Comments on: Innovating innovation – Part 1 http://publicstrategist.com/2009/09/innovating-innovation-part-1/ Working to make government work better Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:35:28 +0000 hourly 1 By: Stuff I’ve seen September 7th through to September 9th | Podnosh http://publicstrategist.com/2009/09/innovating-innovation-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-134 Stuff I’ve seen September 7th through to September 9th | Podnosh Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:02:44 +0000 http://publicstrategist.com/2009/09/innovating-innovation-part-1/#comment-134 [...] Public Strategist » Blog Archive » Innovating innovation – Part 1 – Really useful reflections on innovation in government: "There is little point saying smugly to a hard pressed operational manager that if only they stepped back from the day to day pressures they could switch to a radically better way of doing things. There may well be a radically better way – but the stepping back may be an insuperable obstacle." [...] [...] Public Strategist » Blog Archive » Innovating innovation – Part 1 – Really useful reflections on innovation in government: "There is little point saying smugly to a hard pressed operational manager that if only they stepped back from the day to day pressures they could switch to a radically better way of doing things. There may well be a radically better way – but the stepping back may be an insuperable obstacle." [...]

]]> By: Howard http://publicstrategist.com/2009/09/innovating-innovation-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-132 Howard Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:48:03 +0000 http://publicstrategist.com/2009/09/innovating-innovation-part-1/#comment-132 Well one way you aren't going to get innovation is by setting targets! As this article with video and links to lots of evidence shows! http://www.thesystemsthinkingreview.co.uk/index.php?pg=18&backto=1&utwkstoryid=187 Well one way you aren’t going to get innovation is by setting targets!

As this article with video and links to lots of evidence shows!

http://www.thesystemsthinkingreview.co.uk/index.php?pg=18&backto=1&utwkstoryid=187

]]> By: Richard http://publicstrategist.com/2009/09/innovating-innovation-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-131 Richard Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:53:59 +0000 http://publicstrategist.com/2009/09/innovating-innovation-part-1/#comment-131 On a similar theme, there is a report from the Commons public accounts committee on Thursday looking at learning and innovation in government - might be worth looking out for. On a similar theme, there is a report from the Commons public accounts committee on Thursday looking at learning and innovation in government – might be worth looking out for.

]]> By: Nick Booth http://publicstrategist.com/2009/09/innovating-innovation-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-130 Nick Booth Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:53:17 +0000 http://publicstrategist.com/2009/09/innovating-innovation-part-1/#comment-130 Some people have jobs which mean they are supposed to constantly think about innovation and attempt to turn that into useful change. Most people have jobs where they're required to get on with something because someone and a system decrees it so. Allowing this second group some time and permission to be innovative would be a radical change in many places However, it doesn't mean that all of their jobs will always be about innovation. Some people have jobs which mean they are supposed to constantly think about innovation and attempt to turn that into useful change.

Most people have jobs where they’re required to get on with something because someone and a system decrees it so.

Allowing this second group some time and permission to be innovative would be a radical change in many places However, it doesn’t mean that all of their jobs will always be about innovation.

]]> By: Public Strategist http://publicstrategist.com/2009/09/innovating-innovation-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-128 Public Strategist Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:26:45 +0000 http://publicstrategist.com/2009/09/innovating-innovation-part-1/#comment-128 I don't think that trying to innovate too much is a contradiction in terms: attempting innovation without means or capacity is probably worse than not attempting it at all. But that doesn't make it a bad idea to want to increase means and capacity and so be able to innovate more. Whether everybody should be an innovator is one of the many questions which gets tangled up in the different usages of innovation. The opposite is definitely wrong in my view: an organisation in which only people with "innovation" in their job title get to change things is an organisation headed for disaster. I agree that everybody being constantly disruptive is also risky - but I have seen the power of involving front line staff in challenging and improving processes, and if I had to be rationed to a single approach to change, that might well be the one I would pick. I don’t think that trying to innovate too much is a contradiction in terms: attempting innovation without means or capacity is probably worse than not attempting it at all. But that doesn’t make it a bad idea to want to increase means and capacity and so be able to innovate more.

Whether everybody should be an innovator is one of the many questions which gets tangled up in the different usages of innovation. The opposite is definitely wrong in my view: an organisation in which only people with “innovation” in their job title get to change things is an organisation headed for disaster. I agree that everybody being constantly disruptive is also risky – but I have seen the power of involving front line staff in challenging and improving processes, and if I had to be rationed to a single approach to change, that might well be the one I would pick.

]]> By: Paul Johnston http://publicstrategist.com/2009/09/innovating-innovation-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-127 Paul Johnston Mon, 07 Sep 2009 06:12:18 +0000 http://publicstrategist.com/2009/09/innovating-innovation-part-1/#comment-127 "The idea that everybody should be an innovator is an attractive one" - well, it certainly sounds attractive, but how ideal would it really be? Aren't their costs of innovation? And how many organisations could take the strain of having all their staff innovating the whole time or even a lot of the time? Is the sentence: "where this organisation went wrong is that it was trying to innovate too much" a contradiction in terms? Obviously I do think innovation is important (particularly in the public sector), but sometimes I get worried about innovation-worship! “The idea that everybody should be an innovator is an attractive one” – well, it certainly sounds attractive, but how ideal would it really be? Aren’t their costs of innovation? And how many organisations could take the strain of having all their staff innovating the whole time or even a lot of the time? Is the sentence: “where this organisation went wrong is that it was trying to innovate too much” a contradiction in terms? Obviously I do think innovation is important (particularly in the public sector), but sometimes I get worried about innovation-worship!

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