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Amanda Lang was the lunchtime keynote speaker on Day 1 of the HRPA 2012 Conference on Wednesday, February 1, 2012. When she started talking about derivatives and other financial information, I thought “Oh, no – this is going to be a pretty dry subject” but this lady has a sense of humour and her presentation was great as it focussed on innovation as a key to raising Canada’s productivity levels.

Here is a quick summary of her presentation:

The Spandex Rule.  Just because you can get into something doesn’t mean you should.

We have the human capacity to improve on things - The invention of the printing press allowed sharing information which resulted in a huge spike in the standard of living. Today, the Internet can make us all look smart because we have a ton of information immediately at our fingertips.

Canada’s productivity is getting lower. Productivity is about output not working longer. The Germans work less hours than the Greeks, but their productivity is higher. The mecca of productivity is making a better widget.

A culture of innovation increases productivity. To promote innovation we need to ask “why or why not.” Organizations need to create an environment where employees feel safe expressing ideas. If that doesn’t happen, they won’t innovate for fear of looking stupid or being judged.

We can all be innovators. We are all born scientists and then we are trained out of it. We can be innovators because we were all little kids once with curiosity, who constantly asked “Why?” But we are taught at a very early age that “why” is irritating. Like many, Amanda Lang suggests that the school system needs to change as the structure was created for the industrial age, and it squashes innovation. Read a personal story of what happens in the classroom in my blog The Plasticine Rabbit, a story of how creativity gets crumpled.

Engaged employees are innovative employees. Can front line staff change how they do their job? Can they innovate freely? If employees aren’t engaged, they won’t give a damn and they won’t be innovative. Organizations need to create a culture where challenging the status quo is welcomed. That’s the key to innovation. Innovation is a mindset. We need to find meaning in work and what we do.

Organizational blocks to innovation. Unfortunately Amanda Lang notes that HR and IT have been identified as the two biggest blocks to innovation in an organization. HR needs to help employees find the passion in what they are doing. HR’s role is to help employees feel their authentic selves are recognized. When this happens employees feel “loved” and become engaged innovators.

Courage is needed to innovate. Not following the status quo results in product innovation. For example, Ford went against the grain, and focused on a fuel efficient car even though a gas guzzler was their best seller. By challenging the status quo, they created an innovative product in the market place. However, service is piece of the business that can screw up even the best products. Organizations also need to focus on service innovation.

How does your organization promote innovation in the workplace? Why is the measure of employee success often based on number of hours worked instead of outcome? Do HR initiatives enhance employee engagement and innovation or stifle it with rigid policing type policies? What can we do to create happy, healthy, (innovative) and productive workplaces?

Posted by Joanne Royce