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Choking on ITIL? - A Menu for Success
Choking on ITIL? A Menu for Success ... Food for thought "Frankly, I'm desperate - I'm choking" is a phrase I've become familiar with over the years. Faced with a daily diet of conflicting business priorities, resistant staff and increasing...
Constellations
Constellations
A diagnostic tool for creative strategic development
Dr E Kloprogge, Peter G Gleeson and Tyrone J Francis, January -
2005
Introduction
What is a Constellation?
...
If You Don't Focus, Innovate and Evolve, You Die
After 128 years of business, a household word, Montgomery Wards, Inc., closed their doors forever and filed bankruptcy. With 258 stores and 28,000 employees in 30 states, Wards fell victim to competition from service-driven retailers like Wal-Mart,...
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley: a parable
We have all heard about the “Silicon Valley” miracle. Not long ago, Silicon Valley found itself at the centre of the world, a job- and money-making machine fueled by the popularity of the Internet and technological...
Six Key Principles of Corporate Accountability
The foundation of any business transaction is the promise of fair deal. In complex organizational relationships, it is all too easy to lose sight of the existence and terms of this deal. On the surface, that employer/employee relationship, called a...
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Meaningful Diversity: Creating Cultures of Inclusion
As you look around your workplace do you see a too comfortable “sameness” in the faces present? Are you able to make decisions almost too quickly because you’re all “on the same page?” Do you find yourself doing things the same way and getting the same, or even diminishing, results? Same, safe, easy, comfortable, nice, and good will never get you further down your road to innovation, excitement, success or greatness than you are in this moment. Explore how the dynamic tension of differences, properly harnessed with respect and shared purpose, enable organizations to achieve new heights—and have fun making the climb!
In the fitness room the other day, I caught a glimpse of a movie trailer on television. A father spoke very open-heartedly with his son about his work as a fireman. He acknowledged the fear that welled up in him when he looked into a small, dark room filled with life-threatening heat and flames, and described the instinct to run in the opposite direction.
He had to pause in a safe hallway and assess the situation, the father explained, consciously remember why he had chosen his work – and why he must go forward into the fire despite his fear. Strange as it may sound, I find creating a culture of inclusion to be a lot like this.
People differ in so many ways that wherever two or more are gathered “combustion,” in one form or another, is likely to follow. Although they may be uncomfortable at times, these differences are vital. Our challenge is to understand this sometimes fiery vitality and, despite discomfort or fear, make a conscious decision to move forward anyway. If we can do this, the invisible walls that divide people begin to burn away and the benefits of their shared presence and participation can emerge.
As H.E.B. grocery spokesperson Winell Herron, Group Vice-President for Public Affairs and Diversity, noted at a recent presentation before the Texas Diversity Council, U.S. businesses initially accepted cultural diversity initiatives because it was the legal thing to do, and only later because it was the right thing to do. Now, as our language is shifting from diversity to inclusion, people are discovering that creating environments where differences are actively sought out and everyone is valued is also a smart thing to do. This grocery chain’s business case for embracing diversity has focused on increasing innovation, attracting and retaining top talent, accessing a larger supplier base, retaining and expanding existing markets, and increasing revenue.
How do you motivate leaders and their teams to begin the long journey toward a true culture of inclusion when they haven’t even glimpsed, much less experienced, what is possible? Again, this is like asking someone to leave what is safe, comfortable and known and walk into a fire – for no apparent reason. Then there are those who have been working to bring about change for a long time and are overwhelmed by the challenge and “underwhelmed” by the results. How do you help keep everyone moving forward when they’re feeling weary and unrewarded? Here are some tips to help you foster a culture of inclusion in your workplace:
UNDERSTAND THAT CULTURE SHIFTS TAKE TIME. Working with people is an incredibly complex and rewarding task: the greater the preparation, the higher the potential for big pay offs. Like gardening, creating a culture of inclusion is an organic process. You must plan
what you want to grow, till the soil, provide water and fertilizer, select and plant a variety of “seeds,” and nurture them along. Storms will sweep through and you’ll have to protect your seedlings, and do some replanting. And just like in gardening, the timetable and precise form this new culture takes will be beyond your control. Be patient and have faith.
BEGIN BY FOCUSING ON COMMONALITIES. Stabilize your current environment by ensuring that everyone feels valued and is united in a shared purpose – when this is compelling enough, differences are transcended. Take this further by helping your staff see each other as human beings, rather than simply human “doings.” Create opportunities for people to talk and socialize together beyond their work duties, around issues that apply to a broad range of people. Topics like parenting, providing care for an aging parent, coping with illness and death, and financial management help people to realize that we’re all in this thing called life together.
WORK WITH YOUR GROUP TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN “BUSINESS CASE.” Saying that a culture of inclusion is simply a good thing to do or promising it will produce immediate business success will set the initiative up for failure. Change requires energy, and generic statements won’t provide you with enough fuel for your journey. Create discussion forums. After talking about what you believe is possible, invite people to talk about their ideas, values, concerns and fears. Ask thought-provoking questions, such as: what might be possible if we didn’t put limits on people based on our own needs, perspectives, fears, and comfort zones? What do we need so everybody can thrive here?
RE-EVALUATE EXISTING SYSTEMS AND BUILD NEW ONES. Once your staff understands the potential benefits to creating a culture of inclusion -- increased staff morale and more innovation powered by diverse perspectives to name but two -- you’re ready to enter the fire. Use this as an opportunity to review processes in your organization, like hiring practices, sourcing your goods and materials, marketing, meeting management, mentoring, and compensation. Leave no stone unturned. Just because that system, language, or set of decisions used to serve the organization well doesn’t mean it continues to do so. Then, figure out what new efforts are needed to get you where you want to go.
Our work world has the capacity to close the gulfs that separate people – and demonstrate the great value of doing so. Creating an inclusive culture requires first opening our own hearts and then extending invitations to others to do the same. What we can count on is that our minds will follow. By showing up as willing students and teachers for each other, our wisdom and productivity increase exponentially. As business leaders, we must continue to consciously enter the “fire.” The rest of the world is counting on us.
Learn more on this and other key management topics by visiting www.highest-vison.com!
About the Author
Susan J. Schutz founded Highest Vision in 1999. Highest Vision services – executive coaching, leadership development, and team building -- reflect her conviction that professionals can be attentive to their “bottom lines” while also creating lives worth living and businesses that contribute to the good of all. For a free subscription to VantagePoint, Highest Vision’s free E-zine, go to www.highest-vision.com.
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DTI - Welcome to the DTI's Innovation Home Page |
The DTI is working to stimulate a significant increase in innovation throughout ... It covers Living Innovation, web streaming of a series of high profile ... |
www.dti.gov.uk |
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Innovation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
An innovation in this light occurs whether or not the act of innovating ... A convenient definition of innovation from an organizational perspective is ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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National Innovation Website |
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources has developed this website to raise awareness of the importance and benefits of innovation and ... |
www.innovation.gov.au |
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Innovation, creativity and brainstorming resources from ... |
A comprehensive site designed to provide busy entrepreneurs with a focused collection of the best resources on innovation, creativity, and brainstorming. |
www.innovationtools.com |
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Innovation Weblog - Trends, resources, viewpoints from Chuck Frey ... |
The Innovation Weblog - Valuable trends, resources and viewpoints in innovation, creativity and brainstorming from Chuck Frey at InnovationTools. |
www.innovationtools.com |
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CORDIS: Innovation Portal: Home |
This Innovation Portal is supported by DG ENTR of the European Commission, ... European Commission adopts new Communication on Innovation: on 13 September ... |
cordis.europa.eu |
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CORDIS: Promotion of Innovation: Home |
This programme stands at the cross-roads of the Community's policies on Research, Innovation and SMEs. |
cordis.europa.eu |
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Innovation Network... leveraging innovation, creativity and ... |
The Innovation Network is an association of companies and employees committed to innovation. The site features some interesting articles as well as some fun ... |
www.thinksmart.com |
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Business Innovation : Car Reviews, Online Gaming, and Product Branding |
If your in need of great Online Gaming material, we carry up to the minute news and reviews for all of your favorite games and gaming systems. |
www.businessweek.com |
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Innovation - Life, Inspired | PBS |
Learn about fascinating innovations, explore interactive features, submit questions to our experts, investigate resources and lesson plans, and more. |
www.pbs.org |
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Innovation.org - Welcome |
Impact of Innovation Saving & Improving Lives Controlling Healthcare Costs Strengthening ... Future of Innovation New Medicines in Development Next Wave of ... |
www.innovation.org |
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Innovation: See what people are saying right now on Technorati |
See all blog posts tagged with innovation on Technorati. |
www.technorati.com |
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Innovation Relay Centres - The World Largest Network for ... |
Innovation Relay Centres giving advice on Innovation, Technology Transfer and Exploitation. Major European source for innovative technologies or new ... |
irc.cordis.lu |
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The Tech Museum of Innovation | Welcome |
The Tech Museum of Innovation - Welcome! The Tech Museum inspires and educates the innovators of the future. |
www.thetech.org |
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Pages tagged with "innovation" on del.icio.us |
CoDev 2007 - Co-Development for Business Growth: Open Innovation and Alternatives ... PDMA & IIR's 5th Annual Front End of Innovation ... |
del.icio.us |
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innovation |
Publication highlighting the research activities of NUS. The site provides snippets of selected articles online, and provides a subscription form online. |
www.innovationmagazine.com |
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Canadian Innovation Centre |
Services includes invention evaluation, technology due diligence, market research, and education programs. |
www.innovationcentre.ca |
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London INNOVATION :: Home |
Maximise your business potential through innovation. Learn the secrets of successful business innovation in London. |
www.london-innovation.org.uk |
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Eric Von Hippel's Homepage |
Downloadable Books. Democratizing Innovation (2005) ... The Sources of Innovation (1988). Free download of the complete book. Permission granted by Oxford ... |
web.mit.edu |
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Intel Innovation in Education |
www.intel.com/education/ - 3k - Cached - Similar pages |
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