The ability to make innovative strategic decisions, and to execute those decisions innovatively, is crucial for success.
Strategic decisions are usually derived by matching the capabilities of the organisation with the opportunities that are becoming apparent in an industry/market. Innovation plays a key role in recognising and developing both capability and opportunity but is often at-odds with the mindset attached to comprehensive strategy. It also takes innovative approaches to capture the imagination of key stakeholders who will determine the acceptance or rejection of any strategy.
Innovation is integral to implementation of strategy within existing organisational culture, people and processes.
Strategy leaders and teams are required to think innovatively and to support a culture that embraces change and innovation within the organisation. Yet, organisations (for good reason) focus almost solely on quality and efficiency limiting innovative thinking, acceptance of innovation (culture) and therefore the ability to innovate.
This one-day program will provide participants with an evaluation of their own, their team’s, and their organisations, willingness to innovate. This will be reviewed in the context of the organisation including need for change, global context, existing culture and cultural safety.
About the facilitators
Dr. Graham Ferguson
Graham is an academic at Curtin University who leads a team exploring innovative ways to provide services to unheard consumers including elderly people, people with disability, and people with mental health needs. This included working with technology providers, service providers, older consumers & families, advocacy groups, local authorities and government to run co-design workshops to identify and implement innovative thinking in under resourced areas. Graham has a breadth of experience in innovative projects with large transport, manufacturing and insurance roles including 10yrs as a strategy consultant.
Dr Ben Thomas
Dr Ben Thomas is an academic at Curtin University within the Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Strategy and International Business discipline group. He has teaching experience at MBA, Postgraduate and undergraduate levels delivering courses on start-up business planning, strategy and leadership with a focus on practical application. His current research focus is developing a greater understanding of the entrepreneurial journey and the role of training programs in developing the key entrepreneurial skills required at each stage. Further, Ben cut his teeth as a founder in the wine industry, founding and exiting WA’s first online wine marketplace, Vine Collective, and more recently wine production company, Berserkr Wines.