Innovation Workshop: The Art and Science of Government Innovation

With constrained budgets and new service challenges there is a call for innovative, creative thinking in government. There are research-based techniques for stimulating creativity the result in innovative ideas. Government employees, for the most part, have not been exposed to these techniques and are therefore limited in their ability to “break out of the box” of current thinking.

This workshop will give employees an understanding of what evidence says stimulates creative thinking that can lead to innovative ideas and provides hands-on experience with using techniques that promote creativity. These techniques and approach can be used in many ways from designing programs and systems to identifying ways to implement new systems or better ways to implement current programs. When you leave the workshop you will have some specific tools that you can apply yourself and use with others on your teams.

Some of the principles and topics that will be explored in the workshop include:

• Using divergent and convergent thinking --- divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. Convergent thinking follows a particular set of logical steps to arrive at one "correct" solution. Divergent thinking typically occurs in a spontaneous, free-flowing manner, such that many ideas are generated in a random, unorganized fashion. Many possible solutions are explored in a short amount of time, and unexpected connections are drawn. Following divergent thinking, ideas and information are organized and structured using convergent thinking.
  
  
• Addressing some of the challenges to encouraging creative thinking and implementing innovative solutions in government. Some of the challenges we address are the tendency to be risk-adverse, fear of bad publicity, perceived lack of time, influence from elected or appointed leaders, fear of failure, concerns of stakeholders and employees, reluctance to invest in creativity and innovation, and resistance to change (“we’ve tried that” and “that won’t work here”).
  
• Considering the role of leadership in creating and sustaining innovation in the government workplace including: increasing the commitment to values and mission --- people who are passionately committed to achieving a goal are more likely to be open to new and innovative ideas; creating and aligning incentives (psychological and material) to support creativity; acknowledging the role of managers and the support they need to play beyond exhorting people to “be creative”; and creating a learning culture that promotes curiosity, exploration of possibilities, and encourages risk-taking.

Some of the techniques that will be explored in the workshop include:

• Brainstorm techniques --- Many people use brainstorming but there are specific techniques (using prompts, deferring judgment, generating many ideas, etc.) that greatly enhance the value of brainstorming
  
  
• Posing questions --- Learning how to articulate questions so they open up the possibility of creative ideas emerging is a skill
  
  
• Facilitation --- Facilitating a creativity session, or any meeting, requires a set of skills that are not usually taught but are essential for increasing productivity of meetings and encouraging creative thinking
  
  
• Customer feedback --- Identifying and interacting with customers can generate, refine, and validate new ideas
  
  
• Creating concrete, useful ideas --- The work of creativity doesn’t stop at generating many, diverse, and interesting ideas. Experimenting with several ideas to choose the best and shaping these ideas into workable solutions and implementing them is also part of the process
  
  
• Using visuals to explore connections --- Looking at visual images and identifying what connections may be drawn that relate to the problem can open up new thinking
  
  
• Exploring creative play --- By taking people out of their comfort zone new connections and ideas can emerge; this can involve non-verbal techniques like mind maps, diagrams, and physical activities
  
  
• Using diversity --- diversity in background and ways of thinking and learning can benefit the creative process if employed intentionally