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We are all the leaders in innovation.
Introduction to Innovation
Introduction to Innovation
"How can we find more innovative people?" (Satell, 2018)
"How can we find more innovative people?" (Satell, 2018)
This is the question that Satell was asked by numerous senior managers throughout his career. In his article, “4 Ways to Build an Innovative Team”, he states the four ways to make an innovative team are to hire for mission, promote psychological safety, foster diversity, and value teamwork (Satell, 2018). Most managers would want to start with a new team but Satell (2018) states, “start by empowering the people already in your organization”.
Promote Psychological Safety. This will allow people to speak their minds. (Satell, 2018)
Promote Psychological Safety. This will allow people to speak their minds. (Satell, 2018)
Satell (2018) references two studies, one by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson and MIT and Carnegie Mellon. Edmonson chronicled the significance of psychological safety “promotes a better atmosphere but also increases the capacity for learning and reduces the tendency to go down blind alleys” (Satell, 2018). MIT and Carnegie Mellon established “that teams in which people speak in roughly equal amounts far outperform those in which one or two people dominate the conversation (Satell, 2018).
Dick Shoup and Alvy Ray Smith, formerly employed at PARC, invented groundbreaking “graphics technology called SuperPaint (Satell, 2018). PARC had no need for this technology and ostracized them. They later teamed up with George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, and create a new paradigm for special effects (Satell, 2018). The Star Wars franchise was later sold to Pixar for $7.4 billion (Satell, 2018).
Hire For Mission. - "If people care about the problems you're solving, they'll come up with better solutions." (Satell, 2018)
Hire For Mission. - "If people care about the problems you're solving, they'll come up with better solutions." (Satell, 2018)
In Satell’s organization he shares an experience of a department manager who worked well for the business but could not take her team to the next level. She eventually left the company and started her own business in interior design (Satell, 2018). Her business was very successful and was highly sought out by customers (Satell, 2018). Had the former department manager possessed the same energy with her former employer she would have been able to take her team to the “next level” (Satell, 2018).
Foster Diversity. Research has consistently shown that the most creative teams are diverse. (Satell, 2018)
Foster Diversity. Research has consistently shown that the most creative teams are diverse. (Satell, 2018)
Managers usually hire people like themselves, creating a safe and homogenous environment. They should instead be “creating an environment where people expect to have their perspectives challenged by someone who looks, talks, and thinks differently (Satell, 2018). With a diverse team “great innovative teams learn to constructively work through these tensions” (Satell, 2018).
Value Team Work. - "While the stereotype of a great innovator may be a lone inventor, the reality is that none of us can come up with great solutions - and implement them - alone." (Satell, 2018)
Value Team Work. - "While the stereotype of a great innovator may be a lone inventor, the reality is that none of us can come up with great solutions - and implement them - alone." (Satell, 2018)
Satell (2018), discovered when he was interviewing people for his book “that these superior innovators were friendly, gracious, and showed a genuine interest and desire to help” him. Satell (2018) later discovered “when it comes to innovation, generosity can be a competitive advantage” and that “you don’t need the best people — you need the best teams”. The people in these teams should be able to “collaborate, listen, and build strong networks” (Satell, 2018). Satell also points out that these innovators are “already have these people in your organization (Satell, 2018).
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