Employees are driven by purpose, GVSU speakers says 

The business world is on the cusp of a "purpose revolution," said Kim Dabbs, the keynote speaker at the West Michigan World Trade Week Business Conference held at the L. William Seidman Center.

The May 15 conference was hosted by the Van Andel Global Trade Center in partnership with the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Dabbs, who lives in Germany, is the global director of Corporate Social Innovation at Steelcase. She said while the digital revolution brought loneliness, feeling a sense of purpose is driving the next revolution.

"CEOs from around the world say they are worried about talent recruitment and retention, engaging employees and understanding millennials," said Dabbs. "Employees aren't asking for employers to do the right thing. They are not asking to find meaning and purpose in their work — they are demanding it."

Dabbs said design thinking concepts are being used in companies worldwide to solve problems; she said design thinking can transform how a company develops global products, services, processes and strategy.

"Design thinking asks the question or uses the phrase, 'How might we' when determining what the future of work will look like," she said. "Design thinking changes how you view experiences and teaches you how to be human centered."

Dabbs outlined her "habits of innovation" which include making ideas visible, making others successful and failing faster to succeed sooner.

For more information about the West Michigan World Trade Week Business Conference, visit www.gvsu.edu/wtw.