Ep. 1.6: Sparking Innovation in a Disengaged Workforce with Katlin Arps

The Synthesize Pod

"How do you spark innovation in a disengaged workforce and navigate through economic turbulence? The answer lies in the unfiltered joy and exhilaration of Hackathons," - Katlin Arps.

Katlin Arps is the Vice President of Product for Brightidea, where she is known for her extensive experience in product management across various industries, from healthcare to retail.

In this episode, Katlin, along with hosts Matt Greeley and Margaret Kelsey, discusses the logistical and emotional benefits of Hackathons, emphasizing their role in driving innovation and engagement within organizations. They also touch on the critical aspects of planning, nurturing ideas, and ensuring long-term success while discussing the evolving nature of innovation events and the significance of understanding and meeting the needs of diverse participants.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Enterprise-Wide Hackathons as a Solution for Growth and Engagement: Employers are struggling with achieving growth and engaging a disengaged workforce. By incorporating competitive and collaborative events like Hackathons, organizations can inject energy and creativity into their teams, providing employees with a sense of ownership and involvement in business strategy.
• Importance of Preparation and Emotional Investment: Katlin emphasizes the significance of proper preparation time before launching hackathons or similar events, recommending a two to three-week window for project collaboration and idea development. This phase allows participants to nurture their ideas and emotionally commit to them, enhancing the quality of the innovation process.
• Balancing Human Engagement with Technological Solutions: The combination of a versatile platform and a dedicated services team ensures that clients are supported throughout the process, preventing common pitfalls and building "muscle memory" for future events. Katlin shares that software alone cannot resolve people problems; instead, ongoing human coaching and engagement are key to fostering a passionate and committed workforce.

Jump into the conversation:

00:00 Introduction to The Synthesize Pod with hosts Matt and Margaret and special guest Katlin Arps

02:31 Engaging remote workers and fostering an innovation mindset through hackathons

08:01 The different manifestations of hackathons

12:50 The challenges of understanding pain points across different organizations

16:42 The needs of different types of participants: solo entrepreneurs, teams, those needing guidance

23:11 Katlin’s background, experience in healthcare, retail, and product management

41:50 The interplay of cultural and technological changes in hackathon implementation

56:21 The parallels between hackathons and elementary school field days

59:00 Closing

Connect with us:

Brightidea - www.brightidea.com
More on Hackathons - http://www.brightidea.com/hackathon

Matt Greeley on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgreeley/

Margaret Kelsey on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey
Katlin Arps on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katlinmcnallyarps/

Brightidea on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightidea/