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Martie-Louise Verreynne and Rachel Fitzgerald

Go beyond just an individual new product, service and/or business model initiative to build a culture of innovation.

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Go beyond just an individual new product, service and/or business model initiative to build a culture of innovation.

This course will help you identify the organizational barriers to innovation and provide you with the tools to assess your innovation readiness. You will learn new skills, capabilities and strategies that will help you to drive innovation in your team or organization. Through case studies and interactive exercises, you will develop skills in creating organizational cultures and structures that support innovation, build capacity and resources in your team and organization for innovation and examine your role as an innovation leader who empowers champions of innovation.

The course concludes by discussing the importance of ensuring that innovation is purposeful and that it creates economic and social value.

What you'll learn

  • The components required to build innovation as a capability,
  • How to set innovation strategy and build capacity and resources for innovation,
  • Barriers to innovation/innovation readiness,
  • How to manage organizational change resulting from innovation,
  • Designing and managing organizational structures, cultures and leadership for innovation,
  • How to ensure innovation is value based.

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • The components required to build innovation as a capability,
  • How to set innovation strategy and build capacity and resources for innovation,
  • Barriers to innovation/innovation readiness,
  • How to manage organizational change resulting from innovation,
  • Designing and managing organizational structures, cultures and leadership for innovation,
  • How to ensure innovation is value based.

Syllabus

Week 1: Innovation capacity and capability Introduce the core concepts and explain how they are applied by exceptional organizations
Week 2: Innovation enablers and barriers Evaluate the barriers to innovation and discuss how organizations can get ready to innovate
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Builds upon organizational innovation and institution entrepreneurship
Taught by Martie-Louise Verreynne and Rachel Fitzgerald, instructors recognized for their expertise in the field
Discusses the importance of building an innovation culture within an organization
Guides learners through setting innovation strategy and building capacity for innovation
Develops foundational knowledge of the components required to build innovation as a capability
Explores how to manage organizational change resulting from innovation

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Reviews summary

Cultivating innovation: strategic leadership

According to learners, this course offers a fantastic overview and robust framework for cultivating an innovation culture. Many praise the clear, concise lectures and the instructor's engaging delivery, finding the content highly relevant for today's business environment. The course provides valuable insights into areas like vertical leadership development and overcoming organizational barriers. While generally seen as a game-changer for leaders, some students note that it leans heavily on academic concepts and could benefit from more hands-on tools or direct implementation guides, particularly for agile or small-to-medium enterprises. Overall, it's considered excellent for a comprehensive understanding of innovation strategy.
Forum discussions enhance the overall learning experience.
"The peer discussions in the forum were also quite insightful, adding another layer to the learning process."
Case studies and examples help ground theoretical content.
"I appreciated the case studies, which helped to ground the theory in real-world scenarios."
"The real-world examples and the structured approach to building innovation capability are superb."
"The case studies, while insightful, could have been more diverse in terms of industry or scale."
Offers critical perspectives for leaders in change management.
"It truly broadened my perspective on leadership and change management."
"The emphasis on overcoming organizational barriers and assessing innovation readiness was crucial for my role."
"Truly valuable for those in leadership positions aiming to transform their teams."
"Highly recommended for any leader or aspiring leader."
Instructors deliver clear insights with passion.
"The lectures were clear, concise, and the supplementary readings provided excellent depth."
"The instructor's delivery is engaging and the content is meticulously organized."
"The instructors are clearly experts in their field, and their passion is infectious."
"The instructor does a good job of explaining complex concepts."
Provides a robust conceptual framework for innovation culture.
"This course provided a fantastic overview of how to foster innovation within an organization."
"A well-structured and highly relevant course for today's dynamic business environment."
"This course provides a comprehensive understanding of how to build and sustain an innovation-driven culture."
"It articulates the 'why' and 'what' of innovation culture very well."
Strong on theory and concepts, less on immediate hands-on application.
"I was hoping for more hands-on tools or step-by-step guides for implementation."
"It's too academic for my taste, and I needed more 'how-to' guidance."
"I really needed concrete strategies I could apply tomorrow. Much of it felt abstract."
"While conceptually strong, it sometimes lacks the 'how-to' practical guidance for direct implementation."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Creating and Sustaining an Innovation Culture with these activities:
Organize your course materials
Stay organized by creating a central repository for all your course materials, making them easier to access and review.
Show steps
  • Gather all course materials (notes, assignments, quizzes, etc.).
  • Create a digital or physical filing system.
  • Regularly update and review your materials.
Watch online videos or webinars on innovation
Expand your knowledge of innovation by accessing online resources and learning from experts.
Browse courses on Learning and Development
Show steps
  • Identify relevant online videos or webinars.
  • Watch and take notes on the content.
  • Apply what you learn to your own innovation initiatives.
Brush up on problem-solving techniques
Enhance your ability to identify and solve challenges, which is crucial for innovation.
Browse courses on Problem-Solving
Show steps
  • Review problem-solving frameworks and tools.
  • Practice solving problems using different approaches.
  • Seek feedback on your problem-solving process.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Read 'The Innovator's Dilemma' by Clayton Christensen
Gain insights into the challenges and opportunities of innovation by reading a seminal work in the field.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of the book.
  • Read the book thoroughly, taking notes as you go.
  • Summarize the key concepts and insights from the book.
  • Consider how the book's ideas apply to your organization or field.
Develop a personal innovation plan
Create a roadmap for your own innovation journey by outlining your goals, strategies, and action plan.
Browse courses on Innovation Strategy
Show steps
  • Identify your innovation goals.
  • Research different innovation techniques and approaches.
  • Develop a plan outlining your action steps, timeline, and resources.
  • Review and refine your plan regularly.
Implement an innovation project
Apply the concepts you learn in the course by embarking on an innovation project within your organization or community.
Browse courses on Project Management
Show steps
  • Identify a problem or opportunity in your organization or community.
  • Research and develop a solution.
  • Prototype and test your solution.
  • Implement and scale your solution.
  • Evaluate and document the results.
Attend an innovation workshop or conference
Engage with other professionals in the field of innovation and exchange ideas and insights.
Browse courses on Learning and Development
Show steps
  • Identify relevant innovation workshops or conferences.
  • Register and attend the event.
  • Participate actively in discussions and networking.
  • Follow up with connections made at the event.

Career center

Learners who complete Creating and Sustaining an Innovation Culture will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Intrapreneur
An Intrapreneur is an employee within an organization who is responsible for driving innovation. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the innovation process, from ideation to implementation. Additionally, the course covers how to build a business case for innovation and how to overcome barriers to innovation, which are both essential skills for an Intrapreneur.
Innovation Consultant
An Innovation Consultant helps organizations develop and implement innovation strategies. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the innovation process, from ideation to implementation. Additionally, the course covers how to assess an organization's innovation readiness and how to build a culture of innovation, which are both essential skills for an Innovation Consultant.
Innovation Manager
An Innovation Manager is responsible for leading and managing innovation initiatives within an organization. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the innovation process, from ideation to implementation. Additionally, the course covers how to measure and evaluate the success of innovation initiatives, which is an essential skill for an Innovation Manager.
Quality Manager
A Quality Manager is responsible for the quality management function of an organization. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the quality management process, from quality planning to quality control. Additionally, the course covers how to manage quality teams and how to measure and improve quality performance, which are both essential skills for a Quality Manager.
Supply Chain Manager
A Supply Chain Manager is responsible for the supply chain management function of an organization. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the supply chain management process, from supplier selection to inventory management. Additionally, the course covers how to manage supply chain teams and how to manage supply chain risks, which are both essential skills for a Supply Chain Manager.
Innovation Culture Specialist
An Innovation Culture Specialist is responsible for creating and maintaining a culture that fosters innovation within an organization. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the components required to build innovation as a capability. Additionally, the course covers how to design and manage organizational structures, cultures, and leadership for innovation, which are all essential skills for an Innovation Culture Specialist.
Business Development Manager
A Business Development Manager is responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities for an organization. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the business development process, from lead generation to customer acquisition. Additionally, the course covers how to build relationships with customers and how to negotiate contracts, which are both essential skills for a Business Development Manager.
Sales Manager
A Sales Manager is responsible for leading and managing a sales team. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the sales process, from lead generation to customer acquisition. Additionally, the course covers how to build a sales team and how to motivate and reward sales reps, which are both essential skills for a Sales Manager.
Project Manager
A Project Manager is responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the project management process, from project planning to project closure. Additionally, the course covers how to manage project teams and how to manage project risks, which are both essential skills for a Project Manager.
Operations Manager
An Operations Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of an organization. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the operations management process, from process design to process improvement. Additionally, the course covers how to manage operations teams and how to measure and improve operational performance, which are both essential skills for an Operations Manager.
Human Resources Manager
A Human Resources Manager is responsible for the human resources function of an organization. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the human resources process, from recruiting to employee development. Additionally, the course covers how to manage human resources teams and how to handle employee relations, which are both essential skills for a Human Resources Manager.
Finance Manager
A Finance Manager is responsible for the financial management of an organization. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the financial management process, from budgeting to financial reporting. Additionally, the course covers how to manage finance teams and how to analyze financial data, which are both essential skills for a Finance Manager.
Information Technology Manager
An Information Technology Manager is responsible for the information technology function of an organization. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the information technology process, from systems analysis to systems implementation. Additionally, the course covers how to manage information technology teams and how to manage information technology projects, which are both essential skills for an Information Technology Manager.
Product Manager
A Product Manager is responsible for the development and launch of new products and services. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the product development process, from ideation to launch. Additionally, the course covers how to conduct market research and how to manage product teams, which are both essential skills for a Product Manager.
Marketing Manager
A Marketing Manager is responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns for an organization. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this career field as it provides a comprehensive overview of the marketing process, from market research to campaign execution. Additionally, the course covers how to build a brand and how to measure the success of marketing campaigns, which are both essential skills for a Marketing Manager.

Reading list

We've selected 14 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Creating and Sustaining an Innovation Culture.
Is an essential read for leaders at all levels who are interested in creating and sustaining a culture of innovation. It explores the challenges that large organizations face when trying to innovate and provides insights into how to overcome them.
Practical guide to building and managing a lean startup. It covers topics such as customer development, product development, and marketing and provides tools and techniques that can help entrepreneurs to launch and grow their businesses.
Provides a step-by-step guide to design thinking, a process that can be used to solve complex problems and create innovative solutions. It includes case studies and exercises that can help readers to apply design thinking to their own work.
Argues that design thinking is the next competitive advantage for businesses. It provides a framework for using design thinking to create innovative products, services, and experiences.
Identifies the five skills that are essential for disruptive innovators. It provides insights into how to develop these skills and how to use them to create successful innovations.
This classic book provides a comprehensive overview of innovation and entrepreneurship. It covers topics such as the different types of innovation, the challenges that innovators face, and the strategies that can be used to create and sustain successful businesses.
Provides a framework for building a great company. It explores the characteristics of great companies and the practices that they use to achieve success.
Provides a practical guide to design thinking for managers. It includes tools and techniques that can be used to solve problems, create innovative solutions, and drive growth.
Explores the challenges that financial tools can pose to innovation. It provides insights into how to overcome these challenges and create a culture of innovation.
Provides a practical guide to the lean startup methodology for organizations. It includes case studies and examples of how organizations have used the lean startup methodology to create and sustain successful innovations.
Explores the importance of early adopter insights for innovation. It provides a framework for collecting and using early adopter insights to create and sustain successful innovations.

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