2023 Innovation Week at BR-ND People
Every summer in our annual Innovation Week at BR-ND People, we hit the pause button on our daily business and ask ourselves the important questions: "Where are we at right now? Are we happy with the way we are doing things? Where do we want to go next?".
It's like a professional soul-searching session, but with more snacks, drinks, and good company. But it's not all deep thinking and existential crises. We also use this time to bond with our team members and get inspired by both familiar and new faces in our network.
Now, these are the top four insights of our 2023 Innovation Week:
1. What’s your purpose and do you even need one?
The buzzword “purpose” is found everywhere: from marketing offices of gigantic companies to your local hipster café. As a B Corp and impact branding agency, we firmly believe that it is essential that a company’s purpose goes beyond just making money. But what about individuals? Do we need a personal purpose too, or can we just go with the flow and hope for the best?
Under the guidance of our Licensed Friend Benjo and equipped with tools such as the 23plusone card deck, Legos (it’s like watching your subconscious build something you didn’t even know you wanted to create!), and a meditation, we started our week with a deep dive into the philosophical questions:
Does purpose come before action or is it the other way around? After all, we love to post-rationalize. Can we even find our "true" purpose, or is it like trying to find that one missing sock in the laundry? And do we even really need just ONE purpose?
We didn't exactly find all the answers, but here's a piece of wisdom for you: If the quest for your "true purpose" is holding you back from actually doing things, maybe it's time to just go with what feels right in the moment.
2. The love-hate relationship with AI and VR.
On Tuesday, we delved into the world of AI and VR by visiting Crossmark Pictures in Den Haag, a media agency using all the latest technology for their projects. Not only did they tell us about the fascinating (and slightly scary) developments in this field but we also got to try out VR goggles and real-time deep fakes. Yes, you heard correctly: Anyone with a camera, the right software and graphic card can now sit in front of their laptop while talking and looking like their favorite celebrity - or villain, in this case.
We continued our tech journey at the Park Playground. Our collective mission? Saving the world, one energy crystal at a time. It was like stepping into a video game with all the immersive power of VR.
As we soaked up these experiences, a few things became abundantly clear: While our fascination for AI and VR was undeniable, we couldn't help but have a love-hate relationship with these technologies. Yes, they are mind-blowing, but at the same time, it is impossible to ignore the potentially destructive consequences. And (at least for now) nothing quite beats the beauty of real-life experiences. Lastly, we hope that, as AI increases our efficiency, instead of trying to get even more things done, we will invest our saved time into what truly matters.
3. How can we rethink growth vs. de-growth?
Picture this: a bunch of us, surrounded by the beautiful nature of the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen, trying to solve the world's sustainability problems. Sounds like a Marvel movie plot, right? The degrowth movement seems to provide one possible answer to these issues: Its premise is that constantly growing our economy is the root cause of our problems. Advocates of the movement argue that if we distributed resources fairly, we'd already have everything we need.
This, however, leads to even more questions: Can't we grow our positive impact and "degrow" the bad things? And what is the role of consultancies if it is not about growing businesses anymore? Throughout our discussion, we realized that maybe even using words like “growth” and “degrowth” is a testament to the fact that we are still thinking in terms of our current exploitative system.
Perhaps, we should consult nature for advice: A tree grows to a healthy and suitable size. However, when resources become scarce, it gracefully stops.
4. Cross-generational connection is hard but much needed.
As the week came to an end, we had a gezellige vrijdagmiddagborrel with the 23plusone Friends network next to the beautiful canals of Utrecht. Listening to all these people aged between 23 and 60 sharing stories, we realized something: While cross-generational exchange can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications, it is also a two-way knowledge exchange. Young people get a dose of wisdom and experience from others’ experiences, and the older crowd gets a fresh perspective from the younger generation. It's a win-win, and it keeps us all from becoming stuck in our ways.
A week of insights
So, there you have it, our lessons from our Innovation Week in 2023 – a week of soul-searching, tech experience, sustainability debating, and mingling. Thank you to everyone who joined us, we’re looking forward to next year!