Navigating future of work – July 2024

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July 2024

Have you ever wondered why “Innovation is very hard in health care” is oft-heard? We found an HBR article that details “Why”.  But then, how can you, as a leader, build teams that innovate like never before? That is the focus of this month’s nudge-letter.

Our centrepiece, “Innovate Like Never Before: 5 Steps to Embed Creativity into Your Team’s DNA”, outlines a strategy for fostering innovation within teams, leading to continuous improvement and creative solutions. This month’s trivia is a good example of an innovative outcome of collaborative working.

Don’t miss the Semco Style case of how innovative thinking builds a solution mindset in people working at the edge of the organisation.

Innovate Like Never Before:

5 Steps to Embed Creativity into Your Team’s DNA

Imagine you’re in a team meeting filled with nervous energy. Everyone hesitates to share ideas. Great ideas go unsaid, stifled by fear. But what if you could change that? Here are five steps to foster a culture of innovation in your team.

Encourage Sharing Wild Ideas

Semco Style suggests embedding “Are you crazy” meetings* to fuel wild thinking.

Psychological safety makes people feel safe to take risks and express ideas without fear of judgment. Start by actively listening to your team, encouraging open dialogue, and valuing every idea. This boosts morale and enhances collaboration, creating an environment where everyone feels their voice matters.

* If you would like to try it out, please contact us, and we will be happy to help.

Build Trust and Transparency

Trust and transparency are key to fostering innovation. Consistently share your thoughts and plans with your team, be transparent about goals, processes, and expectations, and openly share successes and setbacks. When team members trust each other and their leaders, they’re more likely to share innovative ideas and take risks.

Get Bold and Celebrate Failure

Fear of failure can stifle creativity. Reframe failure as a learning opportunity, encourage experimentation, and emphasize that setbacks are part of the journey to success. Celebrate effort even when outcomes aren’t perfect. Implement a “fail fast, learn faster” approach, focusing on rapid iteration and continuous improvement

Promote Vulnerability and Learning from Others

Encouraging vulnerability can lead to deeper connections and trust within your team. Promote an environment where team members can share their experiences, including mistakes. Facilitate regular knowledge-sharing sessions where team members can showcase their expertise and learn from one another, enhancing individual skills and creating a supportive team.

Build Self-Managed Teams

Empower your team to make their own decisions. Set clear goals, provide necessary resources, and then step back. Encourage cross-functional collaboration and diverse perspectives, leading to more creative solutions. Regularly review progress and provide feedback to keep the team aligned.

Implement these steps and watch your team transform into a powerhouse of creativity and continuous improvement. The journey towards becoming an innovative organization is ongoing, and every step brings you closer to achieving your goals.

FROM AROUND THE WORLD

The Forces Affecting Innovation in Healthcare

The six forces—industry players, funding, public policy, technology, customers, and accountability—can help or hinder efforts at innovation.
Individually or in combination, the forces will affect the three types of innovation in different ways

Link to HBR Article

FROM THE WORLD OF SEMCO STYLE

Best Ideas Originate From Those Closest To The Challenge

This case is an example of how innovative thinking need not come from a group of people sitting in an ivory tower. If the right steps are taken, self-managed teams can think and act with innovation.

READ FULL STORY HERE

TRIVIA FOR YOU

 

DID YOU KNOW MAYO CLINIC’S FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND APP IN HEALTHCARE IS A PRODUCT OF INNOVATIVE TEAMWORK?

At Mayo Clinic, a collaborative, patient-centred approach drives their medical staff to find the best solutions. Their standout creation, the Mayo Clinic app, is a testament to this approach, as it gives patients easy access to medical records, test results, and appointments. This continuous push for improvement and interdisciplinary collaboration, with patients at the center, makes Mayo Clinic a leader in healthcare innovation.

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