In an article from the Washington Post, A Need to Upgrade Uncle Sam’s Innovation Skills, Joe Davidson highlights a new report finding that federal employees express a desire to innovate, but often the federal workplace does not encourage innovation.
“An analysis of survey data by the Partnership for Public Service and the Hay Group found that 91 percent of responding federal employees said, “I am constantly looking for ways to do my job better,” and just 39 percent said, “Creativity and innovation are rewarded.” In the middle were the 60 percent who said, “I feel encouraged to come up with new and better ways of doing things.”
The report from the Partnership for Public Service and the Hay Group found that federal workers are motivated to drive change, but need stronger leadership within their organizations to encourage creativity and innovation at the workplace.
The Hay report highlights six conditions leading to an innovative workplace:
- Employees are recognized for providing high-quality products and services.
- Employees are given real opportunities to improve their skills.
- Employees are involved in decisions that affect their work.
- Employees are given a sense of personal empowerment with respect to work processes.
- Employees are provided with opportunities to demonstrate their leadership skills.
- Leaders work to gain employees’ respect.”
Having the courage to bring forward new ideas and push change in an agency is no easy task. Strong leadership is necessary to encourage this kind of behavior, and necessary to seek solutions to challenges an agency faces. The article suggest that innovation has a lot do with culture and the management style of a leader, so:
How are you innovative? How is innovation rewarded and encouraged at work?
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