Regular and consistent innovation isn’t the byproduct of lip service to an idea. Much like change, innovation can only survive and thrive with the right systems in place. The entire school or organisation needs to be positioned to prioritise the collaborative process of discovering new ideas, solving problems, and experimentation.
We’ve talked a bit about developing an innovation culture, but how does that manifest and what does prioritising innovation look like? It looks like resources and autonomy — the two must-haves for all innovation to work.
Let’s start with the autonomy part. Many organisations with an innovation culture encourage staff to take ownership of projects, of the client experience, and their role in the organisation in general. Indeed, autonomy creates space for team members to take action and experiment without having to ask for permission first. And this is the environment in which ideas and innovation come from anywhere within the organisation.
Now, let’s turn our attention to resources. One of the most frustrating things is when you’re working on an underfunded project. This is why every innovation dream team needs a “snow plough” or champion that is in leadership to help remove obstacles and make sure their project is allocated the resources it needs.
While autonomy is about giving staff space to feel empowered and creative, having the right resources ensures they feel enabled. If neither autonomy nor resources are provided, creativity stagnates, projects flounder, and the seeds of innovation die before they even have the chance to germinate. Indeed, without these two crucial ingredients, innovation is just a buzzword with no real meaning in organisations trapped in the status quo.
We can talk all we want about culture and how it powers innovation. But for culture to really reflect in the work at any school or organisation, it must be sustained by systems that support the stated values, mission and purpose. Where innovation is concerned, autonomy and resources are tangible manifestations of an organisation or school that truly values creative problem solving and the exploration of new ideas.