This month, we interviewed Juan Luis to get to know the Lead Expert in Digital Innovation in more depth. Juan Luis joined Netmind at the beginning of 2018, with the goal of supporting and leading projects aimed at empowering organizations and their teams in the processes of digital transformation.
In this interview, we will not only learn more about his role at Netmind, but also his experiences during this period, as described in the interview. Let’s go to it!
After more than four years as Lead Expert in Digital Innovation at Netmind, which projects have stuck with you? Which ones are you most proud of?
The truth is that it is difficult to choose only one. There are many organizations I have worked with, and to be honest, all of them have brought great learning and great people. But to not start the interview by evading the questions, I’m going to jump in. There is a project I’m still involved in which, because of its magnitude and high level of challenge, fills me with pride: our work in supporting BBVA in its agile transformation process. I’ve met such fantastic people on this adventure, and we’ve had to grow so much to get to this point, that these are projects that will stay in my memory forever.
And speaking of innovation, tell us, what kind of “innovation” have you proposed this year?
This year I have a great challenge, which is to help Netmind conceptualize new services that allow us to continue helping our clients in new ways, with new solutions and resources to continue to support them in their processes of improvement.
Agile Coach, Lean IT Instructor, Management 3.0 Facilitator & Instructor, Lean Startup Mentor… you don’t stop! Already thinking about another certification?
This year I will continue to delve into areas such as Agile for HR (how to help talent departments take on a role as a change agent in organizational transformation processes), Change Management, Lean Leadership, and some others that I will try to go for if my schedule allows me to.
We know you’re always on Twitter; which hashtag do you identify with the most and why?
Well, I used to be on it a lot more than I am now, haha. I have to recognize that I like Twitter very much. I think that, when used well, it represents some of the values I identify with most: sharing, communicating, and learning.
Choosing one hashtag? Oof, it’s not simple, but in this same respect I’m going to be very corporate. I identify myself 100% with the main Netmind hashtag: #AlwaysLearning. I am a curious person. I like to learn; I need to have challenges, and to do so, I have to always be open to continuing to learn. Probably, along with #Lean and #Management, it’s the hashtag I use most.
Without a doubt, you have one of the most international portfolios of the team. Of all the cities that you’ve taught in, where would you like to go back and stay?
It’s difficult to choose! I think that out of sheer nostalgia I would stay in San Juan de Puerto Rico. And for its personal impact on me, I’d also have to say Orlando.
And from your experience, what five tips would you give to someone who wants to enter the world of Lean?
There would probably be 5 reasons why I think people are interested in delving into the world of Lean Thinking:
- It is perfectly aligned with the System Thinking; that is, it will help you learn to think of everything as a system and to take this into account when analyzing reality and making decisions.
- You’ll discover the origins of a lot of principles and practices you’ve probably discovered through other frameworks such as Kanban.
- You will learn a wealth of resources to understand end-to-end processes, identify inefficiencies and waste, and to develop solutions that enable workflow efficiencies across your organization’s value chains.
- You will discover the importance of aspects such as respect, attitude, and behavior or empowerment as cornerstones of any process of continuous improvement.
- Lean Thinking is a powerful mindset that, once installed in your life, will never come out. It is not just learning to improve our organizations, but also a philosophy for your day-to-day.
Since we have done the same thing with Luka, we ask that you describe your partner: what is Luka Bureo like?
Well, even if it sounds like flattery, I have to say that we joined Netmind almost at the same time, and from the beginning, we all realized, “This young man has infinite potential.”
At first I was a bit jealous, haha, because despite being so young (offensively young), he has the experience of someone much older on his shoulders. He masters aspects such as Design Thinking, PNL, Learning Transformation, and a huge range of others. At a skill level, he is a true professional. He has a huge journey ahead that, possibly, he is not even aware of.
I must also say that his attitude is enviable. I have never heard a bad word, criticism, or complaint. He’s always sporting a smile and willing to sign up for any challenge, without hesitation. Does that about sum it up? He’s an absolute trip we want to always have in the Netmind family.