Dr Phil Richardson

Dr Phil Richardson will be presenting his experiences in apply Business Biomimetics to innovate in product and packaging development in Bath on the 2nd Feb 2012. He will be sharing examples from a range of blue chip organisations to show that there is a different way of creating game changing results by tapping into natures’ 3.8 billion years of research and development. This is an Institute of Directors event and is open to non members. For further details contact the IoD or download the event information.

Collaboration in the Charity Sector

For many charities the delivery of their strategy between 2012 and 2015 will come under significant pressure due to changes in the economy. For many, there will be tough decisions as to where to invest, what products and services to develop and what groups to focus on. To drive better value there are a number of big questions that are being asked by trustees and executive boards:

Have we got the right strategy?

Do we really understand the needs and wants of the people we are helping?

Are really being efficient and effective?

Do we make the best use of technology?

How good is the data we use and how robust are our decisions based on this data?

Are we making hte best use of our resources and capabilities?

Do we clearly understand the impact the changing environment has on the charity?

In asking these questions many realise that there is a gap between the goals that exist and the ability to achieve those goals in today’s economy. One potential answer is collaboration. Working with charities in the sensory loss sector we have found that there are new ways of working that will not only reduce the gap but also have the potential to add even greater value.

At one level this could be co-operation where two organisations share a location and in doing this reduce their costs. Those that develop their ability to collaborate can go on to share infrastructures such as HR, IT, procurement, finance and logistics. From a product and services point of view there are also collaboration lessons that can be taken from other industries. A good example is customer experience. Instead of thinking about the products and services provided the customer experience professional views the challenges from the end user perspective. For charities this opens up possibilities for co-creating solutions that combine existing products and services and develop new ones that are shared both in development and in delivery.

A good starting place is the new British Standard for collaborations and partnerships. Called BS11000 this framework can help the leadership team in a charity understand their current situation and then plan their collaboration strategy. BS11000 is built on the work done by PSL , a not for profit set up 21 years ago to encourage collaboration. Thoughtcrew works closely with PSL as a partner to deliver both training in collaboration and then advice for the executive team to define and implement collaboration. We are able to offer a complimentary initial assessment and anyone interested should get in touch

The Innovation Crew is a new innovation agency that brings together design, biomimetics and transformation. This new approach to problem solving for businesses blends biological research, with engineering and business change expertise to create something different for businesses wanting a new competitive edge. The Innovation Crew, a Thoughtcrew initiative, brings partners from industry, research, leadership development, change and design together to provide a one stop shop for product and service development and for the development of new ways of working. This smart recombination of transformation, engineering and biology is at the heart of biomimetics and already has a successful track record in changing how businesses work and the products and services they provide. If you are looking for something that is a bit different that embraces the fundamentals of sustainability and still provides a competitive edge then you should look at The Innovation Crew

A limited number of VIP tickets are available for the opening of the new National Breeding Centre near Leamington Spa on the 6th September. If you are interested in securing a number of tickets or a table then please see the link to the VIP invite. Thoughtcrew is pleased to support Guide Dogs as they deliver their Building Extraordinary Partnerships strategy which will get more blind and partially sighted people mobile.

Using the biochemistry of moulting in crabs, directors and senior managers at the Talentpool conference on leadership learnt how to plan their own personal leadership development. Dr Phil Richardson from Thoughtcrew presented the Past Casting biomimetic model as a way in which to think about personal leadership goals and current strengths. By focusing on the strengths needed to achieve planned goals the model helps identify those strengths that are no longer needed and these need to be cast. This means that more can be made in developing new strengths and in building on existing strengths that are needed to achieve the goals. The important point in taking this approach is to focus on strengths and not weaknesses.

Phil Richardson joined Karren Brady, who shared her leadership journey really hammering home the importance of enthusiasm and Colonel Richard Maybery’s talk on Serve to Lead reflected on his leadership experience with bomb disposal teams and the importance of getting leadership right.

Anyone interested in developing theri approach to leadership should get in touch with Lisa Smale at www.thetalentpool.co.uk

I have just been to Plantronics in Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire to learn how the use of a smarter way of working is helping businesses improve in a number of areas I thought it would be worth sharing a number of the key points.

Plantronics have just reduced their office space by 50% and moved from three buildings into one. After analysing the whole workforce using the Leesson method they identified four working patterns and have redesigned their new office to allow for everything from individual concentration to collaboration.

GSK said that they have reduced email traffic by 43% and also reduced the number of meeting significantly using a smarter office approach. No one has their own office and even the sceptics refuse to go back to the ‘old’ way of working.

I talked to Paul Clark the UK and Ireland Director and he felt there were other softer benefits such as the reduction in pressure to be in the office all the time and a better understanding of how premium everyone’s time is so that meeting can be shorter using the appropriate space.

The Plantronics set up was very interesting, they combined their own high tech Bluetooth kit with the latest materials to reduce sounds in the office including some high backed sofas in the open plan office that allowed discussions to happen without disturbing anyone else.

The final point for me was the need to bring together facilities, IT and HR to make this work. It all sounded like a smart way to go if anyone was looking to build a business case for a smarter way of working.  I’m sure paul would be happy to share his experiences with anyone considering this way forward for their business. Let me know and I’ll put you in touch

This is a great example of joined up thinking helping people work together and is one of the key principles in business biomimetics. Not only does the approach have a financial impact it can also create massive vale and brings together the key topics of innovation, collaboration and relationship management.  

Simply Smarter Communications is a TM of Plantronics

Business Biomimetics is a TM of Thoughtcrew

Thoughtcrew joins an number of SME’s to support the Bloodhound SSC project. Led by Richard Noble and with Wing Commander Andy Green as the driver, Bloodhound SSC will attempt to beat the 1000mph land speed record in Africa in 2012. 

Dr Phil Richardson, chief executive of Thoughtcrew commented after meeting Richard Noble at the IoD conference at the O2 Arena saying “the drive behind the project to deliver extraordinary performance and to stretch ideas about what is possible is completely in line with the philosophy of our business” He went on to say “this shows what can be achieved by a number of highly motivated people working in a partnership can really achieve”.  This type of innovative thinking and partnership building sits behind the Thoughtcrew Biologize for BS11000 service an approach to strategic thinking that focuses on the core of the new British Standard for partnerships. For more details please get in touch.

Introduction

In the vast majority of businesses competent management teams grapple with the complexities of business. Current thinking suggests that future business survival will be determined by the quality of the partnerships between and within organisations. Traditionally strategy development has been based on industrial models and found favour in the 80’s and 90’s as core techniques on MBA programmes teaching business leaders how to understand, analyse and plan. These models such as Five Forces, Value Chain, Capabilities and Resources, STEP, SWOT and the Culture Web have a proven track record across a wide range of industries. However as the business environment changes and we are facing an ever increasing pace of change  we need something else. Could nature provide the answer? In this paper we will examine the  field of business biomimetics and see how nature can be applied to the challenge of partnership development using 3.8 billion years of R&D a new mindset and a selection of biology based frameworks.

Inspiration from Nature

Nature has long been a source of inspiration for business. The emerging field of biomimetics is an aspect of this fascination with the natural world. Engineers, product designers and architects have been exploring the possibilities of taking ideas from nature and applying them to complex problems. This biomimetic approach has created a number of well known examples such as Velcro, the Olympic medal winning swimming costumes from Speedo and the Bionic car by Mercedes. All provide insight where the study and application of nature has helped.. Some of the latest developments include submarines with flippers instead of propellers, new propulsion systems based on the jet effect of worms and jumping robots for rough terrain are all examples of mimicry based on biological systems. In parallel work is also exploring the 3.8 billion years worth of R&D to see if it can help business strategy and process. This business biomimetics approach has been pioneered at Bath and has already produced demonstrable results across a wide range of businesses. Biological systems are extracted into business models and frameworks and these are then applied to strategic business challenges. The biological systems provide insight both at the practical application level and in the process of strategic planning and development. Symbiotics is an example of a framework, which provides insight and inspiration into the development, management, retention and dissolution of strategic partnerships by observing how biological organisms relate to each other.

Symbiotics

Symbiosis is the biological term used to describe the relationship between two (or more) organisms. Generally it is seen as a positive interaction where two species benefit from the relationship. This win-win relationship is called mutualism. However symbiosis has a much broader meaning and spans from the positive interaction above to the creation of hostile environments where nothing else survives. This is antibiosis where one organism produces a toxin that either prevents or kills all other organisms. This is what Alexander Fleming observed in the Penicillium mould which later led to the development of penicillin. Adjustments of the chemical structure have allowed a wide range of antibiotics to be developed which can target specific bacteria and in doing so not harm the host. Other symbiotic examples include mistletoe growing on apple trees. Pollination of plants by bees, fungus grown in termites nests to provide food and a source of air conditioning, clown fish and sea anemone and algae growing inside flatworms to provide energy and to remove toxic nitrates. There are a range of options between antibiosis and mutualism. They can be defined as

• Mutualism – both organisms need and benefit from the relationship
• Commensalism – using another organism to gain advantage without harming that organism
• Neutralism – no real benefit
• Parasitism – the host is eventually killed or is damaged in some way
• Competition – both lose out as a result of the relationship
• Antibiosis – creates a hostile environment for all other organisms

Symbiotics takes these principles of symbiosis and applies them to a business relationship. The symbiotics matrix above shows the interrelationship between two business entities. Imagine a business on each axis then decide where you would plot the relationship. This approach would typically be used to map the current relationship and then to define how the relationship should be. Whilst it is tempting to initially map all the current relationships in the win-win box by drilling down further it is possible to identify those that at best are neutral or at worst are parasitic or competitive. What works well is to have both parties of the relationship map their own position, which when compared could reveal some interesting insight. This is particularly important as both parties may not hold the same view. This approach works for both internal and external relationships. Once identified any differences can be explored in a follow on discussion and future actions agreed to address the differences.

Alternatively the symbiotics matrix can be used to map out the future relationships. Here it is possible to both visually represent the future relationship and to quantify this using a number of parameters based on nature. These parameters also provide a useful way of thinking differently about the relationship and to put in positive measures of success as well as the more traditional SLA or penalty clauses. The parameters could be those used by the MRS GREN model below.

Partner or parasite

Mistletoe is a hemi-parasite in that whilst it creates its own carbohydrates via photosynthesis it draws all other nutrients and water from the host plant. This relationship works on one level in that the mistletoe does not draw too many of the nutrients away form the host tree, usually an apple in the UK. Here is an example where the relationship has aspects, which, depending on the viewpoint taken may be defined differently. The growth of the apple tree is governed by the amount of nutrients taken by the mistletoe and the growth of the mistletoe is governed by the weight bearing ability of the apple tree. If it becomes too large then the branch breaks and the mistletoe dies. This multi view of relationships also applies in business. What could present as a positive (mutualistic) partnership is possibly commensal or parasitic when examined in detail. One way of determining the quality of the relationship is to use the MRS GREN framework. This framework has been developed using the biological principles of life where MRS GREN is a mnemonic for the characteristics of what makes something alive. These characteristics have been adapted to business. The MRS GREN framework builds on the symbiotic approach discussed earlier to build a richer understanding of the type of relationship and how alive it is.

Fig 2: MRS GREN business biomimetics model

Figure 2:MRS GREN framework

The MRS GREN framework can be used to understand the current situation and define gaps between what is observed and the business strategy. It is also useful as an analytical tool to define what the strategy should be. Recent experience in applying MRS GREN to an international business services company identified that there were significant gaps in respiration and nutrition which resulted in an immediate change of business strategy.

The natural benefit

Nature is a keen manager of resources and recent work at the University of Bath has shown that when tackling problems of similar size and scale there is a different solution profile if nature and man’s efforts are compared. Man is of course part of nature, however there seems to be a diversification in the way the rest of nature solves problems. Man’s primary resource used in problem solving is energy. Seemingly the bigger or the more complex a problem is the more energy is needed to fix it. Nature on the other hand tends to make much more use of structure and information so the energy footprint of a solution designed by nature is much lower than the man made equivalent. This points the way to strategy development that is both sustainable and environmentally sensitive. The use of biomimetics in strategy development brings the real business issues into direct co-operation with the corporate social responsibility statements and the need to be ‘green’. However this naked strategy is not simply a bolt on to the existing approach. It requires a conscious effort to accept a different way of thinking. The good news is that the concepts, frameworks and models are readily accessible and, when required, can be facilitated in depth by a qualified biologist.

Recent experience in taking this approach with a wide range of businesses, from the MoD, though brewing, FMCG and for central government contracts shows that the approach can be grasped and applied within an hour of starting. And productive output that, when implemented, will make a tangible difference available only an hour later.

Naked Strategy

Once educated on the approach it is possible to work on strategic business issues the same day. By possibly appealing back to early teachings in biology a cross functional group can readily access this back to basics way of working. Strategy development is then based on the fundamentals of design that have their origins in 3.8 billion years of development. By taking a biologist approach to the observation of complex systems it is possible to strip back a problem to its naked state. This naked strategy does not need twenty-five years of functional expertise to work, so it avoids group think and turf issues. By reaching back to childhood experience of nature it also fuels a highly energetic and enthusiastic behaviour from even the most hardened managers.

Discovery

Fig 3: Infinity Context Free Process

With an estimated 8 million species of beetle yet to be identified there is a significant source of future ideas. The Infinity Consulting Process Model developed by Thoughtcrew integrates complex biological systems with complex business problems. The Infinity Model means starting either with a complex business problem and finding the inspirational biological system or observing a complex biological system and looking for ideas to improve business performance. Nature will then provide a renewable source of information rich ideas.

Conclusion

By applying biomimetics to business partnerships it is possible to identify the type of partnership, the life-strength of the partnership and to finally define the naked strategy for the business. This approach inspired by nature and underpinned by research is readily accessible to cross functional management teams that are tackling complex business issues. The partnership between business and biology is facilitated by the Infinity Consulting Process Model and works across a wide range of businesses and markets.

Symbiotics provides a useful way in which to examine the relationships both internally and externally and to then determine whether they fit with the current strategy. By taking this non-confrontational approach it is possible to engage a wide range of expertise in the discussion without challenging established functional, market or brand based opinion and expertise. Biology brings an holistic approach to strategic thinking and simple tools such as MRS GREN provide innovative new diagnostic capability to the existing portfolio of strategy development.

Because the approach is based on 3.8 billion years of R&D the business biomimetic approach builds on proven expertise. And whilst there may well be those that contrast the speed of business with the time for evolution one only needs to look at the morphology of viruses, the range of dog breeds and the variety of pigeon sub species to see that it is possible to drive evolution in a short period of time. By observing the natural approach it lends itself to an innovative way of tackling the complexity of partnership management. And what makes this the most interesting of all is that it is possible to build a strategy and an implementation approach in a short time by thinking about nature in a different way.

Random events create innovation

By having a better understanding of the theory behind evolution it is possible to biologize business problems and create a new way of doing innovation. Known as biomimetics this research based approach can have a fundamental effect on a business’s survival in turbulent times. Nature has become adept at surviving  tough environments so who better to learn from.

Stretching the Giraffe’s neck

French zoologist Jean Baptiste Lamarck proposed that successful traits could be passed down through generations from the parents to the offspring, if the parent found that particular trait to be beneficial. His famous example was that of the giraffe’s neck that stretched to reach the better leaves and that this stretching is passed onto the offspring. Lamarck’s view, published before the natural selection work of Charles Darwin, has since largely been dismissed as there has not been any evidence in biology that newly learned traits is passed on. Darwin’s natural selection, which is widely accepted, is often quoted in a business context to say that organisations can adapt to the environment and that by adapting this it can help ensure their success. However, that is not exactly what Darwin said.  On closer examination, Darwin did say that random changes in the DNA could lead to traits that were more successful in the current environment. The environment would then naturally select these new traits and as a result, the species would be more successful. To understand why we need to look at the DNA we have to consider the work of Gregor Mendel and his views on genetics. His work on peas led to the development of the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment, commonly known as the law of inheritance. Changes in the DNA of the parent are inherited by future generations. This is important because when applied to how businesses innovate it will radically change how they do it and the results they generate.

Recent research has shown that Lamarck may have been right, or at least a great deal more right than has previously been thought. DNA from cells that have developed a new trait has now been shown to transfer from cytoplasm to cytoplasm within cells so that they too can have this trait.  Darwin said that a random change in the DNA was responsible for the new trait and when successful it are passed on to the latest generation. Therefore this shows that these ideas are very different. Lamarck said build it, get success by making changes, then pass on these changes to the new generation. Darwin said make a random change and see if that is successful. If it is then make copies in the future generation.

All of this matters, because if considered, it will fundamentally change how innovation happens. Much of today’s rhetoric about innovation is loosely drawn from the Darwin work. There are many examples where one is encouraged to ‘adapt to the changing environment to achieve success’. This, and other such encouraging phrases have nothing in common with natural selection. It suggests that by looking backwards, having a good understanding of the environment that it is possible to change and because the change is more in-tune with the environment success will be more likely. In other works stretch your giraffe neck and then pass onto the subsequent organisation this new idea of a stretched neck. It appears that this is a good example of Lamarck – one that biology has largely dismissed as an unlikely contribution to success. Empirically we know this to be true also for business. If success with innovation were down to the introduction and the appropriate training, every business would be a hotbed of entrepreneurship.  Alternatively, a true Darwinian approach would have been something like; make random changes to all parts of your business, see what works in the current environment and if it works keep it, kill off anything that does not work and follow up with more random changes.

This becomes a much more challenging situation when the laws of inheritance are applied, as they are in many successful businesses. It is not unusual to see the resultant of many years of successful inheritance characteristics being displayed; perhaps today you sit in the middle of a good example of this. Reading this paper, you are likely to lead a well-established business that has managed to attract and retain high quality people. You have a great track record, have trained all your managers to MBA level, re-engineered, developed high performance leadership programmes and probably created world class delivery of your products and services. Yet, somehow, for some reason, it is not working as well as it has in the past. The reason for this is that a pedigree  approach is no longer enough.  You may be the top performer in your market and the best of breed, the best of the best. However whilst you may be the perfect specimen, you will have hip dysplasia and suffer from chronic arthritis aged nine. Whereas the not quite as good mongrel business, with a more random mix of skills, products and customers will visit the vets less, enjoy own brand dog food and live to fifteen years.

Putting biologists in charge

Perhaps you are an engineering company full of world-class engineers.   Alternatively, you operate in a business development team that is brimming with high performance sales people. You may be a central government department that is proud of its diverse subject matter experts. All these scenarios equate to engineering companies full of engineers, sales departments full of sales people and local authorities full of civil servants.  The list goes on to include train operating companies full of railway experience, food manufacturers full of FMCG people, facilities management companies full of FM people, project engineering companies full of project management people. All are great examples of the expression of the dominant genes and the unnatural selection based on what has worked well in the past.  These are all pedigree businesses yet all suddenly struggling for existence in the new business environment.

Be random

 The business environment has changed and what has worked well in the past may no-longer work well today or in the future. At the point of writing (February 2010), the global recession is still not over and a number of high profile organisations have either disappeared or changed dramatically in a short period. Those remaining organisations led by people with entrepreneurial skills and vision have focused on innovation as the way forward. So far this has had limited success because of the embedded business DNA. Having an innovation process with evaluation gateways that is then run with the same people that recruited, trained and retained by the old expression of the DNA will be limited in their innovation output. This often manifesting itself as the “we’ve tried it before” or the “that will never work here” brigade. With this in mind, it is unreasonable to suggest that a change in process is the answer so what else is there?

Every innovation process has the need to use triggers for idea generation. Research has shown that the introduction of recognisable biological systems randomly selected will generate new ideas. This random use of familiar, but not directly related triggers adds a stimulus to an innovation process. By creating random mutations in the DNA, nature is not constrained by the thinking or experience of the past or even the present. It does not plan ahead because it simply takes what works now and makes a few random changes which causes a mutation of the original trait. 

Stretching creativity

Survival of the fit enough

Originally coined in 1864 by Herbert Spence, “survival of the fittest” was added by Darwin, to the 5^th edition of Origin of species. Whilst many misuse the term to mean the strongest or best survive, it is more usefully to be ‘fit enough’. What this means practically is that to survive one only needs to deliver enough and not be perfect. This thinking challenges perhaps the effort and the cost of certain approaches to business such as ‘lean’ or detailed business process re-engineering. Instead of asking have we optimised perhaps we should be asking is that good enough? Thus taking the principles of natural selection and applying them to survival.

Sexual selection

As the option for natural selection is ultimately survival or death a more helpful term to use is sexual selection. If used as a programme term it may be seen by some as challenging   however as the reader you may be familiar with the problems of pedigree dogs or thoroughbred horses where unwelcome as well as sought after traits appear and become exaggerated. Applying this thinking to the business environment  raises a sharp question about the validity of continually selecting employees on the basis of their similarity with the parent (in this case the business). Where is the logic when selecting external help for a change project and then looking for people with exactly the same skills and experience as the home team that created the need for change in the first place?

Fit for the future

The dynamic changes of the business environment mean that there is a constant need to be ready to take new and emerging opportunities.  The lessons from nature can be used to define the principles for your approach to innovation. Here are the top three:

• Make random changes and see which fits the changing environment better
• Add a biologist into your leadership mix to break the inbreeding cycle
• Focus on fit for the present and not optimisation

Implementing the stretch

If the broad concept of biomimetics is accepted, the challenge comes from implementing this within the boundaries of the existing business. Biologize your Business™ is a suite of leading edge research based innovation tools that have been used by a wide range of businesses to deliver an innovation step change. They have been successfully used by international FMCG organisations to develop proof of concept product and packaging solutions, by the MoD to inspire change leadership, global business services companies to add value to the supply chain and charities to develop radical new thinking in the development of strategy. The tools have been developed after seven years of research in the application of biology to business problems and when coupled with biology expertise deliver innovative results that are substantially better than conventional approaches. There are three key reasons for this; biology takes a systems, integrated, diverse, counter-intuitive, multi-solution approach to everything. Secondly, biology is readily accessible to cross-functional expertise and lastly biology brings a diverse range of skills and expertise to the current mix and breaks through the inbreeding of the existing thinking.

An expert in helping businesses perform at their optimum level has been named as the new chairman of a group that represents Bath and Wiltshire’s business leaders.

Dr Phil Richardson, the Chief Executive of Thoughtcrew, has taken up the role as Chairman of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Bath and Wiltshire branch.

Phil, who lives in Carlingcott with his wife and three children, has a business pedigree stretching over 6 years and before running his own business held senior director roles at BUPA and IBM.

His career has also seen him work as a senior manager for the auditing and accountancy firm Deloitte in Bath responsible for pharmaceutical clients such as Zeneca and the Forensic Science Service.

Phil also has a PhD in strategy and biomimetics – the application of biology to solve complex business problems, used to help design new products and provides insight into the way in which businesses can be run specifically looking at energy management, sustainability, growth and surviving in tough conditions – from the University of Bath. He has developed business biomimetics models which are used in strategy and business development to create strategic change management working with organisations including Coca Cola, Lloyds TSB and the Ministry of Defence.

He is also an associate lecturer for the Open University teaching strategy on the MBA programme in Bristol. His work as a chartered biologist, certified management consultant and his postgraduate marketing diploma brings together a number of disciplines into an understanding of business growth and change management.

Phil, who is an RAF reservist in his spare time, said: “I am delighted to have been chosen as chairman. The IoD is an important business network group that allows directors and leaders in all kinds of organisations who live or work in the area to get together, share best practice and exchange ideas.

“Now more than ever, as business continues to feel the effects of the global recession, we need to work together to find new and innovative way to keep our businesses operating and profitable. I hope my own business experience will help over the coming year too. I am particularly keen to encourage those that want to shape the types of events, networking and education in the area to get in touch with the IoD and find out what we can offer them.”

The South West Region of the IoD is one of the most active in the UK, with some 3,300 members spread across its six branches. It is renowned for its business networking programme including major regional events, seminars and local business networking opportunities.
IoD Regional Director Simon Face said: “Phil’s experience in business will be a great benefit to the IoD especially with his knowledge of strategy and business development. I have no doubt that he will apply his business skills to further developing the IoD Wiltshire and Bath Branch.”
Anyone wishing to find out more about the benefits of joining the IoD should visit www.iod.com