Changing a process or implementing a new and exciting learning management system does not constitute innovation. Change occurs because a decision is made to improve the existing state of a process. Many times, the decision to improve a method is warranted because a modified procedure may involve a technological advancement and eventually become more efficient and effective. Change becomes innovative when those who are impacted by the change are involved in the creation of the change.
Involving individuals in the change process creates an accepting and engaged workforce. Brown (as cited in Dron, 2014, p. 252) asserted that organizations that take employees out of their positions and have them create an innovative process, do in fact create something innovative. The challenge is that unless the innovation seeps into and spreads throughout the organization it does not become embedded in the workplace. When innovation seeps throughout an organization it is used by more than just the innovators of the change. The question is, How does innovation become embedded and spread throughout the workplace?
Embedding innovation is a cultural shift. Innovation filters through an organization when the people who are required to use the new process are given the opportunity to understand how it works. This opportunity builds appreciation for and provides time to understand the benefits of the change. Everyone learns in a different way and at a different time. Individuals need sufficient time, tools and opportunities to learn the new process (Dron, 2014). A workplace that understands these factors provides employees opportunities to build their skills, knowledge and abilities. Skill building embeds change in the organization and makes it innovative because it is used and adopted on a daily basis.
As Dron (2014) so eloquently stated, “To learn is also to learn to learn, and learning to learn is thus, more often than not, to change how we go about changing” (p. 261).
References
Dron, J. (2014). Chapter 9: Innovation and Change: Changing how we Change. In Zawacki-Richter, O. & T. Anderson (Eds.), Online distance education: Towards a research agenda. Athabasca, AB: AU Press.
December 17, 2019 at 4:05 pm
Hi, Caroline. I agree that innovations are more likely to become embedded in an organization when “those who are impacted by the change are involved in the creation of the change” (cmonsell, 2019, para. 1). I also agree that workplaces need to provide those involved with the resources and opportunities to understand and incorporate the innovations (cmonsell, 2019, para. 3).
Companies such as Google, Airbnb, and HubSpot promote the generation of innovative ideas amongst their employees (Duverge, 2015, para. 3). Unfortunately, as a college instructor, I have never worked for an educational institute that embraces this same concept. Instead, at the start of each new school year, teachers are told by managers about any changes and, if necessary, given training on how they are expected to incorporate those changes into their teaching. Although teachers and students are typically asked for their feedback at the end of each semester or year, I have yet to experience if or how that feedback has been considered.
Most schools are “hard technologies” (Dron, 2014, p. 253), hierarchically structured with management and teachers separated and communication consisting primarily of top-down dissemination of information. Could innovation spread more effectively if school structures were less hard and more open to sharing roles of innovation and integration? It appears to be so.
References
cmonsell. (2019). Can Change be Innovative? [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://malat-webspace.royalroads.ca/rru0101/can-change-be-innovative/
Dron, J. (2014). Chapter 9: Innovation and Change: Changing how we Change. In Zawacki-Richter, O. & T. Anderson (Eds.), Online distance education: Towards a research agenda. Athabasca, AB: AU Press.
Duverge, G. (2015, December 31). The Manager’s Guide to Fostering Creativity in the Workplace [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.tuw.edu/business/creativity-in-the-workplace/
December 19, 2019 at 4:29 pm
Hi Sherry, Thank you for your comments. I did not realize how hierarchically structured the education system can be in some environments. It must be a challenge. I have worked in environments where I was asked for feedback and once I provided it, I did not hear anything else about it.
Currently, I work in Human Resources. The rule of thumb is that we do not ask for feedback or comments if we are not going to use the information or act on it. We do not have to agree with someone’s feedback, but we have to acknowledge receipt of it and let the individual know we have reviewed and considered their thoughts. People are okay with this because they feel heard.
Caroline