passport to innovation - the effectiveness group · passport to innovation welcome to “passport...

Passport to Innovation

Dr. Cris Wildermuth The Effectiveness Group

[email protected] Tel. +1 419 236 0378

© The Effectiveness Group, 2014

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Passport to Innovation

Welcome to “Passport to Innovation”! The main purpose of the program is to help you identify your own unique innovation tools and development resources. This booklet contains the information you will need to prepare for the program as well as support for the exercises and discussions we'll have during the training day.

Table of Contents

Prework Checklist ................................................................... 3

What is personality? ................................................................ 4

The Big Five Model .................................................................. 5

Creativity Quiz: True or False? .................................................... 7

Definitions: Creativity vs. Innovation ............................................ 8

The Swamp ........................................................................... 9

Nokia and Adaptive Challenges ................................................... 10

The Energy Game ................................................................... 11

The Human Resources Optimization Model ...................................... 12

The Impact of Personality on Creativity (in general) .......................... 13

HRO Applications .................................................................... 14

The Many Sides of Creativity ...................................................... 17

The System ........................................................................... 18

Innovative Climate Survey ......................................................... 19

Now what? ............................................................................ 21

References ........................................................................... 22


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Prework Checklist

Before you come to the training, please complete the following steps (all materials/lessons are contained in this e-course).

• Complete the Workplace Big Five 4.0 Profile. It should take you about 20-30 minutes to complete this assessment (you will receive the link separately).

• Read the lessons "What is Personality" and "The Big Five Model" that follow.

• Watch the video "Interpreting your Report” available here:

• Review your Big Five results (you will receive the report by email).

• Make sure to bring your printed profile on the day of the training.

Note: If you fail to receive any of the needed materials please contact Cris Wildermuth at [email protected].


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What is Personality?

The word personality comes from the Latin word persona - a type of mask worn by actors in Ancient Rome. These masks were meant to represent the actor's mood: Happy, sad, angry, etc. Pierce and Jane Howard (2010) explain that personality means a pattern of behaviors. Others define personality as a combination of non-physical and non-intellectual characteristics that differentiate a person from another (Millon and Lerner, 2003). Let us understand these two definitions better:

• A pattern of behaviors means that our personality is categorized according to the behaviors most often exhibited. It also means that some of these behaviors are correlated: For instance, a sociable person is also likely to smile a lot, talk more, demonstrate high energy behaviors, etc.

• Non-physical characteristics means that you cannot guess someone's personality by observing physical traits such as height, weight, etc. There could be, however, relationships between someone's personality and the way this person chooses to present him or herself to others (dress, general appearance, health concerns, etc.).

• Non-intellectual characteristics means that there isn't a strong correlation between personality and cognitive intelligence.


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The Big Five Model

The Big Five is a personality model commonly adopted by personality researchers and consultants. This model organizes personality traits around the following five factors:

• Need for Stability (N) has to do with tolerance for stress, optimism, and the ability to recover when upset or frustrated. Those who are low in Need for Stability may crave less stability in their lives. As a result, they tend to be more resilient – when trouble hits them, they are more likely to bounce back. Further, they seem to succumb less often to anger or extreme worry. On the other hand, those who are high in Need for Stability may be better at detecting problems before they occur – their “nervous edge” could lead them to “sound the alarm” when something does not quite seem right. High Need for Stability people also tend to have a stronger “sense of urgency” – they move faster when they perceive a problem.

• Extraversion (E) is connected to sociability, gregariousness, and a general interest in being with others. Extraverts tend to feel comfortable amidst bustle, noise, and considerable levels of sensory stimulation. Introverts, on the other hand, tend to prefer quieter and less populated areas. Extraverts deal well with situations characterized by high energy, where people interactions matter. Introverts, on the other hand, may be better listeners and work well independently.

• Originality (O) governs our imagination, our “tolerance to newness and change,” and our interest in the “untried and untested.” High originality individuals tend to enjoy “breaking” what isn’t broken, and rebuilding what does not need to be rebuilt. They also tend to have a variety of interests and may resist excessive specialization. Low originality individuals, on the other hand, may be more efficient by nature – they may enjoy finishing rather than starting, making things work rather than reworking things.

• Accommodation (A) is a general measure of one’s tolerance to the views and positions of others. People high in Accommodation tend to have higher service orientation and are generally more concerned with others’ needs. People low in Accommodation, on the other hand, may find it easier to challenge the status quo when needed.

• Consolidation (C) relates to one’s levels of methodicalness, perfectionism, and concentration. Those high in Consolidation are good at reaching pre-established goals. Those lower in Consolidation, on the other hand, are better multitaskers and are typically seen as more flexible.

Personality is a relative concept. What matters most is not how you are

but how you are in relation to others.


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As you may have noticed in the above definitions, the five main personality traits are defined along a continuum. For instance: Rather than saying Joe is an extravert it may be more appropriate to say that Joe is more extraverted than 60% of the population. Sally could be even more extraverted than Joe… and from Sally’s perspective, Joe is introverted!

Interestingly, each position along a personality trait continuum brings its own advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses. For instance, perfectionistic and organized individuals (i.e., those high in Consolidation) are often seen as desirable employees. They are focused and determined, methodically follow their objectives, and are thus more likely to reach whatever they established as their primal goal. These same employees, however, may have difficulties “switching gears” or ignoring a previous path that no longer works. For that reason, low Consolidation individuals are often seen as more “creative.”

Beauty in Every Nature Most experts agree that personality traits are neither good nor bad. Instead, each trait brings seeds of greatness and failure, insight and blind spots. Further, it is not appropriate to say, for instance, that Jane has a lot of personality or Susie has no personality. Everyone has a personality tendency – and that tendency provides that person with unique gifts!


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Creativity Quiz: True or False?

In the excellent book Explaining Creativity: The Science of Human Innovation Professor Keith Sawyer1 addresses the following common creativity beliefs. Which of these are true and why? Even for those that are not “completely true” are there grains of truth you should consider? If so, what are they?

1. Creativity is separate from execution – one has a “flash of insight” or a “brilliant idea” which may then be executed by someone else.

2. Creative ideas are mysterious and emerge from the unconscious or the intuition.

3. In order to be creative you must break the conventions and rules of your field.

4. Creative people are “right brained.”

5. Creativity is a personality trait.

1 Sawyer, K. (2012). Explaining creativity: The science of human innovation (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.


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Definitions: Creativity vs. Innovation2

What is “creativity”?

• Typically an individual process (i.e., a “creative person”)

• As evaluated by others (involves not only creation but also communication and persuasion) or by self (related to personal learning and development).

What about innovation?

• Creativity + social processes that allow the creation to be implemented / put in place.

• By definition, a team related concept.

We can talk about creativity from an individual standpoint – innovation always requires a discussion of the system! We will address both individual creativity and systemic innovation in today’s discussions.

2 de Sousa, F., Pellissier, R., & Monteiro, I. (2012). Creativity, innovation, and collaborative organizations. International Journal Of Organizational Innovation, 5(1), 26-64.


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The Swamp

What is the relationship between “The Swamp” and Innovative Leadership?


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Application Discussion: Nokia & Adaptive Challenges

• Can you come up with an example of adaptive challenges facing Nokia right now?

• Have you tried to “fix” these challenges applying technical solutions? What examples do you have?


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The Energy Game

You have 10 minutes to categorize the tasks or skills below in this as:

… E - Energizing – these tasks give you energy and enthusiasm

… N - Neutral – these tasks are “ok”

… D - Draining – you can complete these tasks but they make you tired

You must come to a consensus.

⎯ Learning something just “for learning sake” (whether or not it’s practical).

⎯ Connecting disparate ideas to reach new insights.

⎯ Gathering ideas from others.

⎯ Asking lots of questions to get to the root of a problem.

⎯ Taking the time to observe how things work in a given area.

⎯ Resisting the urge to take action.

⎯ Acting quickly when something needs to be solved urgently / immediately.

⎯ Listening to others.

⎯ Expressing my ideas to large groups of people.

⎯ Taking care of details.

⎯ Carefully and meticulously planning the project steps.

⎯ Building strong relationships with others.

⎯ Taking action even if details are yet unresolved.

⎯ Expressing my ideas even when it’s risky.

⎯ Participating in creativity exercises.

⎯ Experimenting / trying new processes (even when the new processes are inefficient at first).


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The Human Resources Optimization Model3

Personality is a “tendency, not an obligation.” Understanding our tendencies, however, helps us better plan the development and expression of work related competencies. For instance, if we know that working in teams is rather draining for us, we may choose to schedule morning meetings (when we are more rested and energized).

Pierce and Jane Howard developed the “Human Resources Optimization Model” (or HRO) to help individuals connect the dots between personality tendencies and the performance of workplace competencies such as creativity.

3 The HRO model was developed by Pierce and Jane Howard, authors of the Workplace Big Five Profile 4.0.


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The Impact of Personality on Creativity (in general)

Estimate the traits that best support the expression of creativity at work. Consider the following components of Creativity:4

• Is resourceful and inventive

• Can dream up new strategies

• Curious, inquisitive

NEED FOR STABILITY

LOW MEDIUM HIGH

EXTRAVERSION

LOW MEDIUM HIGH

ORIGINALITY

LOW MEDIUM HIGH

ACCOMMODATION

LOW MEDIUM HIGH

CONSOLIDATION

LOW MEDIUM HIGH

4 Adapted from Howard & Howard, Professional Manual for the Workplace Big Five Profile 4.0.


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HRO Applications

Practice applying the HRO model to your own expression of Creativity.

# 1: Examine your own Big Five results. Which traits are most different from the traits typically associated with Creativity at work?

# 2: Given your personality traits, how much energy are you likely to have for creativity? Estimate a score between 1 (very low / draining) and 10 (very high / energizing).

# 3: Estimate your level of performance in the competency (also on a scale of 1-10). Remember to take into consideration the definition we are using:

• Is resourceful and inventive

• Can dream up new strategies

• Curious, inquisitive

Tip: Ask others who know you at work.


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# 4: Complete your HRO Chart

10

PERF

ORM

AN

CE

CAUTION CAPITALIZE

9 8

7 6

5 COMPENSATE DEVELOP

4 3

2 1

ENERGY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


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The intersection between your energy and your performance will place you on one of four quadrants. Use the information below to create a suitable action plan:

COMPENSATE (low energy, low performance): If you find a particular competency draining, have been trying to display it for a while and have not been successful, it is best to identify compensatory measures. For instance, you may work with a colleague who is very good at that competency. You may select particular tools or “crutches” that will make the competency easier for you.

CAUTION (low energy, medium-high to high performance): Most of us do things at work that we find draining – but are able to do them anyway. If, however, we spend too much time doing something that drains us, the result may be burnout. In order to avoid burnout, you may choose some of the compensatory measures identified in quadrant one. Alternatively, plan your day carefully – it may be easier to display a draining competency when you are less tired.

DEVELOP (high energy, low performance): Maybe you were “born to” display a particular competency but haven’t yet reached your potential. If that is your case, try to develop that competency by taking courses, reading books and articles, shadowing (or being mentored by) top performers, seeking coaching, etc.

CAPITALIZE (high energy, high performance): Finally, you may find that the competency is question is a perfect fit for you! Your personality traits provide good support for the competency and you have been very successful demonstrating it over the years. A common problem: People are often “promoted away from” a key competency. Ideally, your job / role should include the expression of that competency – or, alternatively, you should find ways to coach/mentor others as they seek to demonstrate it!

Enter your insights in your passport!


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The Many Sides of Creativity

For each of the "Creativity Behaviors," below, enter ranges (i.e., low, medium, and high) for Need for Stability, Extraversion, Originality, Accommodation, and Consolidation.

N E O A C

Associating

Questioning (and listening)

Observing

Networking

Experimenting


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The System

As we discussed earlier in the program, creativity may be seen as an individual competency. Innovation, however, is the result of a team effort. Multiple elements

impact the expression of innovation.


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Team Innovative Climate Survey

Even the most creative people are unlikely to innovate if the organizational climate is not conducive to innovation. Experts suggesti that innovative climates include various characteristics such as trust, open exchange of ideas, and freedom to innovate. Take a look at some of these characteristics, below. How would you rate the Nokia climate? Does it promote innovation? Use the scale 1 – 10 (where 1 = we still have a long way to go and 10 = we are great at this). Then, discuss your thoughts with your group and propose solutions to bring your results up one notch.

I. There is considerable trust among team members. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

II. Our team members openly exchange ideas. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 III. We have sufficient time to think creatively. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 IV. I have considerable freedom on how to perform my duties. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 V. Most team members support innovative ideas. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 VI. The line manager supports innovative ideas. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 VII. The organization’s top leaders support innovative ideas. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 VIII. I am rewarded for my innovative ideas. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


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How does Nokia support / promote innovation?

What, if anything, hinders innovation at Nokia?


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Now what?

Think about what you can do to apply what you learned today.

ONE THING you’ll SHARE with others.

ONE THING you’ll DO when you get back to the office.


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References

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997). Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York, NY: Harper Perennial.

de Sousa, F., Pellissier, R., & Monteiro, I. (2012). Creativity, innovation, and collaborative organizations. International Journal Of Organizational Innovation, 5(1), 26-64.

Howard, P, & Howard, J. (2010). The Owner's Manual for Personality at Work. Charlotte, NC: CentACS.

Howard, P., & Howard, J. (2012). The WorkPlace Big Five Profile 4.0. Charlotte, NC: CentACS.

Millon, T., & Lerner, M. (Eds). (2003). Personality and Social Psychology. Handbook of Psychology. John Wiley.

Sawyer, K. (2012). Explaining creativity: The science of human innovation (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

i The items for the climate survey were adapted from various models/assessments included in Sawyer, 2012.

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