Author: indiafreenotes

Main Components of Creativity and Innovation

1. Originality

The method or idea must be new and unique. It should not be the extension of something, which already exists. However, one can take inspiration from the already existent methods and ideas to fabricate something new and unique.

2. Functionality

Another important component of creativity is its functionality. A creative idea must work and produce results, otherwise, the whole effort will be in vain.

Most of the times, people wonder how does creativity happen. It has been seen that creativity become another nature of some people whereas others have to spend hours on road or on a mountain to think of a tiny idea. In the following paragraph, you will learn about when does creativity happen and what kind of people called creative?

People who are thought-provoking, curious and have a variety of uncommon thoughts are known to be creative people. Sometimes these people don’t even know what they are doing and how much importance does that innovation holds. Therefore, they usually fabricate new ideas, which leave people flabbergasted.

People who had important self- discoveries, who view the world with a fresh perspective and have insightful ideas. These people make unique discoveries which they don’t share with the outer world.

People who make great achievements which are known to the world. Inventors and artists fall under this category.

Creative people have numerous traits that influence their creative thinking. Followings are the few personality traits of creative people.

Qualities of Creative People

1. They are Energetic

Creative people tend to have a great amount of physical as well as mental energy. They utilize their energy to invent new ideas. These people spend a great deal of time in solitude to introspect and think.

2. They are intelligent

It is believed that intelligence plays a key role in creativity. According to a study high IQ is important for creativity. However, not all people with high IQ are creative. To become creative, people should be smart and they should also have a child-like attitude to view things.

3. Discipline

Most of the people have the wrong notion that creativity happens unexpectedly. Therefore, they usually spend their time sitting around and to wait for the creativity to happen to them.

Aren Dietrich has classified creativity in four domains using four discrete processing modes such as emotional, cognitive, deliberate and spontaneous. He created a quadrant of creative types using these four characteristics.

In the following paragraphs, four types of creativities are discussed and explained.

4 Types of Creativity

1. Deliberate and Cognitive creativity

People who possess deliberate and cognitive characteristics are purposeful. They have a great amount of knowledge about a particular subject and combine their skills and capabilities to prepare a course of action to achieve something. This type of creativity built when people work for a very long time in a particular area.

People who fall under this type of category of creativity are usually proficient at research, problem- solving, investigation and experimentation. This type of creativity is located in the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is at the front part of the brain. These types of creative people spend a great deal of time every single day testing to develop new solutions.

Thomas Alva Edison is one prominent example of this type of creative people. He ran experiment after experiment before inventing electricity, the light bulb, and telecommunication. Hence, deliberate and cognitive creativity requires a great deal of time, dedication and abundance of knowledge about a particular subject.

2) Deliberate And Emotional Creativity

People who are categorized as deliberate and emotional let their work influenced by their state of emotions. These types of creative people are very emotional and sensitive in nature. These individuals prefer relatively quiet and personal time to reflect and they usually have a habit of diary writing. However, they are equally logical and rational in decision making.

Their creativity is always a balanced product of deliberate emotional thinking and logical actions. This type of creativity is found in the amygdala and cingulate cortex parts of the human brain. Amygdala is responsible for human emotions whereas cingulate cortex helps in learning and information processing. This type of creativity happens to people at random moments. Those moments are usually referred to as “a-ha!” moments when someone suddenly thinks of a solution to some problem or think of some innovative idea.

For example, there are situations when you feel low and emotional which distracts you from your work. In those kinds of situations, you should take 5 minutes and point out the things which are making you sad and keep them aside and focus on the work in hand. It will help you to get improvised results and you will get work done easily. One should seek “quiet time” for deliberate and emotional creativity to happen to them.

3. Spontaneous and Cognitive creativity

There are times when you spend a long time to crack a problem but can’t think of any solution. For example, when you want to make a schedule for a month to get a job done, but you can’t seem to think of any possible way and when you are watching television and having your relaxed time and suddenly you think of a solution and everything falls in place. The same case happened with the great scientist Isaac Newton. He got the idea about the law of gravity when an apple hit his head while he was sitting under a tree and relaxing.

This is the “Eureka!” moments for Newton and an excellent example of a spontaneous and cognitive person. This type of creativity happens when one has the knowledge to get a particular job done, but he requires inspiration and a hint to walk towards the right path. This type of creativity usually happens at the most inconvenient time, such as, when you are in bed with your partner or having a shower. Spontaneous and cognitive creativity takes place when the conscious mind stops working and go to relax and unconscious mind gets a chance to work.

Mostly, this type of creative person stops conscious thinking when they need to do “out of the box” thinking. By indulging in different and unrelated activities, the unconscious mind gets a chance to connect information in new ways which provide solutions to the problems. Therefore, to let this type of creativity happen one should take a break from the problem and get away to let conscious mind overtake.

4. Spontaneous and Emotional Creativity

Spontaneous and emotional creativity takes place in the “amygdala” part of the human brain. Amygdala is responsible for all emotional type of thinking in the human brain. Spontaneous ideas and creativity happen when conscious and Prefrontal brain is resting. This type of creativity is mostly found in a great artist such as musicians, painters, and writers etc. This type of creativity is also related to “epiphanies”.

Epiphany is a sudden realization of something. Spontaneous and emotional creativity is responsible for a scientific breakthrough, religious and also philosophical discoveries. This allows the enlightened person to look at a problem or situation with a different and deeper viewpoint.

Those moments are defined as rare moments when great discoveries take place. There is no need to have specific knowledge for “spontaneous and emotional” creativity to happen but there should be a skill such as writing, musical or artistic. This type of creativity can’t be obtained by working on it.

Creativity

As the word suggests, creativity is about creation. It’s about harnessing the power of the mind to conceive new ideas, products plans, thought experiments, tastes, sensations or art. Creativity can be a form of expression or a way of solving problems. Anyone can be creative, and in any context. There’s creativity in the marketing department, just as there can be creativity on a football pitch.

Creativity has traditionally been left to those ‘wacky’ companies that are deliberately trying to do things differently, with the majority of businesses tending to favor a traditional and monotone approach to running their organizations. However, the changing business landscape means that companies are beginning to consider a more creative approach to working.

Need of creativity

Creativity can help a company manage tasks, improve staff performance and create quality products. It is also vital in fostering a likeable and aspirational company image. With consumers now able to get a snapshot of what company life is like, businesses need to be able to depict their inner culture in a way that makes it seem appealing.

As new technologies continue to develop and become available, companies have to be flexible and able to keep up to date. Creativity allows them to easily identify new ways in which technology can be applied to help their businesses. Likewise, with social media and other interactive forms of marketing now available, it’s never been more important for companies to be able to be creative.

Allowing employees to be more creative can inspire them to come up with more interesting ideas as well as improve their overall output. Many of the world’s leading companies have started to adopt unorthodox methods of encouraging maximum creativity from their employees, such as sleeping pods and flexible working areas.

Innovation

Innovation, on the other hand, needs stability and establishment. It’s about changing a common or long-standing process by improving it. It’s only by having a status quo in existence, that you can develop it in order to innovate. So, while creativity and innovation share strong links, the processes are entirely different.

Innovation is about taking newly created ideas and developing them into something useful and practical. In many ways, innovation is the process of converting theory into action.

The most common type of innovation is evolutionary, which means finding ways of making incremental improvements to your products and services. This type of innovation carries fewer risks, as it’s generally easier to establish demand for these improvements and to calculate the likely return on investment. However, it still requires a strategic, targeted approach – there’s little point in improving a product in a way that customers don’t value.

The best way to identify opportunities for evolutionary innovation is to talk to existing customers and find out what they value most about your products and services, and what aspects they’d like to see improved. If longer battery life is their number one priority, then it probably should be your number one target for innovation. However, if they also value the product’s easy portability, it’s probably not a good idea for your new version to be much larger or heavier.

Need of innovation

Innovation is important because it’s the only way that you can differentiate your products and services from those of your competitors. For customers and clients to choose your business, your offer needs to be distinctive and valuable, and the only way to achieve this is through innovation.

It can be tempting to let your rivals do all the heavy lifting of creativity and innovation, with all the investment, experimentation and risks that this entails. Then, when they come up with a dazzling new product or improvement, you can simply copy what they’ve done at a fraction of the effort. However, there are several pitfalls to this approach.

Most importantly, you’ll always be playing catch-up. However quickly you get your version to market, your rivals will always have the lead on you and they’ll already be planning their next move. This means customers will go to your rivals first, who will maintain a reputation for leading the pack. Your business won’t stand out because there’ll always be someone else who’s already met the needs and desires of your customers. You’ll harm your own brand, and could also risk infringing on your competitor’s intellectual property rights.

However, innovation doesn’t have to be focused on changing a product or service. If you can find an innovative new process that enables you to create a product more efficiently without compromising on quality, you’ll be able to stand out from your rivals by undercutting their prices. Similarly, your innovation could come in the form of a new distribution system, enabling you to stand out by offering the fastest delivery to customers.

Creativity and innovation in the workplace

Exploiting both creativity and innovation in business can boost performance and the bottom line. But first, you need to make space for both to happen.

Encouraging creativity can involve lots of different strategies, from enabling employees to work outside the office to letting people come into and leave the office when they feel ready to, not when they’re expected to. The office itself needs to be creativity-friendly and there are ways you can adapt the working environment to support employees’ talents.

It’s important to let staff feel free when exploring new ideas – whether it’s tweaking your existing product or developing a whole new concept. Involve the team, share accountability, reward good work and be ready to respond to market feedback. Remember, your ideas and innovation, no matter how amazing, still need to fulfil a need among customers.

There’s no guaranteed source of great ideas, but they do tend to be generated by the most engaged, positive employees. They don’t come from staff who are bored or stressed. Great ideas sometimes come from brainstorming sessions, but trying to force out ideas can be counterproductive. In reality, great ideas are equally likely to occur when a particular problem occurs that requires a solution, or even when an employee is on their way home, thinking about their day.

The key is to use your business’s culture and processes to capture these ideas when they happen, wherever they come from. Staff suggestion boxes and allocated creative time can work well, but sometimes all that’s required is a clear message from the boss that all ideas are welcome.

The Comprehensive Intervention Model is a response to intervention approach. In 1991, Linda Dorn implemented the small-group model to support Reading Recovery teachers who worked with small groups of struggling readers in kindergarten and first grade. Dorn’s work is secured in several years of solid research and proven data.

The success of CIM is grounded in three critical areas: the specialized knowledge and expertise of reading teachers, the training and ongoing professional development that focuses on sensitive observation and flexible decision making, and the collaborative relationship between university trainers and reading teachers in the refinement of the literacy components. 

The Comprehensive Intervention Model includes individual and small-group interventions that align with classroom curriculum. These include: Reading Recovery, Emergent Language and Literacy Groups, Guided Reading Plus Groups, Assisted Writing Groups, Writing Process Groups, Comprehension Focus Groups, and Comprehension Focus Groups in Content.

CIM is designed as a System Intervention in that it provides a seamless comprehensive approach to student achievement. It provides teachers with a framework for aligning and managing interventions across the school system.  CIM uses a problem-solving, data-driven process for increasing literacy achievement across the school. It is based on five core principles:

• Intervene early
• Use a seamless approach
• Provide layered interventions
• Make ethical and informed decisions
• Employ a collaborative, problem-solving method.

The heartbeat of the CIM is the responsive teacher, one who understands change over time in literacy processing and is able to adjust instruction to accommodate student learning.

Techno-structural interventions focus on improving the organizational effectiveness and human performance by focusing on technology and structure. These interventions are rooted in the fields of engineering, sociology, and psychology, combined with socio-technical systems, job analysis and design.

These types of interventions rely on an improvement-based approach; the idea is to shape the organizational techno-structural elements to get a best fit to the current situation and future development of the company.

The two main focus points of techno-structural intervention approaches are the improvement of an organization’s technology, for example, task methods and job design, and structure, for example division of labour and hierarchy. The following interventions are included in techno-structural interventions: 

• Organizational structure
• Organization systems
• Innovation and design thinking
• Socio-technical systems
• Change management  
• Job design / enrichment
• Competency-based management
• Knowledge management
• Organizational learning
• Work design

Job Enrichment, a job design technique that varies the concept of job enlargement. Job enrichment adds new sources of job satisfaction by increasing the level of responsibility of the employee in organization.

While job enlargement is considered as horizontal restructuring method, job enrichment is considered as vertical restructuring method of moral excellence of giving the employee additional authority, autonomy, and control over the way the job is accomplished. Also called job enhancement or vertical job expansion.

Job Enrichment is an attempt to motivate employees by giving them the opportunity to use the range of their abilities. It is an idea that was developed by the American psychologist Frederick Hertzberg in the 1950s. It can be contrasted to job enlargement which simply increases the number of tasks without changing the challenge. As such job enrichment has been described as ‘vertical loading’ of a job, while job enlargement is ‘horizontal loading’. An enriched job should ideally contain:

• A range of tasks and challenges of varying difficulties (Physical or Mental)
• A complete unit of work a meaningful task
• Feedback, encouragement and communication

Job enrichment is a type of job redesign intended to reverse the effects of tasks that are repetitive requiring little autonomy. Some of these effects are boredom, lack of flexibility, and employee dissatisfaction (Leach & Wall, 2004). The underlying principle is to expand the scope of the job with a greater variety of tasks, vertical in nature, that require self-sufficiency. Since the goal is to give the individual exposure to tasks normally reserved for differently focused or higher positions, merely adding more of the same responsibilities related to an employee’s current position is not considered job enrichment.

Job enrichment has its roots in Frederick Herzberg’s two-factor theory, according to which two separate dimensions contribute to an employee’s behavior at work.

• The first dimension, known as hygiene factors, involves the presence or absence of job dis-satisfactors, such as wages, working environment, rules and regulations, and supervisors. When these factors are poor, work is dissatisfying and employees are not motivated. However, having positive hygiene factors does not cause employees to be motivated; it simply keeps them from being dissatisfied.
• The second dimension of Herzberg’s theory refers to motivators, which are factors that satisfy higher-level needs such as recognition for doing a good job, achievement, and the opportunity for growth and responsibility. These motivators are what actually increase job satisfaction and performance. Job enrichment becomes an important strategy at this point because enriching employees’ jobs can help meet some of their motivational needs. There are basically five areas that are believed to affect an individual employee’s motivation and job performance: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. Job enrichment seeks to find positive ways to address each of these areas and therefore improve employee motivation and personal satisfaction.

Skill variety involves the number of different types of skills that are used to do a job. This area is important because using only one skill to do the same task repeatedly can be quite boring, typically causing the employee’s productivity to decrease after a period of time. However, using a variety of skills in a job will tend to keep the employee more interested in the job and more motivated.

One way businesses are focusing on this area is through job rotation, that is, moving employees from job to job within the company, thereby allowing employees a variety of tasks in their work and helping prevent boredom. While this process can be costly to the company because employees must be trained in several different areas, the cost tends to be balanced by the increase in morale and productivity. Job rotation also gives each employee the opportunity to see how the different jobs of a company fit together and gives the company more flexibility in covering tasks when workers are absent. However, while job rotation is a good way to enrich employees’ jobs, it can also hinder performance: Having to know several different jobs in order to rotate, can prevent employees from becoming proficient at any of the jobs. Therefore, the advantages and disadvantages of job rotation as an enrichment strategy have to be carefully weighed.

Task identity is a matter of realizing a visible outcome from performing a task. Being able to see the end result of the work they do is an important motivator for employees. One way to make task identity clearer is through job enlargement, which means adding more tasks and responsibilities to an existing job. For example, instead of building just one component part of a humidifier, a team of employees builds the entire product from start to finish. When using job enlargement as an enrichment strategy, it is important that enlarging the job gives the employee more responsibility and more variety, not just more work.

Task significance involves how important the task is to others in the company, which is important in showing employees how the work they do fits in with that done in the rest of the organization. If employees can see how their work affects others, it will be a motivator to do the best job they can.

Many companies take new employees on a tour of the company and provide training sessions on how each part of the company works together with the other parts. In order to accept and handle responsibility, it is important that employees know how the various areas of the company work together; without this knowledge, it is very difficult for them to handle decision-making responsibilities. Putting employees from different areas of the company into planning teams can also help them see the significance of the tasks they perform.

Autonomy involves the degree of freedom, independence, and decision-making ability the employee has in completing assigned tasks. Most people like to be given responsibility; it demonstrates trust and helps motivate employees to live up to that trust. Responsibility can also help speed up work processes by enabling the employee to make decisions without having to wait for management approval. Autonomy is a very important part of job enrichment because it gives the employee power and a feeling of importance.

A type of job enrichment that restructures work to best match the employee to the job is job redesign. Job redesign can focus on combining existing jobs, forming work groups, and/or allowing closer contact between employees and individual suppliers or customers. The idea behind job redesign is to match employees with a job they like and are best qualified to perform. Self-managed teams are a type of job design whereby employees are grouped into teams and given certain guidelines to follow as well as goals to accomplish—and then left alone to accomplish those goals. Self-managed teams demonstrate the company’s faith in the employees and give employees a feeling of power and pride in the work they accomplish.

Feedback describes how much and what type of information about job performance is received by the employee. It is one of the most important areas for motivation. Without feedback, employees have no way of knowing whether they are doing things correctly or incorrectly. Positive feedback helps to motivate employees by recognizing the efforts they have put into their work. While monetary rewards for doing a good job can be a strong incentive, sometimes saying “you did a really good job on that project” can mean just as much. Corrective feedback is also important because it lets employees know what areas need improvement.

Job Enrichment Options

The central focus of job enrichment is giving people more control over their work (lack of control is a key cause of stress, and therefore of unhappiness.) Where possible, allow them to take on tasks that are typically done by supervisors. This means that they have more influence over planning, executing, and evaluating the jobs they do.

In enriched jobs, people complete activities with increased freedom, independence, and responsibility. They also receive plenty of feedback, so that they can assess and correct their own performance.

Here are some strategies you can use to enrich jobs in your workplace:

1. Rotate Jobs

Give people the opportunity to use a variety of skills, and perform different kinds of work. The most common way to do this is through job rotation. Move your workers through a variety of jobs that allow them to see different parts of the organization learn different skills and acquire different experiences. This can be very motivating, especially for people in jobs that are very repetitive or that focus on only one or two skills.

2. Combine Tasks

Combine work activities to provide a more challenging and complex work assignment. This can significantly increase “task identity” because people see a job through from start to finish. This allows workers to use a wide variety of skills, which can make the work seem more meaningful and important. For example, you can convert an assembly line process, in which each person does one task, into a process in which one person assembles a whole unit. You can apply this model wherever you have people or groups that typically perform only one part of an overall process. Consider expanding their roles to give them responsibility for the entire process, or for a bigger part of that process.

3. Identify Project

Focused Work Units Break your typical functional lines and form project-focused units. For example, rather than having all of your marketing people in one department, with supervisors directing who works on which project, you could split the department into specialized project units specific storyboard creators, copywriters, and designers could all work together for one client or one campaign. Allowing employees to build client relationships is an excellent way to increase autonomy, task identity, and feedback.

4. Create Autonomous Work Teams

This is job enrichment at the group level. Set a goal for a team, and make team members free to determine work assignments, schedules, rest breaks, evaluation parameters, and the like. You may even give them influence over choosing their own team members. With this method, you’ll significantly cut back on supervisory positions, and people will gain leadership and management skills.

5. Implement Participative Management

Allow team members to participate in decision making and get involved in strategic planning. This is an excellent way to communicate to members of your team that their input is important. It can work in any organization – from a very small company, with an owner/boss who’s used to dictating everything, to a large company with a huge hierarchy. When people realize that what they say is valued and makes a difference, they’ll likely be motivated.

6. Redistribute Power and Authority

Redistribute control and grant more authority to workers for making job-related decisions. As supervisors delegate more authority and responsibility, team members’ autonomy, accountability, and task identity will increase.

7. Increase Employee-Directed Feedback

Make sure that people know how well, or poorly, they’re performing their jobs. The more control you can give them for evaluating and monitoring their own performance, the more enriched their jobs will be. Rather than have your quality control department go around and point out mistakes, consider giving each team responsibility for their own quality control. Workers will receive immediate feedback, and they’ll learn to solve problems, take initiative, and make decisions.

Implementing a Job Enrichment Program

Step One Find out where people are dissatisfied with their current work assignments. There’s little point to enriching jobs and changing the work environment if you’re enriching the wrong jobs and making the wrong changes. Like any motivation initiative, determine what your people want before you begin.

Surveys are a good means of doing this. Don’t make the mistake of presuming that you know what people want: Go to the source and use that information to build your enrichment options.

Step Two Consider which job enrichment options you can provide. You don’t need to drastically redesign your entire work process. The way that you design the enriched jobs must strike a balance between operational need and job satisfaction. If significant changes are needed, consider establishing a “job enrichment task force” perhaps use a cross-section of employees, and give them responsibility for deciding which enrichment options make the most sense.

Step Three Design and communicate your program. If you’re making significant changes, let people know what you’re doing and why. Work with your managers to create an enriching work environment that includes lots of employee participation and recognition. Remember to monitor your efforts, and regularly evaluate the effectiveness of what you’re providing.

Advantages of job enrichment

1. Interesting and challenging job

When a certain amount of power is given to employees it makes the job more challenging for them, we can say that job enrichment is a method of employee empowerment.

2. Improves decision making

Through job enrichment we can improve the decision making ability of the employee by asking him to decide

3. Vation speaks of these higher order needs e.g. Ego and esteemed needs, self-actualization etc. These needs can be achieved through job enrichment.
4. Reduces work load of superiors

Job enrichment reduces the work load of senior staff. When decisions are taken by juniors the seniors work load is reduced.

Disadvantages of job enrichment

• Job enrichment is based on the assumptions that workers have complete knowledge to take decisions and they have the right attitude. In reality this might not be the case due to which there can be problems in working.
• Job enrichment has negative implications ie. Along with usual work decision making work is also given to the employees and not many may be comfortable with this.
• Superiors may feel that power is being taken away from them and given to the junior’s. This might lead to ego problems.

Organizational Development has come a long way from languishing in the shadows of HR to being widely recognized as the primary driver of core organizational competencies through targeted interventions. It traverses the delicate path of progressive transition to a better state by employing the services of Change Management that embodies the systematic approach to managing risk in reaching desired goals and objectives.

However, too many promising initiatives fail due to lack of foresight in instilling and institutionalizing certain principles that are critical to ensuring a high probability of success.

These keys are:

1. The Irrefutable Need

This refers to the timely realization of the significance of development and change that is required to ensure the survival/competitiveness of the organization. It normally stems from the organizational analysis (PESTLE, SWOT, Balanced Scorecard, Weisbord’s 6 Box Model, Mckinsey 7S, etc.). It generally indicates the stagnating business growth, commoditized core competencies, misalignment of strategic priorities with tactical measures and precarious financial situation. It is imperative in nature and demands the undivided attention on the part of top/senior management.

2. The Burning Desire

This refers to coaxing of the passion that simmers in an enlightened top/senior management to excel beyond the conventional and foreseeable horizon. It is manifested as an intrinsic motivation within the primary decision makers to engage their ambitions in taking calculated risks from a position of relative comfort. It requires the courage to question the status quo and the willingness to initiate appropriate actions for shining within the constellation of relevant industry competitors without extinguishing the fire of innovation by dousing it with impending complacency.

3. The Optimized Decisiveness

This refers to the knack for taking balanced decisions that are warranted in view of the indubitable need and the infectious desire for the long-term survival/competitiveness of the organization. It takes into account the available evidence in the form of analytical reports, employee/client feedback and the stated vision for scaling new heights by a certain time frame in the future. The respective decision should be deliberated between the senior management in a democratic fashion, however, the final conclusion should be drawn by the person gracing the top position with a clear idea, acceptance, preparedness, and accountability for the positive and negative consequences of ensuing actions.

4. The Transcendent Message

This refers to creating, designing and communicating the message that inspires a passionate following/buy-in within the organization to the call for progressive change and development. The respective message needs to embody an optimum mix of both fluidity and viscosity. Fluidity to ensure that it flows at all levels of the organization and can funnel/seep through functional silos/questioning mindsets/grapevine gropers without any hindrance. Viscosity to ensure that it sticks in the reflective minds/thoughts/attitudes of employees long after the initial communication has taken place for providing a “safe house“ to keep doubts/inhibitions/fears at bay.

5. The Wise Selection

This refers to indulging in an inspired selection of the team that can get the job done. It has to be led by a person who is comfortable in his/her own skin with an intellectual and technical acumen that is able to demand attention at the very top and carry enough charisma to charm all parts of the organization. The real challenge is to become the beacon of hope in the “dark places” of the organization, where fear and doubt breed profusely. The associated team members should be bundles of infectious energy, enthusiasm and drive coupled with a delightful disposition as interactive sources of information, facilitation and application.

6. The Insightful Plan

The inception and development of an astute plan, peppered with strategic and operational objectives, is essential in order to proceed forward with OD initiatives in a systematic manner. It is an ode to action that needs to be firm in its intent, unambiguous in its direction and accommodating in its application to safeguard against elevation to such a “sacrosanct” status that it breeds massive alienation and incentivizes a buy-out situation. It should bolster the confidence of key stakeholders and neutralize the active/passive resistance from pessimistic quarters.

7. The Keen Acceptance

The embrace of the OD plan by the employees whose desire for expediency has been emboldened by the transcendent message is crucial to success. It should be evident by the “reverberating chatter” permeating throughout the organization and manifested in the invigorated emphasis on going beyond the routine. This also serves as a timely reminder to all the conniving forces lurking within the “dark alleys” of the organization that the time for Machiavellianism is over and “crossing the picket lines” would be a more productive option.

8. The Religious Application

This refers to the devout realization of the OD plan through the blissful harmonization of comprehensive planning with practical rendition. It should be knitted with the reflective process of “action research” and provide an opportunity for the dedicated implementers to raise the flag for personal competence as a foreword to subsequent reward and recognition. The momentum for effective execution should be robustly maintained with visible support from the top/senior management to sustain/reinforce the psychological contract with key stakeholders.

9. The Dogged Engagement

 This refers to the unwavering deployment of the “organizational citizenship“ behavior that is entrenched in the intrinsically motivated employees and sparkles during the performance of their duties and responsibilities.

It should be actively coveted and encouraged by elevating its status to a “core value” for the progressive organization. Great examples of its application should become a part of the “corporate folklore” and case studies preserved within the knowledge bank for onboarding/imbuing new inductees with the finer aspects of the espoused organizational culture.

10. The Stimulating Review

This refers to the invigorating process of formal analysis done at defined intervals to gauge the effectiveness of actions taken to meet the strategic and operational objectives. It should be meticulously planned, smoothly conducted, actively participated and resolutely followed up to avoid detachment from reaching the ultimate destination of competitive nirvana. Records of such reviews should become an important ingredient to the development of case studies and for the replenishment of the knowledge bank.

11. The Honest Affirmation

This refers to the diligent completion of corrective/preventive actions (CA/PA) that emanate from the stimulating review. It requires an intrinsic pledge of sincerity and industriousness on behalf of the employees tasked with the efficient completion and effective closure of CA/PA, since sedentary/rudimentary/disingenuous efforts will only exacerbate the situation and compromise the noble intent of the whole exercise. Records of such CA/PA should be deposited in the knowledge bank.

12. The Fair Remuneration

This refers to the inducement of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation through the allocation of appropriate rewards and recognition for services rendered by employees involved in the successful OD initiatives. It should have a high “felt fairness” perception among the beneficiaries and their peers by upholding the best tenets of organizational justice.

A wide range of interventions exist that address a variety of problems. Many of these interventions target symptomatology in caregivers, most commonly depression. Others address training caregivers in skills related to managing caregiver problems, such as disruptive behaviors in dementia, or pain in patients with cancer. Careful assessment of the caregiver needs to be completed before implementing any of these interventions because the focus of the intervention needs to address the particular needs of the caregiver.

For many of these clinical approaches, building skills in coping, problem-solving, increasing the rate of pleasant activity for the caregiver and/or care recipient are either the explicit goal of interventions or are the active ingredient in the interventions prescribed. Stress reduction through environmental modification is also a common focus of individual interventions.

Personal development interventions

There are many ways in which you can develop leadership skills, although individuals and organizations often struggle to identify ways to do so. This post looks at providing an overview of possible key interventions for personal development.

For each type of intervention, the following four questions need to be asked:

• Is this readily available to me?
• Is this of interest to me?
• Will it benefit me directly?
• Will it benefit the projects I work on and the organisation?

Below is a list of key interventions that can be implemented and it has been adapted from Project Leadership 3rd Edition, where this information is featured in more detail.

• Self-reflection: Creating space and time to reflect on your actions and reactions to events, so that you can understand what you can learn and increase self-awareness. This distinguishes high performers and requires commitment until it becomes habit. Mainstream examples include meditation and mindfulness.
• Reflective journal: Documenting your reflections in note form, diagrams or mind-maps. It helps to increase critical thought, understanding and follow-up.
• Personal performance management: Gaining insight into your own performance, as a result of appraisals, discussions with peers, seniors, mentors or coaches, or informal discussions. It should be used as a basis to plan further development to improve personal performance.
• Project experience: Working on projects is a necessary environment and support for learning to take place, as an opportunity to apply what has been learnt and gain critical experience.
• Self-study: Learning topics of interest and value. The internet has made available a vast array of materials which makes self-study easier.
• Feedback: Requesting and obtaining insight on personal performance from different perspectives. Be sure you want to receive feedback but note that often it is the negative and challenging feedback that helps us most.
• Coaching: Working through particular problems, on a one-to-one basis, provided by an internal or external coach. This helps to develop individuals to achieve the best performance possible.
• Mentoring: Providing advice and support, which typically comes from someone who has had similar experiences or responsibilities. This can help you work through your own issue or situation and can be done one to one, or one to many.
• Buddying: Informally supportive relationship, which is an opportunity to share and compare approaches and experiences with others. Typically this is to provide mutual support through a close association.
• Shadowing: Gaining insight from observing others, usually on a temporary basis. It is effective for individuals moving into a new role, who need to develop particular expertise.
• Secondment: Gaining experience in new environments, where an individual temporarily transfers to another role for a defined period of time.
• Training: Gaining knowledge and skills through a multiplicity of options; face to face, classroom based, distance and e-learning, simulation and gamification.
• Storytelling: Actively seeking out opportunities to listen to others who have specific insights, which may be beneficial to your own position.
• Communities of interest: Joining and participating in communities or groups of people who share a common interest, and who share their experience, knowledge, skills and learning.
• Professional body membership: Participating in the wider profession by belonging to a professional body. This provides access to policy makers, researchers and a network of contacts. Membership also provides recognition of your knowledge.
• Professional body qualification: Gaining formal qualifications or accreditations demonstrates your skill and commitment, increases your value and enhances your career prospects.
• Community investment initiative: Contributing to the wider society are opportunities for personal development, typically under the headings of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ or ‘Business in the Community’.
• Organizational investment task: Investing time and energy to contribute to initiatives outside your immediate area and remit, are opportunities for networking and contributing to the wider organization.
• Networking: Interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional contacts. This broadens your horizons, and increases your exposure to different experiences, people and ways of working.
• Academic qualification: Obtaining knowledge and skills provides specialised development.
• Conferences and seminars: Attending events exposes you to new offerings and thinking. You can hear a variety of practitioners and researchers, as well as taking the opportunity to present your own experiences.

This list is neither mutually exclusive nor collectively exhaustive. Some people may value certain activities more than others and personal development should be about finding the best approach for each individual. In our experience, self-reflection is one of the most powerful but underrated activities.

Inter-group interventions are integrated into OD programs to facilitate cooperation and efficiency between different groups within an organization. For instance, departmental interaction often deteriorates in larger organizations as different units battle for limited resources or become detached from the needs of other units.

Conflict resolution meetings are one common inter-group intervention. First, different group leaders are brought together to secure their commitment to the intervention. Next, the teams meet separately to make a list of their feelings about the other group(s). Then the groups meet and share their lists. Finally, the teams meet to discuss the problems and to try to develop solutions that will help both parties. This type of intervention, say supporters, helps to gradually diffuse tension between groups that has arisen because of faulty communication.

OD joint activity interventions involve melding members of different groups to work together toward a common goal. Similarly, common enemy interventions achieve the same results by finding an adversary common to two or more groups and then getting members of the groups to work together to overcome the threat. Examples of common enemies targeted in such programs include competitors, government regulation, and economic conditions.

Inter-group team building intervention intends to increase communications and interactions between work related groups to reduce the amount of dysfunctional competition and to replace a parochial independent point of view with an awareness of the necessity for interdependence of action calling on the best efforts of both the groups. Inter-group interventions are integrated into Organizational Development programs to facilitate cooperation and efficiency between different groups within an organization. For instance, departmental interaction often deteriorates in larger organizations as different divisions battle for limited resources or become detached from the needs of other departments. Conflict resolution meetings are one common inter-group intervention. First, different group leaders are brought together to get their commitment to the intervention. Next, the teams meet separately to make a list of their feelings about the other group(s). Then the groups meet and share their lists. Finally, the teams meet to discuss the problems and to try to develop solutions that will help both parties. This type of intervention helps to gradually diffuse tension between groups caused by lack of communication and misunderstanding.

Blake, Shepard and Mouton came up with a method which is used between groups that are strained and overly hostile. The process is to obtain commitment from the leaders of each group on their willingness to find procedures that will improve inter group relations. Groups are put in different rooms. The task of each group is to generate two lists. They should put down thoughts, attitudes, perceptions and feelings about the other group, predict what the other group will say about them. The groups come together and share their lists. No comments or discussions, only clarity. The groups reconvene to discuss their reactions to what they have learned about themselves from what the other group has said identify issues that still need to be resolved between the two groups. The two groups come together and share their lists, they set priorities, and they generate action steps and assign responsibilities. A follow up meeting is convened to ensure that the action steps have been taken. The method can be used with more than two groups where the hostility between the groups may not be extreme or severe. In this method, each group, separately compiles two types of lists namely a positive feedback list, a bug list and an empathy list. The two groups come together and share the lists; there is no discussion, except for seeking clarification. The total group generates a list of major problems and unresolved issues between the two groups. These issues are ranked in terms of importance. Sub groups are formed with members from each group, who then discuss and work through each item. The sub-groups report to the larger group. On the basis of the report back and all the other information gathered, the group proceeds to: generate action steps for resolving the conflict, assign responsibilities for each step and record a date by which the steps ought to have been carried out. With this method the two groups work together effectively.

Rotating membership

Such interventions are used by Organizational Development change agents to minimize the negative effects of inter-group rivalry that result from employee allegiances to groups or divisions. The intervention basically entails temporarily putting group members into their rival groups. As more people interact in the different groups, greater understanding results.  Organizational Development joint activity interventions serve the same basic function as the rotating membership approach, but it involves getting members of different groups to work together toward a common goal. Similarly, common enemy interventions achieve the same results by finding an adversary common to two or more groups and then getting members of the groups to work together to overcome the threat. Examples of common enemies include competitors, government regulation, and economic conditions.

Characteristics of inter-group conflict

Inter group conflicts are characterized by perception of the other as the “enemy”, stereotyping, constipated, distorted and inaccurate communication and stoppage of feedback and data input. Each group begins to praise itself and its products more positively and believes that it can do no wrong and the other can do no right. There might even be acts of sabotage against the other group. Using the idea of a common enemy outside the group that both groups dislike to bring them closer, increasing interaction and communication under favorable conditions and finding a super – ordinate goal that both groups desire. Rotating members of the group, training, etc are helpful strategies that have been used to deal with inter-group conflict

Walton’s approach to third party peace making interventions

Walton’s approach to third party peace making interventions has a lot in common with group interventions but it is directed more towards, interpersonal conflict. Third party interventions involve confrontation and Walton outlines confrontation mechanisms. A major feature of these mechanisms is the ability to diagnose the problem accurately. The diagnostic model is based on four elements namely the conflict issues, precipitating circumstances, conflict-related acts and the consequences of the conflict. It is also important to know the source of the conflict. Sources could be substantive issues, which is conflict related to practices, scarce resources, and differing conceptions of roles and responsibilities. Sources of conflicts could also be emotional issues, involve feelings between the parties, such as anger, hurt, fear, resentment, etc. The former require bargaining and problem solving. The latter require restructuring perceptions and working through negative feelings. Ingredients of a productive confrontation include the following. Mutual positive motivation, which refers to the willingness on both parties resolve the conflict; Balance of power without any power differentials between the parties involved in a confrontation; Synchronization of confrontation efforts wherein the two parties address the conflict simultaneously; and Differentiation and integration of different phases of the intervention must be well paced. The intervention involves working through negative feelings and ambivalent positive feeling. The intervention must allow sufficient time for this process to take place. Conditions that promote openness should be created. This could be done through setting appropriate norms and creating a structure that encourages openness. Reliable communicative signal refers to using language that is understood by the parties involved in the confrontation. Optimum tension in the situation means that the stress experienced by both parties ought to be sufficient to motivate them but not too excessive. General principles on negotiation involve approaches to people, interests, options and criteria. People have different feelings and perceptions therefore it is important to separate people from feelings. Interest. Looking at party interests provide a vehicle for resolving conflict rather sticking to inflexible positions that entrench the conflict. Options ought to be generated in order to come up with best option for resolving conflict. Criteria for evaluating the success of the intervention ought to be clear and objective.

Almost everyone wants to build teams at work. But, the process of building teams and having them function successfully takes work. Teamwork requires a commitment to understanding yourself, understanding others, and developing teamwork skills.

• To understand yourself means that you are aware of emotions, personal needs, strengths, and weaknesses. Plus, you need to examine how you communicate and the roles you play within the team.
• To understand others involves a willingness to give and receive sensitive and constructive feedback.
• To develop teamwork skills, focus on supporting and listening to others, negotiating differences, and offering constructive feedback. These requirements are often unheard or only given lip service.

Teamwork is not something that develops spontaneously or easily. Team-based interventions provide an avenue for success. The Highlands Ability Battery (THAB) assessment measures natural abilities through work samples. The value of having an understanding of your hard-wired strengths, while developing a common team understanding, is immeasurable.

The assessment should be followed by individual feedback consultations. This provides a clear understanding to the team member about how they contribute, from the perspective of both strengths and challenges.

Types of Team Building Intervention

No team is “born” fully effective; it develops over time with ups and downs, successes and failures. Effective teamwork is essential to project, department and organizational success. It requires hard work, persistence and a committed team leader. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan said, “My job is to give my team a chance to win.” This is also the job of a committed team leader. But sometimes, committed leaders need help addressing team dynamics.

1. Teamwork Effectiveness Problems

In his book “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” management consultant Patrick Lencioni identifies several “natural pitfalls” that can prevent a team from being effective. These pitfalls include a lack of trust among team members; destructive rather than constructive conflict; lack of commitment to the team; lack of accountability – the willingness of team members to accept responsibility for their behavior; and the failure of the team to produce results.

Team building intervention strategies may help teams avoid or recover from these pitfalls. The type of team building intervention used depends on the team’s composition and history, along with the nature and the severity of the problem. For an intervention to be effective, there must be ongoing follow-up to incorporate the lessons learned to the team’s daily work.

2. Skill-Based Team Intervention Strategies

Sometimes a team has problems because its members do not have the basic knowledge or skills they need to work together. Skill building interventions give members the opportunity to learn and practice team skills, such as leading a team meeting, reaching group consensus, improving team communications, constructively giving and receiving feedback, resolving conflicts, listening effectively and sharing information. These team building interventions are presented as a course in which all members participate and during which they develop action plans for practicing the needed skills.

3. Problem Solving Interventions

Problem solving interventions are most effective with a team that has a specific project problem or barrier to teamwork that is blocking progress. In these interventions, all team members meet at an off-site location with an outside facilitator and without the distraction of daily work. The facilitator’s job is to help the team explore and understand the problem in order to find a solution. Problem solving retreats are the most common form of team building intervention because the activity is immediately applied to the team’s daily work.

4. Personality-Based Interventions

Personality-based interventions focus in improving interpersonal skills among the team members. Members take personality or psychometric tests such as the Myers-Briggs Personality Type, Insights Team Dynamics, Enneagram or DISC assessments. The results are communicated to each team member and, in some instances, the entire team to help members understand and appreciate their own and their teammates’ personalities and interpersonal styles. Ideally, this understanding leads to better communication and improved team effectiveness.

5. Activity-Based Interventions

In activity-based interventions, team members participate in physical challenges, such as playing games, canoeing or hiking. The interventions focus on teamwork, problem solving, trust and risk taking. The activity addresses specific problems facing a team with the goal that the success achieved by working together in the activity will carry over into the team’s work.

Action research can be defined as “an approach in which the action researcher and a client collaborate in the diagnosis of the problem and in the development of a solution based on the diagnosis”. In other words, one of the main characteristic traits of action research relates to collaboration between researcher and member of organisation in order to solve organizational problems.

Action study assumes social world to be constantly changing, both, researcher and research being one part of that change. Generally, action researches can be divided into three categories: positivist, interpretive and critical.

1. Positivist approach to action research, also known as ‘classical action research’ perceives research as a social experiment. Accordingly, action research is accepted as a method to test hypotheses in a real world environment.
2. Interpretive action research, also known as ‘contemporary action research’ perceives business reality as socially constructed and focuses on specifications of local and organizational factors when conducting the action research.
3. Critical action research is a specific type of action research that adopts critical approach towards business processes and aims for improvements.

The following features of action research need to be taken into account when considering its suitability for any given study:

• It is applied in order to improve specific practices. Action research is based on action, evaluation and critical analysis of practices based on collected data in order to introduce improvements in relevant practices.
• This type of research is facilitated by participation and collaboration of number of individuals with a common purpose
• Such a research focuses on specific situations and their context

Advantages of Action Research

• High level of practical relevance of the business research;
• Can be used with quantitative, as well as, qualitative data;
• Possibility to gain in-depth knowledge about the problem.

Disadvantages of Action Research

• Difficulties in distinguishing between action and research and ensure the application of both;
• Delays in completion of action research due to a wide range of reasons are not rare occurrences
• Lack of repeatability and rigour

It is important to make a clear distinction between action research and consulting. Specifically, action research is greater than consulting in a way that action research includes both action and research, whereas business activities of consulting are limited action without the research.

Action Research Spiral

Action study is a participatory study consisting of spiral of following self-reflective cycles:

• Planning in order to initiate change
• Implementing the change (acting) and observing the process of implementation and consequences
• Reflecting on processes of change and re-planning
• Acting and observing
• Reflecting