How do we innovate effectively? How do we turn good ideas into concrete practices? How do we work out what those ideas are? How do we do so when we are so often part of large, slow moving organisations? Or how do we do so when we are limited to small units?
These were the questions tackled at a recent workshop in London lead by Kamal Birdi of the University of Sheffield’s Management School, supported by SIID and sponsored by the ESRC as part of the Festival of Social Science. The workshop was held with over 20 representatives of 14 different development NGOs.
Kamal has been wrestling with the history and practicalities of innovation from his perspective both as a chartered occupational psychologist and as a researcher of organizational practice. This has helped him to understand how new ideas get implemented and embedded or how frustrated and stymied.
Based on many years of research Kamal has developed the CLEAR IDEAS process (and app *free for a limited period!*) that systematically applies, and provides tools to implement, the fruits of years of research into practical, and relatively implementable processes of change. CLEAR IDEAS works by developing the skills of participants to both generate creative new solutions and plan strategies for their implementation. The model is based on research evidence into what contributes to effective innovation in organisations.
Hundreds of people from different private (e.g. Tetra Pak, BOC Ltd, Corinthia Hotels), public (NHS, BBC, Councils, Police, DWP, BIS) and third sector organisations (SCOPE, MENCAP, YMCA) have been trained in the CLEAR IDEAS methodology since 2005.