Open Source Innovation in Action - Wild Peeta, IDEO and Insights from Ideas Arabia

I have had a great time at Ideas Arabia here in Dubai, where I was a keynote speaker, opening the conference.

One presentation I was really impressed with was from the guys at Wild Peeta - two brothers, who spent a good deal of time in FMCG in USA and had a nine year dream realised when they opened a shawmana (pitta sandwich) restaurant in Dubai.

The really interesting thing is that they have used social networking sites and open source innovation to build the business, and have 6000 followers on Twitter. Examples of co-creation range from customers telling them what sandwich to make, what sauce to offer and to move from take away and delivery, to a dine-in offering too.

They are all about being local - local food and local talent. The restaurant was designed by students, based on the principles contained in the IDEO method cards, and is a great example of how creative brainstorming and real consumer insight can be impactful.

The Wild Peeta mantra is:

We are and always will be “Proud to be an Emirati enterprise”.

The customer is always right. They are the reason we exist.

When others say they can’t; Wild Peeta says they can.

At Wild Peeta, quality is not a word; it’s a way of life.

Wild Peeta sets the standards, and then raises them.

There are no shortcuts. The Wild Peeta way demands a solid foundation ahead of growth.

Wild Peeta will always do the right thing. It’s our banner, and we wear it proudly.

If you get to Dubai, please do check them out. Our dinner last night was lovely!

http://www.wildpeeta.com/home.php

and have a look at the fantastic IDEO method cards

http://www.ideo.com/work/item/method-cards

Ideas Arabia

We are very excited that MOK will be appearing at Ideas Arabia this week in Dubai as Key Note Speaker at the conference. The event is hosted by His Highness Sheidk Ahamed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and MOK will be talking about the link between Innovation and Employee Engagement.

Bring your child to work day 22nd April 2010

So we are thinking about what our little darlings could possibly offer us in the way of new ways of working and thinking on Thursday - Bring Your Child to Work Day.

When The Innovation Beehive works with clients, we impress upon them the importance of playfulness in Innovation. A new way of thinking about the world or a product or even a people process can never be achieved by behaving in the same way we have always behaved. When we were children we continually experimented - to kids, every day is a new adventure, every experience gives them a new insight about the world. They learn as they go.

But something puts an end to this innocent exploring - adults. They teach us the rules of life and children are taught that some things just can't be done. We are taught the big impossible.

This is the mindset that The Innovation Beehive tries to break - to have really successful Innovation you must have a child like view of what is possible ; limiting beliefs never fueled a Fortune 500.

So, when you take your child to work this week - sit them down and explain your biggest work challenge. You might just learn something.