Your business needs it, you ask employees for it, you incent them to deliver it, but in the end, do you really get it? I’m talking about innovation. When the Conference Board queried CEOs in 2018, it found that one of their most important concerns was “creating new business models to adapt to disruptive technologies.”
A Brief Exercise to Spur Innovation on Your Team
All it takes is a piece of paper and three questions.
July 10, 2019
Summary.
How do effective bosses spur innovation on their teams? One useful exercise is to create a “change notebook.” Here’s how it works: At your next team meeting, pull out a pad of paper, turn to an empty page, and divide it into three columns. Each one corresponds to a question relevant for innovation: (1) What is the existing practice/the recipe for success/the way we’ve always done it at our organization? (2) What market shifts, external forces, or technologies might threaten the elements of our operational status quo? (3) What can we do about these impending disruptions? If you create a discussion around these items on a routine basis, everyone will become more aware of change and more creative about staying ahead of it.
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HBR Learning
Innovation and Creativity Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Innovation and Creativity. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Unlock your team's curiosity and willingness to take smart risks.
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New!
HBR Learning
Innovation and Creativity Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Innovation and Creativity. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Unlock your team's curiosity and willingness to take smart risks.