Ep. 1.3: Transforming Work Culture through Hackathons and Creativity with Jordan LaFramboise, RKT Holdings

The Synthesize Pod

"Innovation isn't just a buzzword; it's a continual process that thrives in an environment of trust, inclusivity, and unstructured time," - Jordan LaFramboise.

Jordan LaFramboise is the Director of Innovation Programs at RKT Holdings. He sits down with hosts Matt Greeley and Margaret Kelsey to share his insights into creating a culture that supports and enhances productivity through creative engagement.

In this episode, Jordan explains the key aspects of continuous improvement, discussing barriers such as time constraints and context switching and offering strategies to overcome them. He also explores the impacts of hackathons on employee engagement and innovation, emphasizing the importance of leadership support and the integration of unstructured time into the workflow.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The Importance of an Inclusive and Engaging Innovation Culture: Jordan LaFramboise stresses the need to integrate a planned innovation process into the workflow, ensuring engagement from both the business side and external partners. Hackathons and similar programs have been effective in promoting inclusivity by involving diverse teams across different departments.
• Balancing Structured and Unstructured Time for Innovation: Jordan highlights the success of programs like "Bullet Time," which provide technology team members with dedicated periods for innovation. This balance has led to tangible results, such as the development of generative AI and other machine learning models significantly contributing to the company’s revenue.
• Leadership Support and Emotional Safety in Fostering Innovation: Jordan shares personal anecdotes showing the value of leadership empathy and vulnerability as key drivers in fostering a safe space for creativity. This embeds a culture of trust and resilience and helps individuals feel safe to take risks, potentially fail, and ultimately drive innovation.

Jump into the conversation:

00:00 Introduction to The Synthesize Pod with hosts Matt and Margaret, and special guest Jordan LaFramboise

01:25 How Jordan got into the innovation space

05:31 Integrating innovation into the workflow

07:51 Jordan’s example of a great leader experience

12:46 Tracking value and visibility in a culture of innovation

16:21 Hackathons and employee engagement post-COVID

20:01 Developing a culture of emotional safety and leadership support

25:01 Traditional versus innovation-driven engagement

35:01 Hollistic engagement and human connections

45:16 The emotional challenges in innovation

50:01 Success stories and the impact of hackathons

54:31 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

Jordan LaFramboise on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-laframboise

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