Innovation – No More Sheep Dipping!

Are you ready for the future of work? Of course, technical ability remains a must have in your organisation, but the most valuable skills are extending far beyond that.

Indeed, the collective ability to innovate to cope with the current pace of change appears to be fast becoming the most important competitive advantage that you can have as an organisation. Those organisations that can adapt and evolve are cleaning up.

Talent is the new cash flow.

But this factor is also important in the public sector too. Many public organisations had a shock when Covid hit. They may have meticulously written and role played pandemic strategies – but they still were not equipped and in many instances trailed way behind the curve.

Education, the NHS and UK Government Departments now realise they have to deliver their service very differently to what had become the norm for so many decades. Commercial outfits railroaded their territory and will continue to do so if they do not transform.  Public Sector leaders must have a sharp focus on improvement – but spending too. Their cash flow comes from our earnings.

Facilitating Innovation

Indeed, facilitating innovation is one of the factors driving decisions about new working arrangements is one of the current hot topics.

But, cultivating a culture of innovation is not just about the top leaders having the good ideas. It is much more than that. It involves:

1. A collective Growth Mindset and imagination
2. The collective ability to fail fast and learn from mistakes
3. A What If Culture and the psychological safety to try out new ideas that will improve the way the business operates.

This cannot be achieved through training programmes alone. Sheep dips will not work when changing mindsets or encouraging a passion for remodelling, restyling and revolution.

It takes a planned programme of nudges, communication, passion for innovation, education, engagement and mindset shifts at ever level in the organisation. It  requires a structure and systems that support and encourage new thinking.

So the question is – are your development programmes up to the job – or are they churning out the same old, same old?

The are smarter ways of unleashing modernisation. We call it Smart Thinking and your organisation could probably do with a good dose of it?