Accelerate Innovation through Empathetic, Inclusive and Collaborative Leadership
Next planned delivery for Leading Innovation Q2 2023
Innovation is the currency of the future. It can help organisations stay agile, take risks and maintain competitive advantage. A culture of innovation is one where fresh perspectives are encouraged, where it is permitted to challenge the status quo and where new insights are celebrated and rewarded. Innovation processes are most effective when carried out by cross-functional teams. The culture of innovation extends to every function and level within an organisation and for it to be effective, individuals and teams must be motivated and incentivised to build the innovation capacity of an organisation.
Innovation can be messy and can require a degree of comfort with ambiguity. There are tools, processes and frameworks to guide us, but the most important element of any innovation is the people that drive it. Innovation comes about through the cross-fertilisation of disciplines, expertise and experience. This environment should be conducive to teams synthesizing diverse and sometimes competing ideas and articulating these in engaging and meaningful ways. In this programme, leaders will learn to create the environment for this to happen in a productive and positive manner.
Specifically, this programme is designed for mid-senior leaders and will enable them to:
This programme is designed for mid-senior leaders who have an ambition or remit to become innovation ambassadors within their organisation – including but not limited to those with at least 3 years of people management experience. It is particularly suited to those wishing to provide space for new ideas through empathetic, inclusive and collaborative leadership practices. The programme does not assume any prior knowledge or training in the subject areas.
Contact: Shay Butler, HCI Programme Manager - [email protected]
Emotional Intelligence for Leaders Part 1 – Me at my bestDevelop the self-awareness that allows you to bring your finest self to work.
Reflection Question: If you had everything you needed to handle ambiguity and perform at your best, what problems could you solve at work?Emotional Intelligence for Leaders Part 2 – My team and relationshipsBuild effective work practices that support your team, its members and their goals
Reflection Question: What’s the most important problem for you and your team to solve at work?Team DynamicsBecome a high-performing, creative and innovative team
Reflection Question: If your team had everything they needed to perform at their best, what could they achieve?Diversity and Unconscious BiasCreate the space for more innovation and creativity in your work environment
Reflection Questions: What will you do in your daily activities to help mitigate the negative impacts of bias? What can you do to help your organisation confront ‘stinky fish’ problems?Storytelling for Business SuccessTell stories of impact, stories that influence and inspire
Reflection Question: Following this programme, what is the most important story for you to tell in your organisation next?
The Greenhouse is a space where seeds are planted and new ideas grow. These are facilitator-led collaborative sessions (held in weeks 3, 6 and 8) where participants begin to apply their learning to a specific work-related challenge. Reflective questions, posed in each programme session, are designed to trigger the challenge you decide to address. The Greenhouse is a time and place to receive support, gather feedback and experiment in a non-judgemental environment.The first Greenhouse (Week 3) provides the opportunity to articulate your challenge, with some initial ideas on how to address it. This is a chance to share with peers, seek alternative perspectives and adjust your ideas accordingly.The second Greenhouse (Week 6) is where your refined approach shall be shared for further discussion and comment, this time with a direct focus on implementation. Following this, your idea can be brought forward to the ‘Storytelling for Business success’ session (Week 7). Here, you shall learn how to turn your idea into a compelling and impactful storyThe third and final Greenhouse (Week 8) is a programme-closing Showcase event, where you shall communicate your ideas through the use of storytelling, and include steps for implementation. Following this, you will return to your organisation with a clear plan to address the challenge and a compelling narrative to share with others.
This programme recognises that Innovation is not just about the tools and processes, it focuses on people and it starts with you. The programme includes three Greenhouse sessions - providing you with the support to develop your plan for making organisational culture change.
Next delivery for Creating a Culture for Strategic Innovation begins Q2 2023Five masterclass sessions from 10am to 1pm;Three greenhouse sessions from 11:30 to 1pm.
Jess Hayden, BA, MSc
Jess is an organisational psychologist who works with clients who are trying to break boundaries. Jess helps prepare leaders and teams to withstand challenging situations at work and find their optimum performance environment using tools and evidence from emotional intelligence, decision-making and innovation research.
Lucy McKenna, BA, MA
Lucy is a learning designer, facilitator and coach, with a focus on innovation and change. Lucy has extensive experience designing impactful programmes that take individuals and teams on a journey from reflection to action. Drawing on research and tools from coaching and design she facilitates leaders to push outside their comfort zone and tackle challenges in innovative and creative ways.
Steve Rawling, BA
With over 20 years of experience as a TV journalist, Steve knows how to make his message work on television and now helps clients like Google, Roche, the BBC, and IDEO to tell better stories about their work. Steve has worked with media companies, designers, innovators, charities, start-ups and CEOs across Europe.
