Innovation, Leadership and Change - creating a productive environment

Course Overview

The quality of leadership is central to a team's performance. The ability to communicate a vision and align aspirations to achieve common goals is equally important whether the challenge is to deliver an order by the end of the day or take on a new technology or way of working.

Leadership, change and innovation are integrated themes examined in this programme which is focused on how to create an environment that is conducive to high performance. In today's rapidly changing environments, complacency is one of the greatest challenges for organisations to avoid and that requires creativity and innovation to identify changes that are possible and desirable, leadership to help teams tackle and respond to the challenges of those changes and a willingness and capability from the team to respond positively.

Leadership that promotes innovation or implements a change programme effectively and with the minimum disruption to performance is a real skill and managers need all available support to equip them for these roles. This programme provides you an opportunity to assess your own teams and your own performance in the context of these themes and build your confidence, toolkit and skills in addressing them effectively.

Audience

All managers who believe enhanced leadership skills and a more positive environment would help unlock improved performance levels within their team.

Managers in organisations where innovation and creativity is a key driver of competitive advantage, or whose teams are facing changes brought about by a new technology, a merger or a significant change in market conditions.

Skills Gained

By the end of the programme you will be able to:

• identify the characteristics of a positive team environment and the elements necessary for promoting creativity and innovation or coping with change
• use metrics and qualitative techniques to analyse a team environment and make recommendations for improving it
• evaluate alternative strategies or ideas fairly in a user oriented way
• articulate a clear vision of where your team is going, changes this will require, and proposals about how best this can inspire and motivate the team
• appreciate different leadership styles and recommend approaches when the team is facing specific challenges
• assess a change plan, identify possible barriers and select appropriate change management methods
• understand and have access to a toolbox of techniques to improve motivation and unlock creativity and innovation
• analyse risk to help increase the success rate of innovations and projects
• involve the whole team in the ongoing cycle of ideas and outcomes, learning from both successes and failures
• complete an assignment focussed on designing and implementing a change programme intended to increase the creativity or innovation within your team.

Course Outline

Sharing visions

• the importance of common goals
• how to make these matter

Understanding how others may feel about change - the leader's role

Motivating others

• what are the options
• how do you decide what to use and when?

Working through others

• the art and challenge of delegation
• taking the lead from team members

Communication opportunities for a team leader

• deciding what should be communicated, how, when and how often

Leadership styles

• reviewing different styles and their value

Taking hard decisions

Tackling practical problems - team scenarios

Establishing an environment for innovation

• management styles
• attitude to risk
• vision and motivation

Inspiring and enabling innovation

• what stops people being innovative
• how can managers stimulate and support innovation?

The challenge of managing maverick, expert and creative staff

Mapping innovation and creative processes

• identifying barriers at each stage, including the implementation of change

Analysing and managing risk in innovation and change strategies.

Techniques for making decisions in the innovation or change process.

Practical ideas and tools for increasing and maintaining a team's creativity and for making change effective.

Innovation, Leadership and Change - creating a productive environment / MANILC