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Volume 1 · Number 3 · 2009 113 Innovation Evangelism at Wipro Technologies Pavan Soni Innovation Evangelist, Wipro Technologies, Bangalore, India E- Mail ID: [email protected]; Blog: www.pavansoni.net Abstract The article depicts a practitioner’s approach towards Innovation Evangelism in a corporate context. The case in point here is Wipro Technologies, one of the leading Information Technology firms based out of India. The author being an Innovation Evangelist at the firm shares the imperative of evangelism, the various vehicles deployed and the learnings there from. The need for Innovation Evangelism comes from the urge to spread awareness about innovation and enable it, especially at the grassroots level. Author defines an Innovation Evangelist in an organizational context as one who generates awareness of the need to innovate; builds a belief amongst people that anyone can innovate; and provides sufficient facilitation to enable innovation. At Wipro Technologies, Innovation Evangelism happens through a series of vehicles that include: Wipro’s Innovation Camp, Innovation Bazaar, Story Book on Innovation, Systematic Creativity Workshops, and Inflection Point newsletter, among others. Each of these started as experiments and then through learning got institutionalized. Key learnings are: enrollment of the stakeholders; creating a semi-structure knowledge sharing environment; enabling a market of ideas, talent and capital; having a constant and consistent communication; transparency in operations; and taking a more scientific approach towards creativity; among others. One of the areas of further investigation is on measuring the direct and indirect returns of investment for each of these vehicles. The article would make a good read for researchers, academicians, professionals and students alike who study and execute innovations at the grassroots level. 1. ABOUT WIPRO TECHNOLOGIES Wipro Technologies (NYSE- WIT) is a global Integrated Information Technology Services provider headquartered at Bangalore, India. The key services offered by the firm are: Consulting Services, IT Services, Product Engineering Solution, Technology Infrastructure Services and Business Process Outsourcing. The firm has over 60,000 employees from 56 nationalities serving close to 1,000 clients world over. Over the years, Wipro has sustained organic growth and adopted game changing inorganic initiatives simultaneously. As per the Chairman of the firm, Mr. AH Premji, the key drivers for Wipro’s growth and transformation are: People Leadership; Innovation Leadership; Process Leadership; Infrastructure and Information System; and Responsible Citizenship. The rest of the article talks about the role and impact of Evangelism to enable and sustain Wipro’s Innovation Leadership. [1] 2. IMPERATIVE OF INNOVATION EVANGELISM Research reflects that the long term corporate performance has not matched the performance of the markets, because corporations do not adopt as fast as markets do. As against the corporate, these markets (composed of several industries) lack culture, leadership, emotions and more importantly- memory [2]. It is often observed that as a start-up grows to become a large organization, a focus on processes takes over the passion and the entrepreneurial spirit gets lost during the course. Organizations which were born out of business and technology breakthroughs soon become ‘also ran’. This transformation is not unique to any country or industry, but is seen across. The Divergent Thinking that was the very cause of firm’s early success soon changes to a Convergent Thinking paradigm resulting in more of same and hence blindness to external (even internal) realities [2]. Hence there’s a constant need to check the reality and to nurture the vitality to retain a divergent thinking climate, if not a culture. The difference here being, the climate can be conditioned in a limited fashion for a period of time, while the culture is much more fundamental trait of a firm that can only be influenced over longer time frames. If sustained, the climate can significantly and permanently impact the culture. Innovation Evangelism is an approach towards creating and sustaining these climatic changes

Innovation Evangelism at Wipro Technologies by Pavan Soni

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The article depicts a practitioner’s approach towards Innovation Evangelism in acorporate context. The case in point here is Wipro Technologies, one of the leadingInformation Technology firms based out of India. The author being an InnovationEvangelist at the firm shares the imperative of evangelism, the various vehicles deployedand the learnings there from. The need for Innovation Evangelism comes from the urgeto spread awareness about innovation and enable it, especially at the grassroots level.Author defines an Innovation Evangelist in an organizational context as one whogenerates awareness of the need to innovate; builds a belief amongst people that anyonecan innovate; and provides sufficient facilitation to enable innovation. At WiproTechnologies, Innovation Evangelism happens through a series of vehicles that include:Wipro’s Innovation Camp, Innovation Bazaar, Story Book on Innovation, SystematicCreativity Workshops, and Inflection Point newsletter, among others. Each of thesestarted as experiments and then through learning got institutionalized. Key learnings are:enrollment of the stakeholders; creating a semi-structure knowledge sharingenvironment; enabling a market of ideas, talent and capital; having a constant andconsistent communication; transparency in operations; and taking a more scientificapproach towards creativity; among others. One of the areas of further investigation is onmeasuring the direct and indirect returns of investment for each of these vehicles. Thearticle would make a good read for researchers, academicians, professionals and studentsalike who study and execute innovations at the grassroots level.

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Page 1: Innovation Evangelism at Wipro Technologies by Pavan Soni

Volume 1 · Number 3 · 2009

113

Innovation Evangelism at Wipro TechnologiesPavan Soni

Innovation Evangelist, Wipro Technologies, Bangalore, IndiaE- Mail ID: [email protected]; Blog: www.pavansoni.net

AbstractThe article depicts a practitioner’s approach towards Innovation Evangelism in acorporate context. The case in point here is Wipro Technologies, one of the leadingInformation Technology firms based out of India. The author being an InnovationEvangelist at the firm shares the imperative of evangelism, the various vehicles deployedand the learnings there from. The need for Innovation Evangelism comes from the urgeto spread awareness about innovation and enable it, especially at the grassroots level.Author defines an Innovation Evangelist in an organizational context as one whogenerates awareness of the need to innovate; builds a belief amongst people that anyonecan innovate; and provides sufficient facilitation to enable innovation. At WiproTechnologies, Innovation Evangelism happens through a series of vehicles that include:Wipro’s Innovation Camp, Innovation Bazaar, Story Book on Innovation, SystematicCreativity Workshops, and Inflection Point newsletter, among others. Each of thesestarted as experiments and then through learning got institutionalized. Key learnings are:enrollment of the stakeholders; creating a semi-structure knowledge sharingenvironment; enabling a market of ideas, talent and capital; having a constant andconsistent communication; transparency in operations; and taking a more scientificapproach towards creativity; among others. One of the areas of further investigation is onmeasuring the direct and indirect returns of investment for each of these vehicles. Thearticle would make a good read for researchers, academicians, professionals and studentsalike who study and execute innovations at the grassroots level.

1. ABOUT WIPRO TECHNOLOGIESWipro Technologies (NYSE- WIT) is a global Integrated Information Technology Services providerheadquartered at Bangalore, India. The key services offered by the firm are: Consulting Services, ITServices, Product Engineering Solution, Technology Infrastructure Services and Business ProcessOutsourcing. The firm has over 60,000 employees from 56 nationalities serving close to 1,000 clientsworld over. Over the years, Wipro has sustained organic growth and adopted game changing inorganicinitiatives simultaneously. As per the Chairman of the firm, Mr. AH Premji, the key drivers for Wipro’sgrowth and transformation are: People Leadership; Innovation Leadership; Process Leadership;Infrastructure and Information System; and Responsible Citizenship. The rest of the article talks aboutthe role and impact of Evangelism to enable and sustain Wipro’s Innovation Leadership. [1]

2. IMPERATIVE OF INNOVATION EVANGELISMResearch reflects that the long term corporate performance has not matched the performance of themarkets, because corporations do not adopt as fast as markets do. As against the corporate, thesemarkets (composed of several industries) lack culture, leadership, emotions and more importantly-memory [2]. It is often observed that as a start-up grows to become a large organization, a focus onprocesses takes over the passion and the entrepreneurial spirit gets lost during the course. Organizationswhich were born out of business and technology breakthroughs soon become ‘also ran’. Thistransformation is not unique to any country or industry, but is seen across. The Divergent Thinking thatwas the very cause of firm’s early success soon changes to a Convergent Thinking paradigm resultingin more of same and hence blindness to external (even internal) realities [2]. Hence there’s a constantneed to check the reality and to nurture the vitality to retain a divergent thinking climate, if not aculture. The difference here being, the climate can be conditioned in a limited fashion for a period oftime, while the culture is much more fundamental trait of a firm that can only be influenced over longertime frames. If sustained, the climate can significantly and permanently impact the culture.

Innovation Evangelism is an approach towards creating and sustaining these climatic changes

Page 2: Innovation Evangelism at Wipro Technologies by Pavan Soni

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