Fostering Innovation in a Team - Case Study Example

Name Instructor Course Date Fostering innovation in a team Benefits of fostering innovation work Team The team members Helps the team members to grow It creates a mind set of critical thinking and alertness to all aspect of life to note anything that can become an innovation. That is to have an innovative mind. Great innovations would earn the team members some rewards and even recognition It can act as a career path for the team members Innovation would ensure that the members are not stereotypes and that they have an open mind to accept any new ideas. Serious innovative minds can have the innovation skills as a career path. Problem solving skills are enhanced within the members. Organisation Innovation helps the organisation to grow It gives the organisation the chance to survive in the future amidst the rapidly growing world Innovation keeps the organisation up to date. That it ensure the organisation keep up to the fast growing standards. Innovation improves the products and services offered by the organisation. It gives the organisation the capability to strategically plan for its progress. Strategies and actions to promote and foster innovation Selection of team members The age of the members really matter a lot because the old World War 2 people are associated with un-modernism. Therefore members should be young because they are able to think very fast and act very fast (West 2012, p. 18). The selection should include both types of people that are the type A people who act instantly and the type B people who act normally this would facilitate fast development of ideas. The selection should have mixed gender in it because studies have shown that women are able to multi task well and men are more creative. The selection should be a free and just the normal jobs not specifically people who are innovative that is the job title should not be innovation because this would limit the chances of getting more ideas from others but instead should be left for all the team members. Selection should be done based on who focused an individual is; how committed one would be in the team (West 2012, p. 22). Organizing tasks Let everybody have the chance to be creative. Do not delegate the innovation to a specific individual. The members should be allocated some time that would just be for innovation and most scholars prefer 10% of normal working hours (West 2012, p. 20). Approaches to problem solving The first step is to explore the problem; this has got four categories in it with the first one being stating the problem and this involves identifying the real problem, state it, restate it and restate the problem more; second category includes clarifying the problem where one defines the key problem issues, articulates the assumptions and then obtains the necessary information; third category is explaining the problem and here the problem is discussed with second parties and looking the problem for different point of views; and the last category being putting the problem in its context where one tries to get the history of the problem, identify the problem’s environment and also identifying the constraints (West 2012, p. 19). The second step in problem solving approach is to establish practical goals; this will help clarify the direction to take in solving a problem and it also gives something definite to aim at (West 2012, p. 22). The third step is to generate ideas for possible solutions and here one uses idea generation techniques like brain storming, forced relationships and random stimulation. Many ideas are generated of all kinds so that from the varied ideas you will have a good selection to choose from, adapt, or promote other ideas (West 2012, p. 15). The fourth step is selection of ideas where one evaluates the possibilities and chooses a solution. The generated ideas are evaluated for possibilities so as to come up with the most effective, efficient, and have few draw backs. A selection of one or more are made for a trial and even with this one should be willing to incorporate new ideas that may come along (West 2012, p. 22). The fifth step in problem solving is implementation of the solutions and making adjustments. Here one tries out the solution and get working on it. Every solution would require some little modification on a practical basis (West 2012, p. 20). The sixth step is evaluation that would try to determine whether the solutions have worked. Team processes The team members should have role models or mentors who will be there constant lead. Organizing for the team members’ forums where they can meet and discuss programs or progress and come up with ideas on how to move forward (West 2012, p. 22). The team members should be encouraged to attend capacity building forums for this will able to open their view of things. Any little effort shown by show by the team members should be really appreciated so that it acts as a source of motivation (West 2012, p. 16). Award the top innovators for this is a way to stimulate and cheer innovation Implementation of the ideas given by the members; If members give ideas then they are not implemented or put into practise the loss the zeal of innovation. The ideas brought about by the members should be greatly scrutinised in order so that during its implementation it becomes more effective and if it has some shortcomings then it can be improved with the approval of the owner of the idea (West 2012, p. 22). Encourage diversity among the members so as to get a variety of ideas. This is because teams working on creative and innovation-related tasks are often characterized by high levels of diversity. Minimise task conflicts among the members of the team because this is a potential disassociation act. Encourage the team members to take risk and by so doing they are better placed to come up with great ideas (West 2012, p. 22). Action plan Strategy Time line Action Selection of team members 1 month Create an open forum of requirement Advertise for the chance Allow room for volunteers to come about Organizing Work tasks daily Delegate duties to each of the teams or individuals Assign employees various activities that you want done Approaches to problem solving 1 months Explore the problem Establish practical goals Generation of idea Selection of idea Implementation of solutions Evaluation Team process 1 month Ensure proper co-ordination of the employees Encourage diversity should done weekly be allocating an innovation day Award top innovators Have a mentorship day where all the employees meet their mentors Work Cited West Jan, How to conduct a survey: a premier on survey research. National business research institute. Retrieved from http://www.nbrii.com/employee-survey-white-papers/action-planning-communicating-to-employees/ on 24th November, 2012. Read More