Teaching Managers to Think Like Designers: A Look Inside KLM

For the past year, Arnoud Bladergroen, Chief Design Thinking at KLM Digital, has been supporting managers in working more efficiently by applying design thinking to their strategic processes. This groundbreaking initiative evolved from within KLM’s product and service design team, driven by a desire to align internal operations with the company’s broader strategy.

The journey began when the department head sought to enhance team alignment and structure. This led to the idea of expanding design thinking beyond product and service design to include management practices. Managers expressed a need for support in understanding and translating KLM’s strategy to their teams. The initial project’s success sparked demand from other teams, creating a ripple effect across the organization. Remarkably, this wasn’t a top-down initiative but a response to grassroots needs identified by the design team.

The Role of an Independent Facilitator

Arnoud’s facilitation blended management tools with design thinking methodologies. Acting as an independent facilitator, he designed co-creation processes and guided sessions objectively. This impartiality fostered constructive discussions, free from hierarchical dominance or loud voices that often steer meetings. Teams greatly appreciated this dynamic, as it encouraged more balanced and productive dialogue.

Focusing on the Problem First

Arnoud’s primary contribution lies in helping teams clearly define problems before jumping to solutions. The structured approach of separating problems from solutions minimizes chaos and improves outcomes. By building a shared understanding of reality through facilitated processes, KLM managers experienced greater clarity and impact.

A New Perspective

For Arnoud, design thinking is fundamentally about seeing the world differently. It’s not a trendy practice reserved for innovative companies but a practical mindset. He emphasizes that it’s less about following a methodology and more about understanding customer needs and solving problems effectively.

Better Understanding Leads to Better Support

The goal of the strategy cascade exercise is to enable managers to manage more efficiently and successfully. However, transitioning from traditional management paradigms takes time. While innovative managers adopt changes quickly, others require more encouragement, as they often find comfort in familiar routines.

Arnoud’s approach involved extensive conversations with managers to understand their daily challenges, motivations, and pain points. This mutual understanding built trust and curiosity, inspiring managers to explore and integrate design thinking into their workflows.

Spreading the Mindset

The cascade process remains a work in progress, requiring long-term commitment. Arnoud dedicates part of his time to evangelizing design thinking within KLM, conducting presentations, dialogues, and coaching sessions. HR has also recognized its value, initiating programs to immerse management trainees in design thinking. As these trainees advance through the organization, design thinking will increasingly become a natural part of decision-making and strategy development at KLM.