sat at a huge wooden meeting table the Sun is glaring through the window
the Sun is glaring through the window
the Sun is glaring through the window the smell of strong coffee fills the
the smell of strong coffee fills the
the smell of strong coffee fills the room and the man sat opposite me is
room and the man sat opposite me is
room and the man sat opposite me is wearing a very smart suit he’s already
wearing a very smart suit he’s already
wearing a very smart suit he’s already met with three of our competitors at
met with three of our competitors at
met with three of our competitors at this very table each one has at least 20
this very table each one has at least 20
this very table each one has at least 20 years more experience than us and employ
years more experience than us and employ
years more experience than us and employ 10 times as many people he takes another
10 times as many people he takes another
10 times as many people he takes another sip of his coffee leans forwards and
sip of his coffee leans forwards and
sip of his coffee leans forwards and says so how many people do you employ I
says so how many people do you employ I
says so how many people do you employ I take a deep breath and think we are in
take a deep breath and think we are in
take a deep breath and think we are in deep and we are seriously seriously
deep and we are seriously seriously
deep and we are seriously seriously outnumbered how many people do you
outnumbered how many people do you
outnumbered how many people do you employ clearly he’s searching for some
employ clearly he’s searching for some
employ clearly he’s searching for some kind of metric to gauge our competence
kind of metric to gauge our competence
kind of metric to gauge our competence it could be how many pupils do you teach
it could be how many pupils do you teach
it could be how many pupils do you teach how many products do you sell but why is
how many products do you sell but why is
how many products do you sell but why is it important
it important
it important it’s bigger always better does the
it’s bigger always better does the
it’s bigger always better does the number of people you employ really
number of people you employ really
number of people you employ really matter I don’t think so
matter I don’t think so
matter I don’t think so not if you can leverage innovation in
not if you can leverage innovation in
not if you can leverage innovation in fact I believe innovation can level the
fact I believe innovation can level the
fact I believe innovation can level the playing field
playing field
playing field I started in energy consultancy seven
I started in energy consultancy seven
I started in energy consultancy seven years ago with four people we are now a
years ago with four people we are now a
years ago with four people we are now a team of 17 and out of approximately 600
team of 17 and out of approximately 600
team of 17 and out of approximately 600 competitors nationally we’ve been
competitors nationally we’ve been
competitors nationally we’ve been awarded the UK’s energy service firm of
awarded the UK’s energy service firm of
awarded the UK’s energy service firm of the year the most trusted the most
the year the most trusted the most
the year the most trusted the most innovative and recently energy
innovative and recently energy
innovative and recently energy consultancy of the year but it hasn’t
consultancy of the year but it hasn’t
consultancy of the year but it hasn’t been easy and I’d like to share with you
been easy and I’d like to share with you
been easy and I’d like to share with you today what I’ve learnt about inspiring
today what I’ve learnt about inspiring
today what I’ve learnt about inspiring innovation over the past seven years
innovation over the past seven years
innovation over the past seven years before I go on though I’d like to make a
before I go on though I’d like to make a
before I go on though I’d like to make a clear distinction the word innovation
clear distinction the word innovation
clear distinction the word innovation gets used a lot and it can be confusing
gets used a lot and it can be confusing
gets used a lot and it can be confusing innovation is not a product week it’s
innovation is not a product week it’s
innovation is not a product week it’s not a new checklist or check box
not a new checklist or check box
not a new checklist or check box these are improvements when it comes to
these are improvements when it comes to
these are improvements when it comes to innovation imagination is the key to
innovation imagination is the key to
innovation imagination is the key to unlocking a successful future don’t be
unlocking a successful future don’t be
unlocking a successful future don’t be limited by what you currently know or
limited by what you currently know or
limited by what you currently know or currently do forget what is and embrace
currently do forget what is and embrace
currently do forget what is and embrace what if if it’s disruptive creative
what if if it’s disruptive creative
what if if it’s disruptive creative challenging and a little bit scary then
challenging and a little bit scary then
challenging and a little bit scary then you are on the right lines now I’d like
you are on the right lines now I’d like
you are on the right lines now I’d like you to imagine a triangle and in one
you to imagine a triangle and in one
you to imagine a triangle and in one point of that triangle we have hunger
point of that triangle we have hunger
point of that triangle we have hunger for me in my former role I knew that
for me in my former role I knew that
for me in my former role I knew that what we were doing could be done 1,000
what we were doing could be done 1,000
what we were doing could be done 1,000 times better
times better
times better I wasn’t being listened to I was running
I wasn’t being listened to I was running
I wasn’t being listened to I was running out of options and it was starting to
out of options and it was starting to
out of options and it was starting to affect my health
affect my health
affect my health physically and more importantly mentally
physically and more importantly mentally
physically and more importantly mentally and so I had to find a better way for
and so I had to find a better way for
and so I had to find a better way for myself now as I said I run an energy
myself now as I said I run an energy
myself now as I said I run an energy consultancy we’re not a charity and
consultancy we’re not a charity and
consultancy we’re not a charity and we’re not a social enterprise but when I
we’re not a social enterprise but when I
we’re not a social enterprise but when I started my business it was with the
started my business it was with the
started my business it was with the fierce belief that every single day with
fierce belief that every single day with
fierce belief that every single day with every single decision we made we could
every single decision we made we could
every single decision we made we could craft an exciting enjoyable and
craft an exciting enjoyable and
craft an exciting enjoyable and fulfilling experience for myself my
fulfilling experience for myself my
fulfilling experience for myself my colleagues our clients and the wider
colleagues our clients and the wider
colleagues our clients and the wider business community that we engage with
business community that we engage with
business community that we engage with hunger is deep it’s instinctual it
hunger is deep it’s instinctual it
hunger is deep it’s instinctual it drives you forward and for me it’s much
drives you forward and for me it’s much
drives you forward and for me it’s much much more than passion it’s a relentless
much more than passion it’s a relentless
much more than passion it’s a relentless persistence a resourcefulness a steely
persistence a resourcefulness a steely
persistence a resourcefulness a steely determination that what you are doing is
determination that what you are doing is
determination that what you are doing is just right
just right
just right it makes you work harder it makes you
it makes you work harder it makes you
it makes you work harder it makes you study for longer and you trust it you
study for longer and you trust it you
study for longer and you trust it you have to distill this hunger into your
have to distill this hunger into your
have to distill this hunger into your vision your values your products your
vision your values your products your
vision your values your products your brand your software everything ok back
brand your software everything ok back
brand your software everything ok back to our triangle so in one at one point
to our triangle so in one at one point
to our triangle so in one at one point we’ve got hunger and at another point we
we’ve got hunger and at another point we
we’ve got hunger and at another point we have humans a hungry engaged optimistic
have humans a hungry engaged optimistic
have humans a hungry engaged optimistic group of humans is a magical source of
group of humans is a magical source of
group of humans is a magical source of innovation as adults we like to think of
innovation as adults we like to think of
innovation as adults we like to think of ourselves as clever capable individuals
ourselves as clever capable individuals
ourselves as clever capable individuals doing a good job which is great but when
doing a good job which is great but when
doing a good job which is great but when we fail make mistakes or have poor
we fail make mistakes or have poor
we fail make mistakes or have poor outcomes we either take this personally
outcomes we either take this personally
outcomes we either take this personally or we look to blame others when
or we look to blame others when
or we look to blame others when shouldn’t we must get over this
innovation has to come naturally it can
innovation has to come naturally it can be plucked from the sky found in your
be plucked from the sky found in your
be plucked from the sky found in your successes but I believe more often than
successes but I believe more often than
successes but I believe more often than not it can be found in your failures and
not it can be found in your failures and
not it can be found in your failures and these failures need to be guilt-free all
these failures need to be guilt-free all
these failures need to be guilt-free all they’ll be swept under the carpet and
they’ll be swept under the carpet and
they’ll be swept under the carpet and you’ll miss all the valuable nuggets of
you’ll miss all the valuable nuggets of
you’ll miss all the valuable nuggets of innovation that are buried deep within
innovation that are buried deep within
innovation that are buried deep within but creating a place where people feel
but creating a place where people feel
but creating a place where people feel comfortable enough to hold up their hand
comfortable enough to hold up their hand
comfortable enough to hold up their hand and say I messed up isn’t easy to
and say I messed up isn’t easy to
and say I messed up isn’t easy to achieve so how do we do this
achieve so how do we do this
achieve so how do we do this people need to feel safe and I believe
people need to feel safe and I believe
people need to feel safe and I believe this is something that every
this is something that every
this is something that every organization can do with working on and
organization can do with working on and
organization can do with working on and that is acknowledging the positive
that is acknowledging the positive
that is acknowledging the positive profit generation that good mental
profit generation that good mental
profit generation that good mental health brings Maslow’s hierarchy of
health brings Maslow’s hierarchy of
health brings Maslow’s hierarchy of needs encourages us to facilitate
needs encourages us to facilitate
needs encourages us to facilitate self-actualization and personal growth
self-actualization and personal growth
self-actualization and personal growth but arguably social collaboration and
but arguably social collaboration and
but arguably social collaboration and connection are more important because
connection are more important because
connection are more important because these are what underpin purpose
these are what underpin purpose
these are what underpin purpose and in turn happiness you’re amazing
and in turn happiness you’re amazing
and in turn happiness you’re amazing people deserve to be inspired and
people deserve to be inspired and
people deserve to be inspired and supported they need to know what’s next
supported they need to know what’s next
supported they need to know what’s next and they need to know where the journey
and they need to know where the journey
and they need to know where the journey is taking them why because they are
is taking them why because they are
is taking them why because they are directly forging the future with their
directly forging the future with their
directly forging the future with their own ideas now none of this is
own ideas now none of this is
own ideas now none of this is groundbreaking but what we have are a
groundbreaking but what we have are a
groundbreaking but what we have are a group of individuals who see failure as
group of individuals who see failure as
group of individuals who see failure as an opportunity to innovate and who are
an opportunity to innovate and who are
an opportunity to innovate and who are always happy to contribute because
always happy to contribute because
always happy to contribute because they’re heard and appreciated back to
they’re heard and appreciated back to
they’re heard and appreciated back to our triangle so we have a hunger at one
our triangle so we have a hunger at one
our triangle so we have a hunger at one point we have humans at another and the
point we have humans at another and the
point we have humans at another and the final point is habitat coming up with
final point is habitat coming up with
final point is habitat coming up with good ideas isn’t quite enough you need
good ideas isn’t quite enough you need
good ideas isn’t quite enough you need to build an environment where they
to build an environment where they
to build an environment where they become become real and the reality is it
become become real and the reality is it
become become real and the reality is it actually needs to be someone’s
actually needs to be someone’s
actually needs to be someone’s responsibility to bring these ideas to
responsibility to bring these ideas to
responsibility to bring these ideas to life we are a team of just 17 people but
life we are a team of just 17 people but
life we are a team of just 17 people but I believe in innovation so strongly that
I believe in innovation so strongly that
I believe in innovation so strongly that we have always made a space for it we
we have always made a space for it we
we have always made a space for it we have an innovation engineer whose sole
have an innovation engineer whose sole
have an innovation engineer whose sole responsibility is making what we do
responsibility is making what we do
responsibility is making what we do quicker and more efficient improvements
quicker and more efficient improvements
quicker and more efficient improvements plus he captures all the sparks of true
plus he captures all the sparks of true
plus he captures all the sparks of true innovation evaluates them presents them
innovation evaluates them presents them
innovation evaluates them presents them and rolls them out some of the ideas
and rolls them out some of the ideas
and rolls them out some of the ideas will fail and some will be for later but
will fail and some will be for later but
will fail and some will be for later but when we get it right we really get it
when we get it right we really get it
when we get it right we really get it right and that’s the innovation triangle
right and that’s the innovation triangle
right and that’s the innovation triangle or what I like to call our do angle
or what I like to call our do angle
or what I like to call our do angle because there is no trying these three
because there is no trying these three
because there is no trying these three points will inspire more innovation and
points will inspire more innovation and
points will inspire more innovation and in case you were wondering that man at
in case you were wondering that man at
in case you were wondering that man at that table we won his business and when
that table we won his business and when
that table we won his business and when he asked when we asked him what made us
he asked when we asked him what made us
he asked when we asked him what made us stand out from our competition he said
stand out from our competition he said
stand out from our competition he said your people the
your people the
your people the answer almost always is people
answer almost always is people
answer almost always is people it’s just our humans came bearing gifts
it’s just our humans came bearing gifts
it’s just our humans came bearing gifts of innovation that they’ve had a hand in
of innovation that they’ve had a hand in
of innovation that they’ve had a hand in crafting because they were hungry and
crafting because they were hungry and
crafting because they were hungry and they were in a supportive habitat that
they were in a supportive habitat that
they were in a supportive habitat that let those ideas breathe in the future
let those ideas breathe in the future
let those ideas breathe in the future when you come up against your
when you come up against your
when you come up against your competition you very well may be
competition you very well may be
competition you very well may be outnumbered but just make sure you are
outnumbered but just make sure you are
outnumbered but just make sure you are never out gunned thank you
”
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