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This trend is not only transforming the way we think
about business but also how we organise it and
develop it. Organisations need to engage customers,
partners and employees into a productive, trust-
based relationship in which intimate business
information is shared; successes and failures,
strategies and innovations. The openness is breaking
down traditional organisational boundaries as
organisations ‘crowdsource’ knowledge and
funding, and clients/consumers are directly
driving innovation or even becoming producers.
Collaboration and co-creation with clients, suppliers,
partners and academia is driving strategy in
directions that are not planned or programmed.
“It is the long history of
humankind (and animal
kind, too) those who
learned to collaborate
and improvise most
effectively have prevailed.”
CHARLES DARWIN
It is this encouragement to think and act differently
which allows digital businesses to innovate and
disrupt so successfully. Some of the biggest
success stories in recent times change the rules
for competition, crowdsourcing content so that
consumers become collaborators. Airbnb is the
world’s largest accommodation provider, yet
owns no real estate. Facebook is the world’s
largest media owner, yet owns no content. Uber
is the largest taxi company yet owns no taxis.
But it is not just new market entrants who are
adopting this radically open approach. Large and
established names are transforming their business
models. Many Microsoft offices have opened up
their ground floors to the community to hang
out with them. KPMG has just acquired 40,000
sq ft of space in the West End of London just for
clients. Co-working spaces across the world are
increasingly attracting the big corporations as well
as the start-ups and medium sized enterprises.
THE PRINCIPLES OF RADICAL OPENNESS
Sharing
of ideas
and of space
Interconnectivity
and ease of movement
between all roles in
the organisation
Collaboration
anytime and
across multiple channels
Transparency
of
business processes
and physical space
30The Occupier Edge