Innovation and education in Roskilde
For months now we have worked on an innovation process with with Roskilde, a Danish municipality, together with our partners Per Løkken and Build Identity. The aim of this process is to develop a strategy that guides Roskilde in the direction of becoming Europe’s leading, educational city in the year 2030.
As an important part of the process, we wanted “the silent voice” (the users) that are often overruled or ignored by “the known voice” (the professionals) to be heard. In this case, we defined the “silent voice” as being students from Roskilde’s different educational institutions. In many cases, the future work force and citizens of Roskilde. The userdriven innovation process is divided into three stages:
Stage one, Involvement
We invite the students (the users) to become co-developers and share thoughts, wishes and dreams and contribute ideas on the project.
Stage two, Idea- and concept development
The material we are left with form the basis for stage two where the people that normally work with strategy development in the municipality (“the known voice”) take part in transforming all the thoughts and inputs into concrete ideas and concepts. Again, students are invited into this process
Stage three, realisation
Development and realization of innovative concepts for the municipality.
The grand opening
Last Tuesday (November 24) was the highlight of stage one. A one day innovation work shop were we had invited seventy students from various schools and universities to participate in six different work shops. Furthermore employees from the municipality (the educational institutions, politicians etc.) were working together in a seventh workshop. The workshops were designed as an experience for many senses where the participants through play and creativity explored future lifestyles within 6 areas of everyday life and education.
For you Danish speaking readers you can follow this link to watch a small video. A feature by a regional tv station that stopped by on the innovation day.
The impact of a positive mindset
Positive Psychology is a term you hear more and more often in connection with employee performance and optimizing work environment. The term refers to how can improve your motivation and performance through your changing your attitude in certain situations. The fact that management behavior have a big impact on the work environment in teams and organizations, has encouraged several companies to introduce their managers to positive psycology.
Together with our network partner Strandgaard & Co we facilitated a workshop for a group of managers from Lundbeck on how to use positive psychology to change unfavorable habits in their teams and support creative and positive thinking. Through theory and practical exercises, we supplied them with knowledge and tools for becoming more aware and alert in their management roles: How to identify and develop personal strategies for flow and energy in daily work situations and to positively affect their surroundings.
We’ve all experienced to feel stressed and drained of energy after a workday. We tend to blame it on the boss, the difficult clients or the daily traffic jam. However, little changes can have big effects. Meeting your colleagues with a positive attitude and optimism instead of stress and short answers creates a very different energy at your work place. We all make these choises many times a day, when we interact with other people. Some situations may be more challenging to change into something positive than others. But in the end it is our own choise, if today’s budget meeting is going to be a dread or a unique possibility to talk about opportunities and (positive) change.
Here is a good little exercise for you: For one day, try to be aware of and focus on things that make you happy, organize your space and devote some time to activities you enjoy. Alone or with collegues. What fosters “A good work day” for you? We think we could all need a new perspective these days
Fight the crunch!
We hear about the recession all the time. The strategies for dealing with it are very different, but when visiting different organisations, both private and public, there are similarities. Important changes are postponed, every new venture is analysed carefully and maybe even put on hold, staff costs cut and hiring stopped. All of which are potentially dangerous precautions for any organisation.
By changing the perspective, the crunch actually creates new opportunities for organisations who are willing to fight the norm.
One of them has already been proved by a small organisation, I admire; Middelfart Sparekasse (a Danish bank). Because or despite of the recession, just a few weeks ago they were awarded the title “The best workplace in Denmark”, by the Great Place to Work® Institute. For me, that is a great example of how putting people first will always be a winning strategy. Make sure you build up confidence and trust, both towards your employees, clients and other stakeholders. If you let them down, they will let you down.
In short, for many organisations the crunch can be a great wake-up call that allows you to focus your organisation on what REALLY makes a difference. Trust, clarity, reliability and true value.
More about the nomination in Berlingske Nyhedsmagasin (Danish)