SUCCESS in Leading Creative Change
You can provide people who are ready to engage in creative collaboration with the right tools, and clear goals or desired outcomes, but if the work environment does not support and encourage their application and use you’re unlikely to be successful. Leading Creative Change programs have helped leaders obtain practical insights on their climate for creativity and innovation by applying the Situational Outlook Questionnaire.
Enhancing Innovation Performance:
CPSB has had a long working relationship with PwC, in support of its efforts to enhance innovative performance in the marketplace and to train employees in CPS and strategic thinking skills. CPSB developed a module for its Exceptional Leadership and Management Program as part of a firm-wide distance learning initiative. We were also invited by PwC Global to establish its corporate new product and service development process, as well as the New Service Development Incubator program for one area of the US business. These training and innovation initiatives helped spur new service oriented products that were developed and launched in the marketplace. Sustained training efforts continue to develop creative and strategic thinking skills throughout the organization.
Climate for Innovation’s Impact on New Product Development:
3M wanted to further the climate for creativity and innovation in their organization. Using the Situational Outlook Questionnaire® (SOQ) we assessed the climate for innovation within some of the 3M innovation teams and departments. 3M’s management took the results of the SOQ and with assistance from CPSB learned how to improve certain aspects of the working climate. These insights resulted in improving new product development processes, shortening time to market and improving product market expansion.
Improving the Climate to Facilitate Creativity and Change:
Exxon USA’s Petroleum and Specialty Products Division implemented a new vision and needed to understand the impact of this vision on people in the organization. We designed a program that provided feedback to the senior management team that included pre and post assessments of the climate for creativity, innovation and change. It resulted in specific strategies implemented by management to improve the working climate associated with the vision.
Developing Creative Leadership:
Ogilvy was looking to develop the creative leadership styles of CEO’s throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East as part of Ogilvy’s Senior Management Program. The Situational Outlook Questionnaire® (SOQ) was given to the CEO’s and some of their direct reports with an eye towards looking at the CEO’s management/leadership styles and climate they were creating. The leaders were given the results of the direct reports’ view of the internal climate, so they could see if they were leading a climate where creativity and innovation could thrive. The CEO’s, in conjunction with CPSB, then created strategies for improving the climate not only in individual markets, but throughout the business.
