A few weeks ago I wrote a post about innovation and how I was so thrilled to be the CEO of an incredibly innovative startup of our time. A pioneer in the field of smart devices, advancing the healthcare industry to the next level by unlocking a world of data.
I mentioned that innovation is not just about creativity. It’s about hard work, passion, patience, and setbacks.
It is also about human beings joining forces.
Bringing innovative projects to life is so complex that it requires knowledge and experience in many fields. Especially in the healthcare industry, the stakeholders are so diverse, and the technologies so advanced, I simply couldn’t act alone.
And I simply couldn’t follow a top-down approach to managing my team.
This is not only a reflection of a leadership style but also a deep conviction that building a solid, innovative, and agile organization requires empowering team members to take ownership of their work and contribute their unique skills and perspectives. By fostering a culture of collaboration and trust, we have to work together toward our shared vision and achieve great things.
Or SMADE will lose out to its competitors. And surely lose its talents too.
So I would like to share how developing collective intelligence can boost innovation, help stay in the race and retain the young generation.
Collective intelligence is a mix of good communication, trust, and transparency.

Good communication is essential for any team to work effectively, but it’s especially important in today’s world where remote work is becoming more common.

Trust is another critical element of collective intelligence. We trust our team to take full control of their projects and work processes.

Transparency is the foundation of trust, and where trust is essential, transparency is non-negotiable. We believe that being transparent with each other about our strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement helps us to work better as a team.

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Communicate reasonably

With the pandemic completely revolutionizing how teams work, investing in the right communication tools is key.
There is nothing worse than being distracted from what we do best because of email overload.
At SMADE we have decided to…

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Trust your team, empower your team

TRUST is one of our corporate values and inspires the way we work.
At SMADE, we see ourselves as a team of adventurers embarked in the same spaceship.
We count on every one of us to reach our goal, of unlocking the power of data.
As in a soccer team, we are players in different positions, but together we form a team that can compete to design solutions that best address our customers’ needs.
As the captain of theSMADEship, I need to trust my teams that have full control over their projects and work processes. My goal is to create the ideal atmosphere where everyone can flourish and be the best version of themselves.
And in turn, they put their trust in me to be fully dedicated to my mission.
Trust empowers people. It’s also a responsibility.
Disappointing my team would be a bigger failure than missing a business opportunity.

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Work with the heart, and be compassionate

If my friends had to describe me with a single word, it would probably be ‘empathic’. My caring and understanding nature is probably one of the reasons I am so attracted to the healthcare industry.
But empathy and compassion are also something I learned at work.
I was so grateful to have crossed the road of inspiring people that took the time to sit at my desk, listen to my point of view, and accept to be challenged.
Throughout my career, failure has never been something I’ve been afraid of. Because I know I will always find a colleague that will listen to me.
Compassion is a mix of active listening and respect.
It means that it’s okay to be in the wrong direction, as long as you admit it when someone shows you the way.
It means that you are never alone and that your company creates opportunities for formal and informal discussions.

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None of us knows what we all know together

Throughout my 20 years of experience, I climbed the corporate ladder one step at a time. I was appointed project manager, operating officer, and general manager…
I worked hard and was dedicated to my job, and my goal of addressing tomorrow’s healthcare challenges.
The school taught me how to study hard and be focused.
My work experience gave me confidence in doing what I am doing, and doing it right
Life taught me that “none of us knows what we all know together”
As a solo sailor is never alone, fighting in stormy seas.
Collective intelligence is not just HR jargon, a new way to attract talents, a kind of mea culpa of companies after years of vertical management.
It is a key innovation driver.
And it’s part of SMADE culture.

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