I see 1: Build a culture of trust and respect between people; people feel safe about challenging assumptions
Danes and Swedes are bold in conceiving ideas and trying them out.
Nacka Community: children encouraged to question actively and respect diversity and individuality. Teachers are facilitators of learning and comfortable learning from children.
Lars Kolind, CEO of Oticon, removed the hierarchical middle management. Officers were allowed to choose or bid for projects to work on, people whom they like on their team, and mentors to seek guidance from.
I see 2: Co-creation
Design is core Danish strength
Key design principle: include perspectives of customer/ end-user.
IT-University: Inputs from alumni, students, employers and faculty members gathered to inform curriculum development. This spawned the idea of virtual collaboration with Peking Uni.
MindLab: Policy formulation includes conducting ethnographic studies before concept development. Users are also engaged to validate relevance, value and interest of ideas before full implementation.
Bosch & Fjord: Consultants have a process to understand user-needs when designing spaces and a process to help users to learn to use spaces differently.
I see 3: Collaboration and network as multiplier, not burden. Permeability of boundaries breeds innovation
Collaboration helps to overcome size constraints, tap into expertise of others, and provoke alternative ideas.
Hyper Island and Kaospilot: Collaborative behaviours and competencies emphasised. Hyper Island: 4 weeks of team-building); Kaospilot (close ties among graduates across the globe to collaborate on projects)
INDEX: Overcame budget constraints to host delegates in Danish homes instead of conventional ballroom.
LEGO: allowed fans to modify Mindstorm products; fans helped in product development in lean times.
5 comments:
I like the idea of hosting delegates in S'pore homes instead of hotels. They would have a good feel of happenings at homeground. CPDD should involve more NUS and Poly students in the review of curriculum because they would be in a better postion to share what worked or did not worked in their learning journeys.
Kokilavani Vassou
LLB2 TL Unit
When I visited the National Gallery of Scotland last June, this picture, “A School for Boys and Girls” struck me: a chaotic Denmark classroom where teachers and students exhibited laisser-faire approach towards learning (please refer to the link http://www.abcgallery.com/S/steen/steen3.html). Jan Steen (1625 -1679) did this painting creatively. To my amazement, Denmark’s literacy rate was the highest in Europe in the 17th century! I pondered what factors had led to the success in its education then. Could it be the relaxed and “fearless” environment? If it was so, how did the Danish balance classroom discipline, which we are so familiar in our local context, with the boldness to challenge the authorities with respect that deems to encourage creativity and thinking to take place? Can we, the authorities, on the other hand, tolerate different ideas and perception without black marking against the other party?
On this note, I would like to share an anecdote: As a student studying in Edinburgh, my husband had accidentally broken a China cup in the kitchen. The landlord, upon seeing that he could not overcome the guilt for creating a mess, took another two cups and smashed them on the floor! He had thus reassured him that IT WAS ALRIGHT. Again, the fear to make mistakes is deep-rooted in our culture. How far can we accept failure?
Fong Lik Khuan LLB2 CL Unit
With regard to the idea of creativity or innovation, one tends to think of it as a personal journey. However, in his new book entitled, "Group Genius, The Creative Power of Collaboration", Keith Sawyer, a psychologist at Washington University, explores the impact of collaboration on creativity and innovation. He argues that the power of group collaboration increases the capability of any organisation to generate more ideas and better ideas which in turn enhances the culture of innovation.
Sawyer highlights the following characteristics of creative teams:
1. Innovation emerges over time
2. Successful collaborative teams practise deep listening
3. Team members build on their collaborators' ideas
4. The meaning of an idea becomes clear over time
5. Reframing the problem or solving a different problem
6. Recognising that innovation is inefficient
7. Innovation emerges from bottom up
On team collaboration, Sawyer demonstrates the power of improvisation as a method to improve problem solving and innovation. Besides improvisation, Sawyer also describes "flow" - a concept that originates from research by Csikszentmihalyi. Flow is a heightened state of consciousness that occurs when:
a. People are working on tasks that match their skills.
b. There is a clear goal.
c. There is constant feedback as to progress and attainment of the goal.
d. The person is free to fully engage in the task.
In the context of MOE, perhaps we can set aside a short time (e.g. lunch time)for improvisation? Various scenarios can be provided to the participants who will then brainstorm ways to counteract or solve the problems. There can elements of fun, creativity and bonding in such a game.
As for the team to achieve a sense of "flow", officers can initiate projects of their interest that serve the goals of the organisation and be empowered to fully engage in the tasks. In fact, this is already in place. Perhaps what is needed is a greater promotion of such good practices so that it becomes the culture of the organisation.
Chong Siew Fong
LLB1 English Unit
How to have an innovation environment in the workplace? My take is to have an innovation culture that encourages individuals to take risks, accepts failure, tolerates difference and appreciates entrepreneurship.
Can our innovation activity be an international one? Its good opportunity if we can seek cooperations with the best centres of inovation in the world too.
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