Technology is a Tool, NOT a Learning Outcome. So exactly how LONG should you wait for Change? The other day I was in a conversation with a long-time rebel (first-time caller) who has been tirelessly constructing a radical new work practice for an organization.
For years. Except that now he’s gotten kind of tired. Perhaps you might even say fed up. His ideas are not really moving beyond the prototype stage and it’s been…years. Free Yourself from Conventional Thinking - Brian Klapper. Groundbreaking ideas are no longer a luxury when success is contingent upon an organization’s ability to adapt, innovate, and improve.
We need look no further than Kodak, Sears, or Sony for validation that status-quo thinking is the fast-track to failure. How, then, can organizations break free of conventional thinking to spark creativity? The first step is to consider the way you have always done business — and stop. Failing to do so not only prevents truly innovative thinking; it also ensures failure. Consider Blockbuster’s failure to recognize the changing video rental landscape. Killing the status quo requires that you: The Unexpected Antidote to Procrastination - Peter Bregman. By Peter Bregman | 9:00 AM May 10, 2013 A recent early morning hike in Malibu, California, led me to a beach, where I sat on a rock and watched surfers.
The 4 Job Types That Make Innovation Happen. The civil servants of the future look like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. No one at the Government Digital Service wears a suit.
You won't find any briefcases either – in fact, you will struggle to find anyone wearing a tie. This tech-savvy group of men and women may be an integral part of the Cabinet Office, but they couldn't be further from the outdated stereotype of the pinstriped civil servant. This is the place where you will find a 17-year-old code developer who left full-time education to work on the government's new website providing a clear, simpler way of accessing public services – and saving the taxpayer money. The Government Digital Service is at the vanguard of a transformation that is changing the civil service into a fast, agile and digital organisation. What you see in their small office in Holborn is what we want to be the norm for government across the country: vibrant, modern workplaces full of highly skilled people, focused on getting things done. Escape from Brainstorm Island - Video. Moving Public Service Mountains, Part I.
This post will be part one of at least two.
Next week I'll explain why I believe this is so incredibly important. At The Museum of Nature in Ottawa, visitors can simulate an earthquake in the Vale Earth Gallery. You turn a crank to pull a spring-loaded hunk of simulated mountain over a surface, and at some point the force overcomes the friction and it slams back into place. Can Government service be as 'sexy' as the startup? Photo credit: Luis Gomez Photos Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting two young entrepreneurs--the co-founders of the super-hip, new event crowdfunding startup, EventStir.
Afghani-born Sajad explained to me how he met his business partner Andrew, at Startup Weekend DC. The event is a 54-hour race against the clock to launch a business in one weekend. From the outside looking in, I must say the company already looks promising. So much so, Sajad took the big leap and stepped away from his Government gig. Think about it. Issue challenges. Give your team members some autonomy and freedom to identify a special project. Let team members define their own titles and refine their job descriptions. Urgency and accountability are two sides of the innovation coin. As organizations and individuals succeed, it gets more difficult to innovate.
There are issues of coordination, sure, but mostly it's about fear. The fear of failing is greater, because it seems as though you've got more to lose. Harvard’s Ash Center announces ‘Top 25 Innovations in Government’ This is a story about government, but not sequestration, gridlock or any of the activities widely looked upon as pain points or failures.
In fact, this is a story about innovation in government at a time when people, including those on the inside, generally believe government is incapable of anything close to it. Early morning traffic in Brooklyn moves slowly beneath the Manhattan skyline in November 2012. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government announced its list of the “Top 25 Innovations in Government” Wednesday.
The list spans federal, city, state, local and tribal governments. “This is an effort to recognize where government is doing well,” said Kara O’Sullivan, associate director of the Innovations in Government Program at the Ash Center. The Alternative Sentencing Social Worker Program in Kentucky was also listed. Creating an Innovative Government Environment. Failure to change will leave government shackled to the status quo.
Here are some ideas for changing your cultural mindset. Contrary to popular belief, there is no bolt of lightning when it comes to sparking innovation.