IMPACT The Implenia magazine
 |
Innovation

Mistakes wanted!

At the first ScrewUp event on 6 October 2021, three internal and external speakers spoke frankly about their biggest failures to date. This openness was well received by the more than 100 participants and the event moved Implenia an important step towards a protected space for mistakes. Because mistakes are simply part of the development of innovations.

The announcement of the first ScrewUp event had already made waves on the intranet. It reached almost 2,000 people, which shows us that the topic is definitely interesting for employees. The concept of the event originated in Mexico and is now held regularly in over 300 cities. Among other things, it aims to take away the fear of failure and encourage people to communicate and implement their ideas.

Turning failures into success

The Implenia ScrewUp event is based on "Fuckup Nights", a global movement and event series where three to four people share their stories of business and professional failures in 7 minutes and 10 images. The idea behind it: one learns more from failure than from stories of success; to celebrate trying instead of stigmatizing failure; and to have difficult conversations as a positive step towards well-being and a less ego-driven world. It’s FUN.

According to Karel van Eechoud and Patrick Roth from the Innovation Hub team, which organised the event, 90% of all start-ups fail. Accordingly, statistically speaking, many ideas and projects must fail for a few to be crowned with success.

The courage to be transparent

Anita Eckardt, Head Division Specialties, Christian Agger, Head of Digital, Experience & Analytics at Telia in Denmark, and Matthias Jacob, Country President Germany, proved with their very personal ScrewUp confessions that even in upper management or on the way to it, chips fall where they are planed. This was also a big step for the three speakers, which was new for them in this form and noticeably not always easy for them when speaking. Even though it is important to reflect and review failures, who likes to do that?!

Video

For example, Anita's former supervisor had to pull the ripcord after an e-business platform she had introduced went live. Christian had not understood customer needs enough when launching a costly online shop. And Matthias, as the person responsible for the construction of an office building and adjoining multi-storey car park with an automated parking system, hit the skids. Unfortunately, not only professionally, but even literally. On the evening of the day he realised his failure, he got on his racing bike to escape the situation and air out his head, and crashed.

Eavesdroppers on

But all three got back up and, as we know, are successful in business today because they learned the lessons of their mistakes. As obvious as it may sound, a key takeaway from the event was the importance of listening. To your gut feeling, to the little angels and devils sitting on your left and right shoulder. But above all, listening to the needs and requirements of internal and external clients, even if you have to help them become aware of what they want and articulate it clearly. Anita aptly summed up the path to success: "At Implenia, let's continue to build a culture together where the customer is at the centre of everything we do." In the end, the speakers and the audience – live on site in Opfikon and Raunheim as well as tuned in online – agreed: yesterday's mistakes lead to tomorrow's successes.

The speakers and the audience at the first Implenia ScrewUp event - live on site in Opfikon and Raunheim and also online
Anita Eckardt, Head Division Specialties, talking about a flawed e-business platform

You want to know all the details of the described ScrewUps? Below you will find the recording of the event. The first event of this kind took place in German, follow-up events are planned in other languages and locations.

More on this topic

 | Innovation

Always evolving

If you stop getting better, you soon stop being good. And the construction sector is no exception to this rule. Companies need to develop all the time in order to cater successfully to upcoming trends. We look at how Implenia backs people's inventiveness, and why it's so important to be open about mistakes.

 | Innovation

Hi Karel: How does innovation work?

Karel van Eechoud, Head of the Implenia Innovation Hub, explains why successful innovations need to focus not on technical feasibility, but on the needs of customers and users.

 | Innovation

Norwegen: Norway: Cleantech for construction

If you stop getting better, you soon stop being good. And the construction sector is no exception to this rule. Companies need to develop all the time in order to cater successfully to upcoming trends. This is how Implenia is tackling the challenge at a range of different levels. Implenia Norway and the Norwegian cleantech company TECO 2030, which develops hydrogen fuel cells for ships and other large machinery, have received subsidies from the Norwegian state-owned company Enova. The partners...

 | Innovation

Energy from the façade

In collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute, the Façade Technology team is developing a modular façade system that uses the latest technological innovations to create a sustainable power supply for buildings. The advantage over competing products: the system is attractive AND affordable.

 | Innovation

New ways of cooperation at Implenia Connect

After more than two years of planning and building work, Implenia moved into its new headquarters in September 2021 – paving the way for a radically different type of collaboration. So how are these innovations changing the way the company works and how are the teams affected reorganising themselves?

 | Innovation

Future-oriented waste disposal

Materials, techniques and processes in construction have become ever more efficient over the years, but waste disposal on construction sites has not kept pace. Frank Reschke wants to change that. An overview of the multi-chamber skip, his innovation for sustainable disposal that is easy on both the environment and the budget thanks to less transport.