Fostering Innovation at Carleton University: A Discussion Guide

Transcription

1 Fostering Innovation at Carleton University: A Discussion Guide October

2 Introduction Carleton University is recognized for being forward-thinking, energetic, community-minded and entrepreneurial. These traits that have allowed Carleton to thrive throughout its young history, and it is these traits that will help to position it as a university of choice among the country s best and brightest students, academics, researchers, and administrators. These qualities are also reflected in our community s desire to discover new intellectual terrain, to push the boundaries of knowledge and understanding and to offer our students an outstanding education and experience. If Carleton is going to be the best that it can be we must continue to innovate and to look for new ways of doing things from the kinds of programs we offer to how we operate the university. It is also no secret that the Canadian post-secondary education sector is experiencing particularly difficult challenges as a consequence of the collapse of the equity markets in Much (but not all) of the challenge relates to the impact of the market collapse on the value of pension plans administered in the sector. Universities will be required to make annual payments to replenish lost value, and these payments will be significant. For planning purposes, Carleton University s administration is assuming a $10 million dollar annual extraordinary payment to the pension fund, starting in 2010/2011. At the same time, the administration does not anticipate any increase in revenues from government grants, and enrolment and tuition increases will not keep pace with inflation. This means that the University must find ways to generate significant additional resources to meet this budgetary challenge. In short, we must become more innovative, continually looking for new ways to generate revenues; minimize waste and reduce our costs. What is innovation? Innovation refers to the introduction of a new way, or ways, of doing or producing something. It is change that can be radical, transformative or incremental, but the objective or end result is always the same: a better, often more effective or efficient, way of working, producing something or product. Why does it matter at Carleton? While its mission may differ from private businesses, Carleton is faced with the same economic and budgetary pressures as other organizations. In a world of increasingly scarce financial resources it is incumbent upon an institution like Carleton to always be looking for new ways of generating revenues, cutting costs or otherwise running the institution in a more efficient, effective manner. In doing so, we will maximize Carleton s ability to deliver on its academic mandate and to provide its students, staff and faculty with the best possible learning and research experience possible. 2

3 In addition, and perhaps more important, Carleton is funded through fees paid by its students and through the government grant that it receives. It is therefore critical that those resources are carefully managed to ensure that the university delivers the greatest possible return on the investment its students and government have made. Finally, while innovation can help organizations become more efficient, it can also help organizations become more effective, more responsive to the needs and interests of those it serves. In an increasingly competitive post-secondary education sector becoming more innovative can help Carleton differentiate itself from its competitors. How can we play a role? Innovation can take place at any and all levels of an organization. As staff and faculty members you are in perhaps the best position to identify opportunities for the university to find new ways of doing things. Even small changes can help make a difference and you can help by looking around your own operations and asking if there are opportunities that are being missed, more efficient ways of operating, or costs that can be cut. Sometimes these are things that you can do on your own, within your department, and that do not require senior management s approval or involvement. In other instances, you might identify opportunities that require seed money to get them underway, or that would have a broader impact on the organization. Carleton has established a Task Force on Financial Resources that will help to evaluate and bring those opportunities to fruition. Starting the discussion Innovation is something that can be cultivated within an organization. It occurs in organizations that foster it by creating a culture that supports and rewards it. That means creating opportunities for staff, faculty and students to: Take risks; Pursue new ideas (no idea is too small for consideration); Or sometimes just to think or reflect on their roles and the processes and procedures for which they are responsible. To help get your colleagues thinking about how to be more innovative about their unit/department/role, start with some questions: About their business unit s/department s role or function: 3

4 1. What is our core function? Who are we here to serve? 2. What is your role in helping to deliver on those objectives? 3. Are we doing things we shouldn t be doing? Could be doing more effectively? 4. Do we know how other organizations perform the same function(s)? 5. If you could eliminate one task from your department/unit what would it be and why? Similarly, if you could add a new task or responsibility what would it be and why? About Carleton: 6. Are there departments or outside agencies/organizations that you think could/should be working more closely together? Would that allow the delivery of new services or existing services more effectively or efficiently? 7. Are there currently systems or processes in place that break down or do not work? How would you improve them (putting aside for the moment any resource considerations)? 8. Are there departments/units on campus that do things well from an operational point of view? How do they do it? What is different about them that allows them to be successful, in your eyes? 9. Do we some things a certain way because that s the way we ve always done them? About fostering/supporting innovation: 10. Innovative organizations allow for projects/initiatives to be undertaken even when they are not guaranteed to succeed. Does Carleton allow itself to experiment or take risks even when success is not guaranteed? 11. Are there impediments (systems? Processes? Procedures?) at Carleton that you believe prevent us from being a more innovative organization? 12. Is there one change you would implement to help make Carleton a more innovative place? 13. Are there risks or challenges in the post-secondary sector that Carleton should be prepared to address/face in the coming years? What are they? 4

5 14. Is there another post-secondary institution that you think is particularly innovative in terms of how it operates, the programs it offers or how its employees do their jobs? What is it about that organization that makes it unique in this sense? What can Carleton learn from it? Sustaining an innovative environment Innovative organizations share a number of traits: They have the support of senior management They give staff/faculty permission to try new thing, not all of which will be successful They are focused they understand what they are in business to do. Most important, they are continually encouraging employees to think about the work that they do and to try and identify better, more effective, efficient ways of working. From a management perspective it is critical that you continue to ask questions, evaluate processes and encourage input from your staff and colleagues. When an innovative idea works well, acknowledge it. When it doesn t discard the idea and move on. As you hold discussions with your staff and colleagues and explore some of the questions outlined above you are encouraged to take those ideas or suggestions that you believe should be implemented or tried and submit them to your supervisor or, even, to submit them to the Task Force on Financial Resources if appropriate. You can do that through the Task Force s website 5