Tutor’s tipsAligning all the Workplace Practices to the strategic goals – use the Strategy Pyramid – your Innovation Project fits at the base of the pyramid. Explain HOW your project makes a contribution to the strategic goals.
Tutor’s tipsSuccessful change leaders consider: Rationale, evidence base, (Diagnostic), develop a shared and common understanding with those involved. Purpose – clear explanation of innovation change project Perspective – anticipation, long term vision Social Capital- build relationships, trust and understanding. Support – who to talk to, have different types of meetings, acknowledge highs and lows.
Innovation Projects can take many forms. They can focus directly on changing workplace practices, for example in response to Workplace Innovation Diagnostic® results. On the other hand, the main focus may be on the development of a new product or service in ways that require innovative ways of working – for example stimulating creative thinking by bringing people together across teams and departments.
In either case, your Innovation Project will have an impact on one or more workplace innovation Elements. Further information can be found in the modules relating to each Element.
Remember that changing working practices in one Element may have implications for the others (see the ‘Interdependencies’ sections in each module), and you should reflect that in the answers you provide below. Your tutor can provide further guidance.
How will the proposed actions change or make an impact on the Workplace Practices (WP) represented by the Elements? Which changes in working practice, if any, are you proposing to make?
Use the Workplace Practices (listed at the beginning of each of the Element Theme Programme pages) to guide your understanding of what you need to create a culture of innovation and which current practices get in the way.
Scoping out your Innovation Project and framing your actions to deliver your vision: Goal——Action—–Result! Has the wider context been fully analysed and understood? Is there a shared vision with employees and other stakeholders? Has the search for actions been sufficiently broad and creative? Did the force of the better argument prevail? Is there room for experimentation? Is the whole organisation aligned to the change?
Empowerment and Action – good projects rely on strategic and expert knowledge of team members, customer focus and tacit knowledge and understanding of what works.
Consider here the relationships between the interdependent factors (time, resources, stakeholders, rules, division of labour etc.)Planning to make change happen Engestrom approach.
