Innovation Management

How to keep up in a rapidly changing world?

The world around us is changing at an unprecedented speed. For organisations it is now key – more than ever before – that they develop a creative climate, accept challenges and experiment, while also generating new products and services that keep up with the competition’s.

Innovation is not a fortuitous process, neither is it the result of spur-of-the-moment inspiration. Innovation is the pinnacle of years of work and know-how gain. However, for the great ideas generated through innovation to come into being, there is a great need for openness towards experimenting and failing, as well as becoming familiar with methods and processes that take us on a structured path towards innovation.

Not în the least, innovation can entail any enhancement to the services you offer, the daily processes, in the team’s way of work, or any novelty that brings added value to clients (internal or external) or team members.

Who is it for?

This course is for organisations, as well as individuals interested in identifying more effective, yet less obvious solutions to their problems.

Course objectives

  • Becoming aware of the importance of innovation for the company
  • Appropriating basic tools to stimulate innovation within own teams
  • Learning best practice from innovation pioneer-companies
  • Becoming aware of the hurdles preventing innovative behaviour

Main topics

  • How is the world changing, and why should we be a part of that change?
  • What blocks innovation processes in organisations?
  • Innovativ management – basic principles of innovation
  • Design Thinking – tool for stimulating innovative approaches in companies
  • Stages of an innovative process. Simulation
  • Tools and methods for developing creativity within own team
  • Best practice and rituals to help boost our team towards innovation

Adela Cristea

Managing Partner & Founder Ascent Group

Adela Cristea is the managing partner of the Ascent Group and also the founder of the group of companies. Adela's experience has been accumulated over 20+ years, especially in management and human resources, in multinational companies such as Unilever or International Resources, as well as from a consultant position, in Archimedes Consulting Group and Ascent Group, as well as from that of an University Lecturer.

Throughout these years, Adela has been involved in numerous start-up business projects, enterprise restructuring processes, labour conflict mediation and training projects, for multinational corporations and local companies in various fields of activity, both in Romania and abroad. Since 2017 Adela is the co-founder of Design Thinkers Academy Eastern Europe, contributing to the development of the company in more than 20 countries in Eastern Europe, the Balkans and Central Asia.

Diana Simion

Senior Trainer

With a background in academic and marketing research, Diana has a Ph.D. in Communication Studies and significant experience as a facilitator in Design Thinking projects, as well as with brand consulting.

Her inter-disciplinary awareness and curiosity to explore and connect people from various areas of activity have made her activity, over the last 15 years, revolve around organisational consulting and diagnose, soft skills and personal development trainings, brand consulting, marketing research, Design Thinking, customer & employee experience, communication and marketing.

Diana is a relentless explorer, who, whether online or in class, building on the relevance and clarity of her content, engages with participants as a highly empathetic and playful trainer, enabling a unique learning experience for them, one in which not only their curiosity will be catered to, but one in which good cheer and smiles are a natural byproduct, too.