Thoughts and Notes on 'Managing Change, Creativity and Innovation' by Patrick Dawson and Constantine Andriopoulos
Ch. 1
“Creativity is the process through which new and useful ideas are generated.” Ch. 2 Social systems may be more important than technology when it comes to productivity. Ch. 3 “There is always something unique and uncharitable about change.” (p. 46) |
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Implementation problems:
Factors that promote change:
Irrelevancy is a greater problem than inefficiency. (p. 56)
Myths:
Creative process:
Intrinsic motivation is enough to begin the creative process. (Amabile, 1988)
“Creativity… is a starting point for innovation.” (Amabile et al., 1996)
Innovations:
Ch. 4
“Planned unpredictability is the oxymoron of managing change.” (p. 91)
PEST, external factors of change, may also be PESTLE –
Internal drivers – PACT:
Organizations typically fall on a continuum between changing in reaction to the environment (determinism) and making an active choice to change (volunteerism).
Stages of change –
“Formal changes of communication cannot control the informal flow of information.” (p. 97)
Core competencies for communication:
Effective communication will:
Managing change = managing the reaction to change (p. 107)
Causes of change resistance –
According to Carnall (2007), people need to move through:
Categories of resistance:
Ch. 5
“The mark of an educated person is the capacity to hold two contradictory ideas simultaneously without rejecting either.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1945.
“Methods and tools for helping us to forecast and reduce the anxiety associated with operating in highly volatile markets and uncertain futures are in demand.” (p. 142)
Ch. 6
AI = Appreciative Inquiry
4D AI Model –
AI uses positive storytelling.
Ch. 7
Narrative methods according to Buchanan and Dawson (2007)
People are looking for advice – practical everyday advice – to manage change.
Ch. 8
Individual creativity can be influenced by –
“Creative individuals are highly tolerant of uncertainty.”
Creative individuals “can hold back from accepting the first solution.”
Cognitive –
Personality –
“Creativity usually happens through a trial and error process.”
Knowledge – formal, in books, and informal, subconscious and may be difficult to express
Amabile says that controlling extrinsic motivation, like deadlines, is detrimental to creativity.
Ch. 9
People join teams for –
Tuckman and Jensen (1997) Team stages –
Reasons teams fail –
Optimal number of people for brainstorming may be two; five people produce more ideas than seven or nine by a factor of about 5.
Teams for innovation should be short-term, about two years.
Amabile and Glazebrook (1982) individuals tend to perceive critics as more intelligent than praise givers.
Successful brainstorming rules –
Osborn (1963) says that the best ideas are generated toward the end of the session.
Effective sessions should include –
Face-to-face brainstorming may be intimidating, you may try these tactics –
Electronic brainstorming – anonymous ideas submitted via computer
Brainwriting – write ideas silently
Brainwalking – sheets of paper are posted on the wall; people walk from paper to paper
Nominal Group Technique (Delbecq & Van de Ven, 1968)
Trust dialogue not discussion
Conflict can be good. [Walt Disney and management of animators] Better and more creative ideas.
Team needs to be cohesive, so that members will give each other ideas.
Ch. 10
“Creative people are not easily persuaded and tend to act autonomously during much of their work lives.” (Mumford, 2002)
Ch. 12
The culture = the way things are done around here. (Deal and Kennedy, 1982)
Culture is a shared phenomenon; it exists at the visible level and at the less visible level. It is surface and deeper.
Culture is learned. (p.354)
Ch. 13
Ambidextrous – exploitive and exploratory; incremental and radical
- How to avoid resistance
- How to motivate people to change
- Control and minimization of disruptive aspects of change
- How to shape political dynamics so that power centers develop to support it (p. 47)
Factors that promote change:
- Government laws and regulations
- Societal expectations
- Globalization
- Major events – political or social
- New technology
- Mergers, acquisitions, privatization, growth
- Changes in the business cycle (p. 48)
Irrelevancy is a greater problem than inefficiency. (p. 56)
Myths:
- More intelligent = more creative (false according to Amabile)
- Creativity exists outside of time and circumstance
- “Creative people are high rollers.”
- Creativity is effortless.
- Creativity only comes from eccentrics
- “Creativity only exists in the arts.” Amabile says that all human activities are creative.
- “Coming up with new ideas is the most difficult part of creativity.” Recognizing value and implementing an idea are more difficult.
- “Creative output is always good.” Creativity can be used for good or for evil. (p. 57)
Creative process:
- Preparation
- Incubation
- Illumination
- Verification (Wallas, 1926)
- Problem finding
- Problem solving
- Solution Implementation (Basadur, 1982)
- Problem/task presentation
- Preparation
- Response generation
- Response validation
- Outcome (Amabile, 1983)
Intrinsic motivation is enough to begin the creative process. (Amabile, 1988)
“Creativity… is a starting point for innovation.” (Amabile et al., 1996)
Innovations:
- Incremental
- Modular
- Radical
- Product
- Service
- Process
- Management
- Market/position
- Paradigm
- Social – improves welfare of people
- Open – ideas go from outside to inside and can come from anywhere
- Closed – ideas only come from within the organization
- Sustaining innovations – are the regular development
- Discontinuous innovations – are disruptive
Ch. 4
“Planned unpredictability is the oxymoron of managing change.” (p. 91)
PEST, external factors of change, may also be PESTLE –
- Political
- Economic
- Sociocultural
- Technological
- Legal
- Environment – this would include things like world poverty and ethical conerns
Internal drivers – PACT:
- People
- Administrative
- Core business
- Technology
Organizations typically fall on a continuum between changing in reaction to the environment (determinism) and making an active choice to change (volunteerism).
Stages of change –
- Developmental
- Transitional
- Transformational
- Reactive small scale
- Proactive developmental
- Reactive radical
- Proactive radical
“Formal changes of communication cannot control the informal flow of information.” (p. 97)
Core competencies for communication:
- Manage attention
- Manage trust
- Manage meaning
Effective communication will:
- Customize the message for the intended audience
- Set the tone without condescending or patronizing
- Allow for feedback
- The one sending the message will walk the talk
- “Use the appropriate medium.” (p. 98)
Managing change = managing the reaction to change (p. 107)
Causes of change resistance –
- Failure to understand the problem
- Preferred alternative solution
- Feel that current solution won’t work
- Unacceptable personal costs
- Insufficient rewards for change
- Fear of inability to cope with new situation
- Change destroys existing social structures
- Eroding influence and control
- “New values and practices are repellant.”
- Low willingness to change
- Motives for change are suspicious
- “Other interests more highly valued”
- Change limits power and career opportunities
According to Carnall (2007), people need to move through:
- Denial
- Defense
- Discarding old ways
- Adaptation
- Internalization
Categories of resistance:
- Political
- Ideological
- Blind
Ch. 5
“The mark of an educated person is the capacity to hold two contradictory ideas simultaneously without rejecting either.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1945.
“Methods and tools for helping us to forecast and reduce the anxiety associated with operating in highly volatile markets and uncertain futures are in demand.” (p. 142)
Ch. 6
AI = Appreciative Inquiry
4D AI Model –
- Discovery
- Dream
- Design
- Delivery/Destiny
AI uses positive storytelling.
Ch. 7
Narrative methods according to Buchanan and Dawson (2007)
- Normative
- Interpretive
- Critical
- Dialogic
People are looking for advice – practical everyday advice – to manage change.
Ch. 8
Individual creativity can be influenced by –
- Cognitive style and ability
- Personality traits
- Relevant knowledge
- “Motivation required to innovate”
“Creative individuals are highly tolerant of uncertainty.”
Creative individuals “can hold back from accepting the first solution.”
Cognitive –
- Mental flexibility
- Remote associations
- Suspension of judgment
- Originality of thinking
Personality –
- Risk taking – not more risk, just more calculated risks
- Self-confidence
- Tolerance of ambiguity
- Need for achievement
- Proactivity
- Autonomy
- Noncomformity
“Creativity usually happens through a trial and error process.”
Knowledge – formal, in books, and informal, subconscious and may be difficult to express
Amabile says that controlling extrinsic motivation, like deadlines, is detrimental to creativity.
Ch. 9
People join teams for –
- Security
- Self-esteem
- Power
- Goal achievement
Tuckman and Jensen (1997) Team stages –
- Forming
- Storming
- Norming
- Performing
- Adjourning
Reasons teams fail –
- According to Lencioni (2002), no trust, “fear of conflict,” choose artificial harmony over constructive debate, lack of commitment, avoidance of responsibility
- Hidden agendas
- Lack of understanding
- Lack of leadership
- Wrong mix
- Unhealthy team environment
- Treating a team like a group (a group is a collection of people)
- Social loafing – people may slack off in a team
- Blind conformity
- Group think
Optimal number of people for brainstorming may be two; five people produce more ideas than seven or nine by a factor of about 5.
Teams for innovation should be short-term, about two years.
Amabile and Glazebrook (1982) individuals tend to perceive critics as more intelligent than praise givers.
Successful brainstorming rules –
- Suspend judgment – no criticism
- Wild ideas! Bring them!
- Mo’ ideas, mo’ better
- 30 to 45 minute sessions
Osborn (1963) says that the best ideas are generated toward the end of the session.
Effective sessions should include –
- Homework
- Defined problem
- Skilled moderator
- Suspended judgment
- Numbering of the ideas
- Cross pollinated ideas
- A setting for idea generation
Face-to-face brainstorming may be intimidating, you may try these tactics –
Electronic brainstorming – anonymous ideas submitted via computer
Brainwriting – write ideas silently
- Put idea on paper
- Place paper in center of table
- Draw another paper
- Add an idea to that paper
Brainwalking – sheets of paper are posted on the wall; people walk from paper to paper
Nominal Group Technique (Delbecq & Van de Ven, 1968)
- Participants in the team never interact
- Everyone writes down ideas related to the problem
- The ideas are shared in a round robin fashion and written on a board. Ideas can be clarified, are evaluated and then ranked.
Trust dialogue not discussion
Conflict can be good. [Walt Disney and management of animators] Better and more creative ideas.
Team needs to be cohesive, so that members will give each other ideas.
Ch. 10
“Creative people are not easily persuaded and tend to act autonomously during much of their work lives.” (Mumford, 2002)
Ch. 12
The culture = the way things are done around here. (Deal and Kennedy, 1982)
Culture is a shared phenomenon; it exists at the visible level and at the less visible level. It is surface and deeper.
Culture is learned. (p.354)
Ch. 13
Ambidextrous – exploitive and exploratory; incremental and radical