adminShelter Chieza Change Management
I often marvel at the rate at which companies endear themselves to innovation and how easy some claim to be the masters of innovation.
I am convinced that innovation involves changing and renewing processes that create value for the customer. We operate in a dynamic world, which requires each business no matter how big or small, to keep track of technological movements.
One interesting discovery that ranks highly in terms of innovation is one that was made by American and English molecular biologists James Watson and Francis Crick who discovered the structure of DNA.
It is reported that prior to this, many great chemists had been searching for it till two relatively unknown researchers found it.
The good thing about it is that there are many routes to innovation.
A lot of companies have ridden on the success of designs and concepts for their products that would have been crafted by other people in public competitions that these companies run.
They then use these ideas to build into a concept that is still respected today.
In Zimbabwe we have a telecommunications company that seems to have matched the basic requisites of innovation.
What seems to resonate in all innovative companies is the value they place on human capital.
It is the employees that are passionate to see objectives met. I see it as fruits of innovation if a company that started off as a third entrant onto the market pushes to become the market leader.
As an innovative thought leader, you might want to start building small teams for your initiatives.
If you are going to bring together a team, do not overstaff it.
You do not have to incorporate all employees from human resources, lawyers and accountants in your team.
Do not be misled into thinking that innovation needs a big team. Big teams effectively reduce flexibility and decision making capabilities.
They also have the potential to decrease learning time. Only the project leader must be full time, the rest have their flexibility to focus on other things.
Do not ever lose focus, the project is about adding value for the customer, so try as much as possible to be close to the customer or the supplier in question.
I remember watching a documentary on the working environment that Google provides its employees.
To work at Google, you need to be a highly creative individual.
As a data centric company, Google has created a work environment that helps its clients to live longer, healthier and more productive lives.
It is a very informal working environment with flexible working hours. Sometimes the British tie and jacket dress code may not work for others.
I find it strange for a safari company to insist on employees wearing a formal jacket and tie.
The working environment for Google has many cafés and restaurants that serve free lunch and breakfast.
What astounded me even more were their work areas, which even has playstations, scavenger hunter games.
You can even see dogs strolling in the corridors with their owners. Google lets many of its engineers design their workstations, which resemble oversized Tinker toys.
It is only at Google where you can find desks attached to treadmills so you can exercise while working.
The employees are even allowed to scribble the walls. While this may sound chaotic that is what has brought about Google’s success.
For innovation to be tapped, a workplace must have the happiest and most productive ethic.
I am also informed that penicillin was discovered by accident when Alexander Fleming left a petri dish open and came back to find that his bacteria had died.
He traced the phenomenon to a strange mould that we now know as the wonder drug, penicillin.
“There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.” —Edward de Bono
Till next week, may God richly bless you.
Shelter Chieza is an adviser in management issues. She can be contacted at [email protected]
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