| The Importance of Values in Innovation |
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By Andrew Papageorge
Values are enduring beliefs that help us determine what we seek in life and guide our behavior on a day-to-day basis.
Individuals and organizations operate on a set of core values whether they are implicit or explicit. These values touch every aspect of work, shaping people's experience and determining how they will act and make decisions. Different values create different understandings and lead to different decisions and actions.
The GoInnovate! ValueSet drives swift, continual and effective innovation and make the impossible possible. Violating these values could spells disaster for creativity and innovation.
The five GoInnovate! System values are:
- Openness: Receptivity, flexibility, seeks and accepts ideas from others, actively communicating
- Intention: Acting on purpose, willpower, volition, restraint
- Courage: Fearlessness, confidence, willing to challenge ideas, will stand steadfast in the face of adversity
- Integrity: Honesty, doing what one says he or she will do, doing the right thing
- Calmness: Evenmindedness, composed, not easily disturbed or excited
Keep in mind that the expression of these values exists on a continuum, e.g. frantic/always upset/angry to blissfully calm. We often move up and down the continuum depending on circumstances. And that is the key point. We want to develop these values so they are NOT situationally determined but rather lived consistently. Do you want to know what your values are? Just look at your behavior.
Before we can transform organizations to be more creative and innovative, we must transform ourselves. Values are a key lever in that transformation because they permeate every aspect of our work. We don't need permission or resources to begin improving our expression of these values. And we will almost always be rewarded with better results and personal satisfaction. |
| Towards a Culture of Openness |
 By Catherine M. Mattice, MA, Communication Consultant
Openness, by definition, is not closed. Openness then, in the context of innovation is being not closed to the ideas of others. Openness is actually encouraging others to share ideas and then committing to them wholeheartedly. Openness is not only sharing your own ideas, but being not closed to really talking about and exploring them with others. Openness is not just being receptive to feedback about our ideas, but being truly not closed to it, and further, even willing to act on it.
An organization with this kind of remarkable openness and ability to listen with open ears, mind and heart is one where innovation can certainly flourish. It is one where the ability to listen and the freedom to speak is integrated and intertwined into every interaction between organizational members and every piece of top-down and bottom-up communication. This is a Culture of Openness. Yet too often employees are afraid to speak their mind for fear of retribution, ideas are not shared because being judged by peers is a scary possibility, and true listening remains impossible as stereotypes and preoccupations get in the way. In other words, true Cultures of Openness are few and far between.
But how do organizational leaders create (or change) culture, really? How does an organization become more open so that its innovators can thrive? What does being not closed in an interpersonal relationship look like? How do we practice being more open with ourselves? How do we, and our organizations, become more open? The answer is communication. Organizational culture exists and is perpetuated within communication, and it can be utilized strategically to deliver a culture of openness to your business. Openness must also exist within relationships, both personal and professional, in order for innovators to feel comfortable sharing ideas and discussing them no-holds-barred. Further, openness must exist within your relationship with yourself. What Exactly is Organizational Culture Anyway?
Organizational culture is the way an organization's members as a whole think, act, and understand the organizational world around them. Academics cleverly explain it as "the way it is." Culture comes to be and exists within communication among members, and lies within an organization's vocabulary, stories, traditions, structure, processes and communication networks. Click here to read more about a Culture of Openness |
| E-Learning Program |
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Take the GoInnovate! Ideas to Innovations E-Learning Program at your own pace and convenience, at home or in the office. And you can receive three CEUs toward professional recertification for completing the courses.
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| Innovator's Resources |
The Business of Innovation
In a series of 5 one-hour programs CNBC, the worldwide leader in business news, will turn innovation from boardroom theory to business reality by deconstructing the issues and challenges facing organizations on the path to innovation.
Making Inspiration RoutineIt's not about brilliance. Valuable new ideas are the product of hard work and smart, disciplined processes. Do you have a web site that aids in your innovation efforts or you think readers would find interesting? Share it with us and you may be featured in an upcoming Innovator's Resources. Send your suggestions to clientservice@goinnovate.com. |
| Best Practice Inno-Tools |
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In each issue of the GoInnovate! E-Zine we offer you a practical Inno-Tool© to assist you in being more creative and innovative.
By Catherine M. Mattice, MA, Communication Consultant
Organizations where innovation will flourish are organizations where openness is a key ingredient in the culture. Beyond a culture of innovation, is your organization's culture an open one? Ask yourself the following questions:
1. Does your organization acknowledge or give public awards for demonstrating empathy, openness to feedback or effective communication skills?
2. Do items such as, "Demonstrates excellent reflective listening skills and an ability to outwardly exhibit cognitive comprehension", and "Motivated to appropriately respond to internal and external communication from all levels" appear on your job descriptions?
3. Do company meetings start with an open forum, where free thinkers, innovators and commentators are allowed to openly share ideas, thoughts, questions, and concerns?
4. Does your employee satisfaction survey ask employees if they are satisfied with internal communication flow? If it does, do your managers actually act on any negative responses?
5. Do themes of openness, candidness, honesty and candor run through employee stories?
6. Are contributions to the innovative process, whether pioneering and inventive or not, encouraged by employees at all levels and not just by managers?
While your organization may be one that fosters an innovative culture, if your answer to these questions is no, your organization may not be allowing those innovative ideas to flourish. Consider finding ways to incorporate openness into your culture, by starting meetings with open forums, giving awards for good listening skills, and encouraging employees at all levels to be innovative without fear of judgment. |
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"We all operate in two contrasting modes, which might be called open and closed. The open mode is more relaxed, more receptive, more exploratory, more democratic, more playful and more humorous. The closed mode is the tighter, more rigid, more hierarchical, more tunnel-visioned. Most people, unfortunately spend most of their time in the closed mode."' - John Cleese
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| Keynote Presentations |
Andrew Papageorge presents relevant and inspiring presentations for all types of events, including: Executive Retreats, Corporate Gatherings and Celebrations, Association Conferences, Sales Meetings and Industry Conferences.
He regularly delivers keynote speeches on innovation, creativity and building a culture of innovation. He is among the best in the world at inspiring audiences to new levels of enthusiasm and commitment to innovation.
And, because many of his topics are "GoInnovate! Exclusives," we provide you with a powerful, extraordinarily unique experience!
What is your specific challenge or area of interest regarding innovation? We will work with you to design the perfect presentation for your group.
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