Helene Blowers, Columbus Metropolitan Library
Tony Tallent, The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County
Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things. Innovation is fresh practice (not best practice).
"The Seeds of Innovation" by Elaine Dundon, identifies three types of innovation: efficiency, evolutionary, revolutionary.
There are four components of innovation: creativity, strategy, implementation, profitability. This presentation focuses on creativity and and strategy.
Creativity is focused on seeing connections. Some key thoughts related to "I am an innovator" as a staff member: "I have ideas. I have done my homework. I'll do the initial legwork. I am capable of more than my job description. I am a leader, too. I take risks with you." As a manager: "I offer you a framework. I put resources behind my expectations. I create growth opportunities. I SUPPORT your work. I celebrate your success. I take risks with you."
Strategy. The goal is to become a change agent. The first task is to make it believable. Tie what you want to do to your organization's mission, vision, and value (not just "I've got a cool idea"). Tell a story about how a person's life is going to be changed. Create alliances. Test drive / prototype your ideas. Don't ask for permission--ask for support (or forgiveness). Sell your vision personally (not on paper).
Libraries should stop apologizing so much. If you're not failing often, you're not being innovative enough.
Seven habits of highly innovative people: persistence, remove self-limiting inhibitions, take risks, make mistakes (one library has a cliff-jumper award), write things down, find patterns and create connections, stay curious.
Thomas Watson (I think): "The secret for success? It's really quite simple. Double your failure rate."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment