Norway at work – the value-creating Norway - The people who keep society going

"Norwegians work in stores, in hospitals, on oil platforms. Norwegians work to keep us safe, work to keep the country clean of garbage, and look for new solutions for a green future. Norwegians cultivate the land and fish. Norwegians do research and teach."
King Harald's words from the Palace Park contain something that is most important about Norway.

When we talk about value creation, the debate often revolves around investments, technology, productivity and capital.
These are important topics.
But the most important capital is not in the accounts.
It takes the subway to work.
It runs the night shift.
It drives the bus.
It builds railways.

It works on the oil platform.
It grows our food.
It sails out before dawn.
It teaches our children.
It keeps hospitals clean.
It is Norway at work.

Who is the value-creating Norway?
Value-creating Norway is found all over the country.
At railway stations and in control rooms.
In kindergartens and classrooms.

In nursing homes and hospitals.
On fishing boats and farms.
On construction sites and workshops.
On oil platforms and airports.
In the Armed Forces.

Behind the wheel of the bus.
In the cleaning teams that ensure safe workplaces.
In the cultural institutions that give us shared experiences.
Value-creating Norway consists of people with different experiences, different education and different tasks.
Some work with their hands.
Others work with their heads.
Most people do both.
What they all have in common is that they contribute to the functioning of society.

We live off each other's work.
"We should live off each other's work," Jens Stoltenberg has said, referring to former Finance Minister Erik Brofoss.
It is a simple formulation that contains an important truth:
No one creates value alone.
The farmer is dependent on the transporter.

The conveyor is dependent on the mechanic.
The mechanic depends on the teacher.
The teacher is dependent on the health worker.
The healthcare worker is dependent on the cleaner.
The cleaner is dependent on the farmer.

We are dependent on each other.
Public and private sector.
City and country.
Practical experience and academic knowledge.
It is in this interaction that values are created.

Value creation is more than economics
Value creation is about more than numbers in an accounting report.
It is also about safety.
About health.
About knowledge.
About preparedness.
About care.
About culture.
About trust.
Because without trust, Norway stops.
Trust makes us collaborate.
Trust allows us to share knowledge.
Trust allows us to find new solutions.
And trust allows us to create value together.

Culture also creates values
When we talk about value creation, we often forget the importance of culture.
But art and culture also create values.
Opera singers, ballet dancers, musicians, actors, stage technicians and costume designers contribute to experiences that bring people together and build community.
Culture creates identity.
Culture creates jobs.
Culture creates belonging.
Culture creates memories.
It is also value creation.

The invisible capital
The Petroleum Fund is important for Norway, but our most important resource is still our people – the knowledge they possess, the trust they build and the work they do every single day.
Because without people, there are no businesses.
No public services.
No innovation.
No value creation.
The most important capital is not in the accounts.
It gets up early.
It goes to work.
It stands up for others.
It creates security, development and community.
It is Norway at work.
It is the value-creating Norway.
And it deserves to be seen.

Further reading:
Operaen.no – a digital drama in a thousand acts Linda Christin Halvorsen tells the story of the collaboration between The Norwegian Opera & Ballet and BEKK.
The opera is selling more tickets after revamping its online presence . Now they are honored with the coveted Label for Good Design.
The invisible capital in Norwegian working life We often talk about technology, strategy, results and efficiency. Far less often about the people who make working life and value creation work – every single day.
When ideas stop with the leaders . Why good ideas are rarely lacking – and what it takes for them to actually be realized.
Norway has never had more knowledge and value creation – how do we create more? Statistics Norway's figures show that Norwegians have never had a higher level of education. Yet it is not the number of credits that determines whether we succeed as a society. What is crucial is how we convert knowledge into innovation, jobs and value creation.
Why digitalization is really about people - We often talk about digitalization as if it is primarily about technology. About systems, platforms, artificial intelligence, automation and new digital services. Many of the biggest headlines are about investments, results and technological breakthroughs.
Recommended books from our library

Don't Make Me ThinkAuthor: Steve Krug
Short review
Don't Make Me Think is one of the world's most influential books on usability and web design. Since its first edition in 2000, the book has helped designers, developers, content producers, and managers understand a simple but powerful principle: Good digital services should be intuitive. The user should be able to complete their task without having to stop and think about how the website works.
Why we recommend the book
This is one of the books that has had the greatest impact on my own work with digital services. Over the years – from SAS and the Norwegian Opera & Ballet to working on Bærum Municipality’s website – the principles in this book have been an important reminder that technology is never an end in itself. The goal is to make everyday life easier for the people who use the services. Despite the fact that the book was published many years ago, the message is just as relevant today.
Internet Marketing & eCommerce
Authors: Ward Hanson and Kirthi Kalyanam
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Internet Marketing & eCommerce provides a thorough introduction to how the internet has changed marketing, commerce, and business development. The book combines theory and practical examples in digital marketing, e-commerce, customer behavior, value creation, and digital business models. Although written at a time when the internet was still in its infancy, many of the fundamental principles are still highly relevant.
Why we recommend the book
This book was an important part of my own learning journey in digital marketing and e-commerce. It helped build my understanding of how technology, customer experiences and business strategy are interconnected – an insight that later became very important in my work with SAS, the Norwegian Opera & Ballet, Bærum Municipality and eventually the project The Invisible Capital. Many of the ideas about customer value, digitalization and innovation presented on the website have their roots in the knowledge this book conveys.
The Innovator's Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth
Authors: Clayton M. Christensen and Michael E. Raynor
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Why we recommend the book
While The Innovator's Dilemma explains why established businesses are often challenged, The Innovator's Solution provides concrete advice on how to meet the challenges. The book is therefore a natural next step for anyone who wants to understand innovation, strategy and long-term value creation.

The Innovator's DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators
Authors: Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen and Clayton M. Christensen
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What characterizes people who create groundbreaking innovations? The authors identify five key skills – observation, questioning, experimentation, networking and association – that are common to the world's most innovative leaders and entrepreneurs.
Why we recommend the book
This book shifts the focus from organizations to the people behind innovation. It shows that creativity and innovation can be developed through deliberate training and experience. The perspectives align well with the philosophy behind Invisible Capital, where human competence and curiosity are the most important drivers of development.

Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice
Authors: Clayton M. Christensen, Taddy Hall, Karen Dillon and David S. Duncan
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In this book, Clayton Christensen further develops the theory of Jobs to Be Done – the idea that customers do not primarily buy products, but "hire" them to solve specific needs. Through practical examples, the authors show how businesses can develop products and services that address customers' real-world challenges.
Why we recommend the book
For anyone working in customer experience, service design, and innovation, this is one of the most insightful books ever written. It reminds us that value creation always starts with understanding the people we are developing solutions for – a fundamental principle of Invisible Capital.

The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail
Author: Clayton M. Christensen
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The Innovator's Dilemma is considered one of the most influential books on innovation and technological change. Clayton M. Christensen introduces the theory of disruptive innovation and explains why even the most successful businesses can fail when new technologies and business models challenge established markets. Through a series of examples, he shows how companies often focus on today's customers and incremental improvements, while overlooking innovations that later change entire industries.
Why we recommend the book
This is one of the books that has had the greatest impact on modern innovation thinking. When I first read it, it gave me a whole new perspective on why some businesses succeed in transformation, while others lag behind – even when they are well led. The insight has been an important part of my own understanding of digitalization, innovation and change management, and many of the reflections in The Invisible Capital build on the ideas Clayton Christensen presents in this classic. The book is as relevant today, in the face of artificial intelligence and digital transformation, as it was when it was published.
Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology
Author: Henry Chesbrough
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Henry Chesbrough introduced the concept of Open Innovation and changed the way many businesses think about research and development. He shows how companies can create more innovation through collaboration with customers, universities, start-ups, suppliers and other external partners.
Why we recommend the book
Open Innovation has had a major influence on modern innovation thinking and was also an important topic during the seminars in Oxford and San Francisco. The book shows why future value creation occurs in the interaction between people, businesses and knowledge environments – not within closed organizations alone.
Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant
Authors: W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
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Blue Ocean Strategy challenges businesses to shift their focus away from fierce competition and instead create new markets with little or no competition. The authors present strategies and models that help organizations develop innovative products, services, and business models.
Why we recommend the book
This book has inspired leaders around the world to rethink strategy and innovation. Instead of competing for the same customers, it shows how businesses can create new value through creativity and differentiation. The perspectives align very well with the themes of innovation, digitalization, and long-term value creation in Invisible Capital.

Outside Innovation: How Your Customers Will Co-Design Your Company's Future
Authors: Patricia B. Seybold
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Patricia Seybold shows how businesses can create better products and services by actively involving customers in the innovation process. The book describes how dialogue, co-creation and close collaboration with users can provide better solutions and stronger competitiveness.
Why we recommend the book
Customers often hold the most important insights into how products and services can be improved. This book emphasizes the importance of listening, involving, and learning from users – a perspective that is echoed in many of the articles on The Invisible Capital. Innovation rarely happens alone; it is created in the interaction between people.
Blown to Bits: How the New Economics of Information Transforms Strategy
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Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything
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Why we recommend the book
This book was groundbreaking when it was first published, and many of the ideas have since become a natural part of everyday digital life. The perspectives on collaboration, knowledge sharing, and open innovation processes align very well with the philosophy behind Invisible Capital, where people and networks are at the center of value creation.
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