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Innovating for Organizational Success

By Dana Jarvis, Manager of Project Services

I'm not feeling very creative today. I know these words have never crossed your lips or thoughts, but for many, creativity can be difficult. We hear of "creative types"; artists, musicians, and poets. In the world of business, the same "creative types" can be found in marketing, web design, and training. However, the question arises, is creativity an innate ability or a learned skill?

Now, I'm always up for the nature versus nurture game, but for now, let's focus on the key issue of creativity. Creativity exists when new ideas, initiatives, and approaches are generated to solve problems. This process can occur incrementally or all at once, depending upon circumstances related to the internal and external environment of an organization. The guru of organizational management, our good friend, Peter Drucker, has outlined a number of key components of nurturing a creative spirit or in this case - innovation. So, pull a chair up, put the fire on, and listen up...

Understand mission of organization and its relationship to every organizational endeavor

Purposeful innovation results from analysis, systems, and hard work

Analysis of opportunities, successes, failures, and changes all contribute to purposeful innovation

Purposeful innovation requires an active search in both figures and people to assess opportunities for improvement

An effective innovation is both simple and focused

Innovation begins small and grows with the system

Innovation should be aimed at the leadership to make a true impact

Effective innovation occurs in the short-run with an immediate application for improvement

Innovation does not stop with the words of Drucker. Certainly, Goran Ekvall's work into understanding innovation has been further refined and validated by Scott Isaksen and others at the Center for Creative studies at SUNY-Buffalo. Based on their work, innovation, can be narrowed down to nine key components, including challenge, freedom, idea time, idea support, trust and openness, playfulness and humor, conflicts, debates, and risk-taking. These components can be further delineated into an organizational innovation assessment. 

The following organizational innovation assessment first appeared in Brill's, How is your climate for innovation? R& D Innovator. May 1996. Take a moment to complete the assessment, adding your scores at the end.

Consider your organization and rate the following questions from 1 = Low to 5 = High.

Low High
1 2 3 4 5
1. To what degree are people here deeply committed to their jobs?

2. To what degree are people able to decide how to do their jobs?
3. To what degree do we take the time to think of alternate ways to accomplish a difficult task before having to take action?
4. To what degree are new ideas given a warm reception, and to what degree are resources available to give new ideas a try?
5. To what degree is there emotional tension here?
6. To what degree is there lively debate on the issues? 
7. To what degree do we hear good-natured joking, and to what degree is the work atmosphere relaxed?
8. To what degree are people informal and open with one another?
9. To what degree do people feel free to take action when the outcome might not meet expectations?

Score Type of Innovative Climate (IC) Explanation 
1-9 Innovative Climate (IC) Innovation does not likely drive decisions nor is instrumental to organizational change.
10-18 Non-IC Some instances of innovation but may not be consistent or sustained over time.
19-27 Somewhat IC Evidence of innovation but possibly not to the level at which it could be.
28-36 IC Clear signs of innovation but has not reached a high level of integration with decision-making process.
37-45 More IC Innovation likely to be a creative driving force in driving the decision-making process and organizational impact. 

The scoring of the innovation assessment was adapted based upon typical scoring procedures for Likert scale tools. It is intended to generate interest in creating a climate of innovation and should not be viewed as a purely scientific method. 

As a management consultant, I can safely say that nature gave us just enough innovation to make us question the process and thus enhance our innovation skills and abilities. From my perspective, innovation is the driving force to leverage opportunities for success. If you and your competitors are all on the same playing field with like players, coaches, and plays, the game will likely end in a tie. However, if the coaches design trick plays (e.g. innovation) and the players execute the plays, it's likely that one team will win and one will lose. Ergo, what team do you want to play for?

Dana Jarvis is the Manager of Project Services for THE HILL GROUP. He focuses on strategic planning, organizational development, and market analysis. He can be found in the Bahamas during the long Pittsburgh winters... or not. Dana can be reached at 412.343.9393 or via email at djarvis@hillgroupinc.com.

 

Sources:
Brill, W. How is your climate for innovation? R& D Innovator. May 1996. http://www.thinking.net/Creativity/creativity.html

Drucker, P.F. The Essential Drucker. Harper Collins, NY. 2001. 

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These materials have been prepared for educational and information purposes only. They are not consulting advice or opinions on any specific matters. Transmission of the information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, a consultant-client relationship between The Hill Group, Inc. and any recipient of this material. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional advice.