20100426 - No Boundaries House

8/3/2019 20100426 - No Boundaries House

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No-Boundaries House ®

- Meeting of Minds –

Paul Louis Iske1

, Paul Rinkens2

1School of Business and Economics Maastricht University and Chief Dialogues Officer ABN AMRO

Bank, Rietschoot 1, 1511WB Oostzaan, The Netherlands, [email protected] 2CEO Conceptisch, Bellefroidlunet 52a, 6221KN Maastricht, The Netherlands,

[email protected]

Abstract

In this article we describe the concept and added value of the „No-Boundaries

House‟. It is argued that knowledge productivity, innovation and creativity can beboosted by developing a supporting (physical) environment. In the concept, diversity

and serendipity play an important role as drivers for collaborative thinking and value

creation. The development of a No-Boundaries House can have profound impact on

the intellectual capital of the organisation and its surrounding stakeholders. Cities

and neighbourhoods benefit and can expose themselves as modern, innovative

knowledge-based environments where both social and commercial entrepreneurship

will be given a platform to flourish.

Research Question

In modern society, it becomes increasingly important to be connected and to share

ideas, experiences, insights and information. Everyone of us is dealing with problems

and opportunities, which are becoming more and more complex.So, new talents and skills need to be developed. Especially, the ability to utilize the

knowledge in different areas, to create a multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary

perspective and to innovate on a cross-sector basis will create new ways to create

value. It has been stated that in the coming decades, more innovation can be expected

from new, collaborative business models compared to innovation originating from

(mono-disciplinary) product development [Chesbrough (2003), Chesbrough &

Appleyeard (2007), Prahalad & Ramaswamy (2004)]. When well-organised, co-

creation or open innovation, can deliver great opportunities for fast and better

development of new products, services as well as support public and social.

The question we want to focus on is: How can knowledge productivity and (social)innovation and entrepreneurship be boosted by physical facilities geared towards

stimulating interdisciplinary and collaborative processes?

Side questions that we will address focus on boundary conditions to be fulfilled and

the impact in a broader sense on the environment: the organisation, the community

and the neighbourhood/city.

Introduction

In this article we will describe the concept of the No-Boundaries House as a way to

create „Neue Kombinationen‟ (New Combinations) and stimulate Serendipity as acore process related to improved knowledge work and innovation.

mailto:[email protected]









Furthermore, we will argue that the development of a No-Boundary House offers a

good opportunity for value creation beyond the facility itself: the direct

neighbourhood can benefit from the activities taking place and the visitors. The

surrounding area can expect positive spin-off effects, since in general new groups of

visitors and new activities take place, which generally lead to new and improved

social and economic developments. Economically, there might even be a positiveimpact on the value of the surrounding real estate, which can then be included in the

creating the business case. Real estate developers or owners might thus be interested

to (financially) support the development of a No-Boundary House.

Based on an analogy between evolution and innovation, Leadbeater [Leadbeater

(2000)] has identified a number of conditions for an innovative climate. These include

diversity, co-evolution, spare capacity, perpetuation and adaptability. These sanitary

factors have been part of the input for the development of the concept. Other sources

of inspiration include the various Future Centers [Dvir (2008)] that have developed

throughout the world.

There are many obstacles between people to collaborate or share knowledge. There

are geographical boundaries, language barriers, generation gaps, cultural differences,

professional specialisms and many other reasons why the collective intellectual

capital is not being fully exploited. It all starts with getting to know each other, to

have a conversation and to develop and share a collective ambition. Diversity is an

important driver for innovation and social development. These developments are

supported, and indeed sometimes initiated, by new technological developments, such

as social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Hyves, Twitter) collaborative tools like blogs,

Wiki‟s and on-line teamrooms, mobile and telecommunication (including

teleconferencing, VOIP). Furthermore, dedicated technology and tools for knowledge

discovery, combination and application are constantly being developed, such as

search engines (Google, Yahoo, Autonomy, Bling, etc.), knowledge systems as IBM‟s

Jam Sessions, Open Innovation Platforms, Innocentive, AskMe, Wikipedia [Iske &

Boersma (2005)]. Finally, sites like TED.com, but also YouTube and many other sites

aiming to share information about their areas of interest give access to the ideas and

thoughts of experts and inspirational people.

Does all of this mean that the future of learning and knowledge creation from now on

will be ICT-driven activities only? We guess not.

Though information and communication technology enables people to better work

together and to be connected, it is clear that meetings and collaboration in physicalspace will never be fully replaced by those in virtual space. However, people only

come to a single place only if this really adds extra value and when it supports the

goals of the individual or the organisations. This is why we introduced the concept of

the No-boundary House as a concept that can add a lot to the existing infrastructure

people have at their disposal.

What is a No-Boundaries House?

A No-Boundaries House is a place were people meet, talk, think, work, enjoy and

create together. It is a „collaboratorium‟, where people explore new ways forward. Ina No-Boundaries House, unexpected encounters take place, new combinations are



formed and exchanges of ideas, ideals and insights take place. The physical

environment supports the processes that take place. It is important to note that the

intangible aspects are as important as the physical properties. The No-boundaries

House must have a „soul‟!

Examples of functionalities and activities include

- The No-Boundaries Forum: A stage for events, meetings, speakers. Possibly

involvement of media (Radio, TV,etc.)

- No-Boundaries Mall: A collection of rooms, spaces and hot spots, with

different purposes and different shapes.

- No-Boundaries Academy: A program, focusing on outside-in thinking and

connecting different worlds. The program is (co-)developed by users and

guests of the No-boundary House.

- No-Boundaries Incubator: The incubator hosts a number of new initiatives

(business or social ventures). The No-Boundary House provides (office)

space, but also an inspiring, multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural environment.

- Catering: Eating and drinking have many social and cultural implications. In

the concept of a No-Boundary House, one will find an appropriate catering

facility, contributing to the experience and the functionalities of the facility.

- Reflection Area: Within and (sometimes) surrounding the No-Boundary

House, there is the possibility for „brain-stilling‟, places where people can

reflect, meditate, think or just relax.

- ICT: In each No-Boundary House, technology is offered to connect and to

communicate. Possibilities include an internal network (wireless), a dedicated

website, telepresence facilities, etc.

Value proposition for a No-Boundaries House

Many people, organisations and communities realise that they are restricting future

possibilities by not having the dialogue with all stakeholders. They do not fullybenefit from the relations that they have, from the knowledge in other sectors, from

the human capital within and outside the own environment and from serendipity. It is

worthwhile to invest in a No-Boundaries House because:

- You want to meet with and learn from people with different backgrounds;

- An open and modern facility helps you to innovate;

- The productivity of people increases when they work in an inspiring and

enjoyable environment;

- It will help you to develop and maintain relationships;

- Connecting different worlds generates new combinations that drive new forms

of value creation.



We will now discuss competences and experiences required for a successful

development.

We believe that for the design, implementation and operationalisation of a No-

Boundaries House, experiences in the following areas are relevant:

- Change Management- Internal and External Communication

- Intellectual Capital

- Innovation

- Sustainability

- Networking

- Real estate development

- Hospitality

The hospitality aspect has shown to be a dominant factor in the case studies we

describe below. The party is only as good as its participants and guests only feel

welcome if they are treated accordingly. It is very important to involve thestakeholders from the very beginning and cerate an approach that make them feel at

home or at least in an environments that support their personal branding. One of the

strongest and most lasting trends in society is the need of people to express

themselves and to be authentic [Lair et al. (2005)]. The (physical) environment should

support this and for this, experiences from the hospitality sector are indispensable.

One should have access to a wide variety of environments, including business,

science, arts, sports, public sector.

Case Study I: Dialogues House, Amsterdam (operational): Achieving moretogether

In August 2007, the Management Team of ABN AMRO Bank Netherlands decided to

develop the so-called Dialogues House as a place where people meet, collaborate,

innovate and develop new business propositions. The Dialogues House means looking

outside and into the future. It is an essential element in building the „Next-Generation

Bank‟ by providing a window into the future and an outside-in perspective.

Situated in the former dealing room of ABN AMRO Bank in Amsterdam, the

Dialogues House measures about 2000 square meter. The facility offers an inspiring

environment for all kinds of meetings around the themes innovation,

entrepreneurship, collaboration and sustainability. Though in principle it is an open

environment, stimulating people to meet and to start the dialogue, there are plenty of

places where people can talk en work in more intimate settings.

Dialogues House is thus both a theatre and a platform on which eye-opening and

inspiring debates, meetings, workshops and presentations are organised by and for

people who are committed to enterprising, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.

Dialogues House offers scope to commercially-minded individuals from both inside

and outside ABN AMRO to achieve more together. Business contacts and clients are

therefore welcome to attend as well.

Activities within the Dialogues House are usually freely accessible and are beingannounced on the website www.dialogueshouse.nl (in Dutch). There are also „fixed‟

http://www.dialogueshouse.nl/






inhabitants, including the Dialogues Incubator (www.dialoguesincubator.nl) and its

ventures, ABN AMRO Internet TV, the Sustainability Group and other projects and

departments related to the themes mentioned above.

In the past period, ABN AMRO has gone through a rollercoaster period: not only has

it been facing the consequences of the credit and economic crisis, but it has also been

acquired by a consortium, the Dutch part has been nationalised and now it isintegrating with part of an other bank, which it has acquired during the nationalisation

process. Nevertheless, the support for the Dialogues House has been consistently

growing over the same period, showing the appreciation for the long-term value

creation it stands for and the strategy that is based on people-to-people interaction and

collaborative learning, also referred to as the „Wisdom of Crowds‟ [Surowiecki

(2004), Sunstein (2006)].

Figure 1. Bird Eye‟s view of the Dialogues House, Amsterdam

http://www.dialoguesincubator.nl/






Figure 2. Impressions of the Dialogues House

On the webblog of a visitor (http://info-architecture.blogspot.com/2008/04/dialogues-

house-2.html):

“Sometimes you walk into a building and you just say: "Wow!". That's the experience

I had when I visited the Dialogues House in Amsterdam. It's related to the ABN-Amro

bank. As I wrote before I'd be there for a meeting with knowledge managers from

large companies in The Netherlands. We had a great time. The meeting's topic was

open innovation. The Dialogues House was set up to facilitate open innovation from

inside and outside the bank. We also walked through the building. Their website

shows nicely how they built it up. I also made some pictures you can find here. Go

and have a look!”

Especially the Dialogues Incubator has reaped the benefits of its housing in the

Dialogues House. The primary objective of Dialogues Incubator is to develop new

sustainable value propositions based on the primary assets of Bank, i.e. knowledge,

relations, reputation, systems, clients, etc. In short, Dialogues Incubator has a wealth

of „Intellectual Seed Capital‟ at its disposal. The Dialogues House amplifies this,since here people can meet, discover new perspectives, work together and build

synergies between ventures and discover the power of serendipity. The philosophy

includes rapid-prototyping and an appreciation for failures as mechanism for learning,

which explains for the Institute of Brilliant Failures (www.brilliantfailures.com), that

has been developed by the Dialogues House team.

The Dialogues concept has received the Banking and Finance Innovation Award

(2008) for its value creation and the underlying anticyclic thinking.

Case Study II: No-Boundaries House, Maastricht (design)

http://info-architecture.blogspot.com/2008/04/dialogues-house-2.html





http://www.abnamro.nl/

http://info-architecture.blogspot.com/2008/03/dialogue-house.html

http://flickr.com/photos/12402440@N02/2335040390/

http://www.brilliantfailures.com/




http://flickr.com/photos/12402440@N02/2335040390/

http://info-architecture.blogspot.com/2008/03/dialogue-house.html

http://www.abnamro.nl/






The Maastricht University and the Academic Hospital Maastricht want to create an

entrepreneurial, innovative and health-focused environment that brings together all

the necessary stakeholders that will together be able to develop the Maastricht region

as a „Life & Science Valley‟.

This environment is planned to open its doors in September 2010 and will be called

the No-Boundaries House Maastricht (NBHM). Its goal is to promote serendipitous(incidental) learning by being a central meeting place where students, academics and

business life people, with multidisciplinary backgrounds, are able to engage in

dialogue, share experiences and together generate new and innovative ideas for the

present and for the next generations (the idea is visualized in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SXSqef-Q20). In addition, this project wants to

promote entrepreneurship, health and innovation within the No Boundaries House and

to facilitate networking and the sharing and transfer of knowledge by creating an

effective meeting spot for people with different backgrounds, studies and ages.

Summary, Conclusions

Studies and experiences have supported the conjecture that knowledge productivity,

(social) innovation and entrepreneurship can be stimulated by developing a physical

setting aiming to bring together people with different background and different

perspectives. The example that was described in detail, the No-Boundaries House, can

be considered as a change agent as well as a center for value creation for all

stakeholders, including the neighbourhood. Apart from the benefits delivered to the

(core) processes of the stakeholders, economic and social value is added to the

neighbourhood. To increase the success, hospitality-based experiences and concepts

should be introduced to maximally engage and attract visitors and participants. The

branding of a No-Boundaries House has to be coherent with that of the visitors and

their objectives, Hence the motto: It they use it, it will build itself.

References:

- Chesbrough, Henry (2003), “Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating

and Profiting from Technology”, Harvard Business School Press

- Chesbrough, Henry and Appleyard, Melissa M. (2007), “Open Innovation and

Strategy”, California Management Review, 50:1 (Fall), pp. 57-76

- Davenport, Thomas, H. (2005), “The Physical Work Environment and Knowledge

Worker Performance”, Harvard Business Press

- Dvir, R. (editor) (2008), “OpenFutures – Operating System for Future Centers”,

Published by OpenFutures (European Commission Project)- Iske, Paul & Boersma, Willem (2005), “Connected brains: Question and Answer

systems for knowledge sharing: concepts, implementation and return on investment”,

Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 9, No. 1. pp. 126-145.

- Lair, Daniel J.; Sullivan, Katie; Cheney, George (2005). " Marketization and the

Recasting of the Professional Self". Management Communication

- Leadbeater, Charles (2000), ” Innovation: Survival of the Fittest ”, Accenture Outlook

Journal Quarterly 18 (3): 307 – 343.

- Prahalad, C. K. & Ramaswamy, Venkat (2004), "Co-creation experiences: The next

practice in value creation." Journal of Interactive Marketing 18(3): 5-14.

- Sunstein, Cass R. (2006), “Infotopia: How Many Minds Produce Knowledge”,

Oxford University Press, ISBN 0195189280

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SXSqef-Q20





- Surowiecki, James (2004), “The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter

Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies

and N ations”, Little, Brown ISBN 0-316-86173-1

About the authors:

Prof. Dr. Paul Louis Iske, is professor Open Innovation and Business Venturing at the

School of Business and Economics, University of Maastricht (Netherlands).

Furthermore, he is Chief Dialogues Officer at ABN AMRO Bank. He has developed

the concept of the No-Boundaries House. Together with other experts, he created a

network organisation that covers the various disciplines, required to develop and

implement concepts focusing on environments that support the development and

sharing of intellectual capital.

He can be contacted at: [email protected].

After graduating the Maastricht Hotel management school in 1985, Paul Rinkensworked at different hotel chains in various positions. Paul Rinkens has developed

among others La Bergère, St. Martins Lane en Qbic Hotels. He believes that the

foundation lies in vision, not in “copy and past” ideas from others.

He can be contacted at: [email protected]









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