Culture - UNIT webinars

The UN Innovation Toolkit

The Culture Module

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Team information

Berin McKenzie

Paula de Blas

Johanna Jochim

Learning Portfolio ManagerUNSSC

Associate FellowUNSSC

ManagerUN Innovation Network

Poll #1 Did you join any of our UN Innovation Toolkit webinars so far?

Motivator

Yes

Motivator

Motivator

No

1.

UN Innovation Toolkit

Recap

Online Diagnostic Tool: 27 Questions​

• Evaluates team/unit/organization readiness to innovate​, giving an Innovation Profile and Detailed Results.
• Identifies current capabilities as well as needs and challenges, with five recommended tools.

1.

The Culture Module

Introduction and Overview

ULTURE

Organizations that hope to truly embed innovation into their DNA must create a culture that provides employees with the skills, opportunities, and incentives to innovate.

CULTURE FOR INNOVATION

Because innovation inherently involves risk-taking, employees must understand the circumstances under which they are able to take risks and how to capture learning throughout the process – even when the results are considered “failures.”

They must also be able to effectively engage governing bodies and communicate their innovation activities in a manner that resonates with potentially risk-averse groups both within and outside their organization.

Why do we need the Culture Module?

To establish a culture of learning based on both innovation successes and failures

To provide guidance on identifying what constitutes “acceptable” risk limits

To create incentives for taking strategic risks through innovation

To understand how to engage governing bodies effectively around innovation

3.

The Tools

4 UN-derived tools

Embrace Failures

This tool helps users at all levels of an organization foster a culture where innovation failures are celebrated, discussed openly, and used to drive learning that accelerates innovation efforts.

OBJECTIVES

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY

STEPS YOU WILL TAKE

Create Incentives and Opportunities

Incentives and opportunities can play a key role in shifting innovative behaviors from being outliers to central fixtures of an organization’s culture. This tool helps users brainstorm behaviors that support their innovation goals and choose incentives and opportunities to encourage those behaviors.

OBJECTIVES

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY

STEPS YOU WILL TAKE

Define Strategic Risks

This tool helps users define the best ways to take risks in their organization given its unique culture and risk tolerance. Understanding the risks an organization tolerates may help identify pathways to engage with risk, and potentially increase risk tolerance within the organization over time.

OBJECTIVES

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

CASE STUDY

STEPS YOU WILL TAKE

Engage Governing Bodies

This tool helps users explore new ways to engage with their governing bodies on the topic of innovation and take tactical steps to plan their next engagement with a governing body. Governing bodies are a critical stakeholder for innovation, as they can provide the strategic guidance, resources, and approvals necessary to move an innovation effort forward.

OBJECTIVES

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY

STEPS YOU WILL TAKE

Most popular tools in the Culture Module

Engage Governing Bodies

Embrace Failures

Poll #2 Which tool would you like to delve into today?

Motivator

Embrace Failures

Motivator

Engage Governing Bodies

Embrace Failures

This tool helps users at all levels of an organization foster a culture where innovation failures are celebrated, discussed openly, and used to drive learning that accelerates innovation efforts.

OBJECTIVES

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY

STEPS YOU WILL TAKE

Embrace Failures

Step 1: Consider specific types of failure in innovation for learning purposes​

Consider how each of the following common types of failure can be used to inform your innovation efforts:

• Simple Errors​
• “Ah-ha” Moments​
• Right steps => Wrong outcome​
• Problem addressed => Wrong problem​
• Calculated Risks​
• Bold Failures​
• Usually expected and considered a positive​

​

Errors Matric

Embrace Failures

Step 2: Establish a framework and timing to document lessons learned.

Innovation Checkpoint Worksheet​

• Work to document lessons learned throughout innovation life cycle: ideation to scale​
• Checkpoint frequency​
• Scope/Timeline/Complexity​
• Distinguish between cause and effect​

Worksheet

Embrace Failures

Step 2.1: The final project review

Innovation Review Report worksheet​

• Include the lessons learned documented in all completed checkpoints, a quick assessment on the success or failure of the innovation activity, and high-level takeaways to inform future innovation activities.

• If you select “failure,” you will be asked to identify the type of failure that best aligns with your experience
• Use the Key Takeaways section to document the rationale behind your selections and list any lessons learned.

Worksheet

Embrace Failures

Step 3: Identify methods for sharing lessons learned

To cultivate a culture that values and normalizes learning from past innovation efforts, it is important for your team or organization to identify how it will communicate and discuss lessons learned.You can find additional guidance on how to communicate about innovation using the 🔧🔧 Innovation Storytelling tool in the Evaluation Module.

TACTICS

Engage Governing Bodies

This tool helps users explore new ways to engage with their governing bodies on the topic of innovation and take tactical steps to plan their next engagement with a governing body. Governing bodies are a critical stakeholder for innovation, as they can provide the strategic guidance, resources, and approvals necessary to move an innovation effort forward.

OBJECTIVES

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY

STEPS YOU WILL TAKE

Engage Governing Bodies

Step 1. Define why you want to engage the governing body.

Planning Worksheet To ensure you cover both the purpose of your innovation and progress achieved to date Consider constructing your presentation around the four phases of the Innovation Life Cycle.

• Ideation - Incubation - Pilot - Scale .

Objectives to be reflected in the presentation:

• Share information. Provide the governing body with information.
• Make a decision. Make a recommendation or request a decision on your innovation initiative.
• Allocate resources. Gain material support from the governing body to begin your innovation effort.

Worksheet

Engage Governing Bodies

Step 2. Craft your message

Planning Worksheet Consider the following questions to determine the scope of ideas you plan to seek:

1. What is the governing body’s priority?
2. What have past engagements with the governing body included?
3. What would success look like for this engagement with the governing body?

Compose your core message into 15 words or less, and provide more information with the following tips in mind:

• Focus on impact.
• Draw upon emotion.
• Differentiate.

Worksheet

Engage Governing Bodies

Step 3: Determine how you plan to engage the governing body

Planning Worksheet

• Decide how to best share your presentation with the governing body

• Relevancy.

• Formality.
• Frequency.
• Convenience.
• Urgency.

Channels

Worksheet

Questions and Answers with...

Paula de Blas

Johanna Jochim

Associate FellowUNSSC

ManagerUN Innovation Network

Scan Me

Thank you!

See you on the next webinar on 6 July 2021: the Evaluation Module.