HP Innovation Issue 19: Fall 2021 | Page 11

Consumer expectations around sustainable solutions require partners to embrace a mindset shift , as Christoph Schell , Chief Commercial Officer , explains .
THE OUTLOOK : PARTNER IMPACT on whether employees feel comfortable being themselves at work , and this sparks innovation and productivity . Among other things , this means accelerating our progress on diversity , equity , and inclusion so that HP becomes the place where everyone can thrive .
ILLUSTRATION BY ROSE WONG
What is the most pressing people issue ? In the short term , it ’ s how we lead our teams in a way that gives everybody resilience and energy to pace the transformation that we ’ re undergoing at HP . So , after a pandemic year , how do we help people get a second wind ? That ’ s an imperative right now . Longer term , as we seek to innovate , explore new business models , and accelerate digital transformation , there is a big talent agenda to build the capabilities we will need for our 10-year plan .
What would be some markers of success that you ’ re helping HP move in the right direction ? I believe I am here to lead change and support people ’ s ability to adapt in a dynamic environment . Things like VIA [ HP ’ s internal annual employee survey ] are important because we can measure with real data how our people are experiencing the company . Are you seeing better outcomes in how people are feeling about their experience at HP ? Are you building the capabilities our businesses need to achieve their goals ? Have we improved our diversity representation consistent with the goals we have set ? You take the two big levers of talent and culture and treat them like every other business strategy .
Christoph Schell
Chief Commercial Officer

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Consumer expectations around sustainable solutions require partners to embrace a mindset shift , as Christoph Schell , Chief Commercial Officer , explains .

t HP , we ’ re not relying on strategy alone to achieve a sustainable future . We can ’ t afford to . Strategy — the set of actions we lay out to effect systemic change , and the mechanisms by which we measure our progress — is critical to solving complex problems . The risk lies in putting too much faith in strategy alone , especially when the dire consequences of inaction around climate change are unraveling all around us .
A good strategy translates an abstract problem into hard , quantitative terms . But in doing so , it can inadvertently mask the enormity of the challenge .
A much deeper mindset shift is required to drive urgent , sustainable change in the world . As anyone who has worked in sales will tell you , that shift won ’ t happen without establishing an emotional connection to the problem and its solution . By showcasing the intertwined nature of human action and the vitality of ocean ecosystems , HP ’ s “ Parallel Lives ” campaign recently painted a vivid picture of exactly that . J
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