Everyday innovation report - Nesta

Resources
Employees
Leadership and
management
Organisational
structure & work
design
Diagnostic review
• Are employee skills, characteristics
and behaviours for innovative
working identifiable?
• Are employee skills congruent with
innovation goals?
• Do employees have innovation as a
key performance goal?
• Do the selection and development
policies support the skills and
behaviours for innovative working?
• What is the reputation of the
organisation (regarding innovation)?
• Are the attitudes and actions of
leaders and managers congruent with
the pursuit of innovation?
• Are the skills required for leading
and managing innovative working
identified?
• What are the selection criteria for
senior staff?
• Are managers trained in supporting
innovative employees?
• What is the percentage of leaders’
time spent on innovation rather than
day-to-day operations?
• Does the organisational structure
promote innovation?
• Are employees able to work across
cross different functions?
• Is there a mismatch between
workload distribution and availability
of resources?
• How much freedom do employees
have in structuring their tasks and
roles?
• Is the physical work environment
conducive to innovation?
Possible barriers to be encountered
• Selection and development activities
may not be appropriately focused on
the characteristics and behaviours
required for innovative working
• The organisation may have not
invested sufficient resources in
employees/teams/functions to
promote innovative working
• The organisation may not have a
reputation for being innovative
• ‘Silo mentality’ where there is an
unwillingness to share information
• Managers and leaders may be
unwilling to take necessary risks and
allow room for failure
• Managers and leaders may fail to
encourage diversity at all levels of the
organisation
• Managers and leaders may be too
focused on short-term results at the
expense of long-term goals
• Managers and leaders may fail to
address de-motivated employees
• Managers may not have the
necessary skills to support innovative
people and innovative working
• Leaders may have not enough time
dedicated to innovative working
• The organisational structure may be
too hierarchical
• Leaders and managers may not be
accessible to employees
• Employees may be trained to handle
only narrow tasks, resulting in
decreased opportunities to share
knowledge
• Excessive workload may negatively
impact on an individual’s ability to
innovate
• The job description and job role may
be too prescriptive and not include
innovation
• A work environment characterised by
lack of adequate space and absence
of basic amenities may reduce
opportunities for networking and
reduce innovation potential
Actions
• Revise the selection process to
emphasise importance of behaviours
and skills for innovative working
• Address skills deficiencies through
training of existing staff and/or
recruitment of qualified new staff
• Review HR policy to include
employees whose job is to enhance
innovation
• Create a dedicated person/team/
function for innovation
• Improve the perception of the
organisation as one that values
innovative working. Consider the
use of employee surveys and follow
up with actions to address employer
branding
• Enable managers to facilitate
employees attitudes towards valuing
innovation
• Reinforce importance of feedback
through employee surveys and
regular employee consultations
• Consider revising selection criteria
for managers and staff to include
characteristics and skills that are
important for supporting innovative
people in organisations (e.g.
openness to ideas, communication
skills, original problem solving)
• Revise manager development to
include specific training for managing
innovative employees. Help managers
encourage innovative individuals to
focus on the practical application of
their ideas
• Review the percentage of leaders’
time dedicated to innovation
• Promote a flat organisational
structure, allowing frequent
interaction between managers/
leaders and staff
• Create multi-skilled employees
through systematic job rotations
• Regularly review employees’
workload. Ensure that employees
have enough time to innovate
• Allow employees autonomy in
conducting their job role
• Improve the work environment
by maximising opportunities for
interaction and networking. Consider
the use of purpose built innovation
labs
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