Guest talk with Katharina Berger: a journey of change

One of the most impactful moments in her career was witnessing the power of change in teamwork. She saw firsthand how young people, with their openness and fresh perspectives, played a crucial role in implementing innovation. This realization led to a groundbreaking approach – using interns as catalysts for change. By allowing them to experiment with new ideas and methodologies, they became ambassadors of innovation, carrying fresh knowledge and approaches into other departments. This slow yet organic implementation strategy proved highly effective in embedding innovation across the organization.

But it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Katharina spoke openly about the struggles of managing innovation in an organization, particularly when management prioritizes speed over true consumer-oriented solutions. She highlighted how communities – once built organically by employees – began to lose momentum as management started focusing on quick, agile wins instead of cultural change.

What can we learn from this? For Katharina, innovation is about fostering an open environment where people can learn from one another. It’s about listening to what people really need and trying to understand the world from diverse perspectives.

Looking to the future, Katharina emphasized the profound impact of technologies like AI, robotics, and automation. While these technologies will undoubtedly transform our lives and jobs, new skills – such as emotional intelligence, teamwork, and collaboration – will become increasingly essential. The challenge, according to Katharina, is helping society embrace change. “We need to teach people to be open to new ideas, to challenge their mental models, and to adapt to what’s coming.”

Her advice for innovation? Start small. Rather than investing huge amounts of money upfront, build multiple alternatives and test them. Engage with customers early and often. Innovation doesn’t just come from younger generations – older individuals are ready for change too. Prototyping doesn’t need to be a distant, one-time event. Make it part of your daily work and be open to constantly evolving.

Thank you, Katharina, for sharing your invaluable insights and for inspiring us to embrace change with resilience and curiosity.