Teamwork Archives - Price Associates

12 Enemies of Successful Innovation

By Dr. Evans Baiya

In helping businesses and leaders build their innovation abilities, I see certain traits that stifle innovation again and again. Whether they surface in an individual leader or employee, or afflict the organization as a whole, these repeating issues become a hindrance to future success. Here are 12 enemies of successful innovation to avoid on your innovation journey.

Lack of Clarity

It’s not easy to follow someone who does not know what problems they are solving and why. As a leader—especially if you are attempting change—you need a clear vision of the what, the when, the why, the who, and the how to create momentum for those who follow you.

All of this can be clarified in your strategy to reduce noise and inaction. Without clarity, the noise will overwhelm both internal and external stakeholders. They won’t know what to pay attention to, believe, or act upon. Practice clarifying your strategy.

Collaborating Across the Globe

Part One of a two-part interview with the Authors of Optimizing Strategy for Results: A Structured Approach to Make Your Business Come Alive

By The TCL Team

We all did a little something different during our extended time at home during the early days of the pandemic. With Zoom as our new neighborhood hangout, we worked, exercised, and socialized. For authors Dr. Timothy Waema, Ron Price, and Dr. Evans Baiya, it was the perfect time to collaborate on a book they had been dreaming of for years.

From their homes across the world in Boise, ID, and Nairobi, Kenya, the authors pooled together their collective knowledge on strategy, leadership, and innovation to write Optimizing Strategy for Results: A Structured Approach to Make Your Business Come Alive. This step-by-step model is meant to help leaders prepare, create, and optimize great strategy—making those elusive “how’s” and “what’s” of successful strategic planning clear.

Evans Baiya of The Innovators Advantage: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Began Leading My Company

Dr. Evans Baiya, Authority Magazine, April 2022

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?

I am a trained scientist, engineer, and I worked in Silicon Valley. My background is in engineering and chemistry, so I didn’t know much about strategy until I started moving up the ranks. When you’re in management you’re responsible for the execution of strategy. I was constantly asking myself, “What is strategy?” This was one of the reasons I decided to get an MBA because I really wanted to understand this language of business. Read More

The Elements of Collaboration

By Dr. Francis Eberle

These days we hear and read a lot about collaboration. Organizations say they value collaboration, and teams want more of it. Most of the time collaboration is a good thing. But sometimes it isn’t the best approach.

There are different ways to solve a problem depending on context, relationships, tools and platform. Context has to do with the outcome desired and by when. Consider if the problem is large enough to warrant bringing in additional people. Or can it be quickly solved by a few? A quick decision can sometimes be the best choice. If there is lead time and the problem is complex, requiring varied input or expertise, then it is likely that multiple parties are needed.

Design Celebration Practices for You and Your Team

By Jalene Case

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to skip celebrating you or team’s accomplishments? Too often we quickly check-off the “done” box and race on to the next thing. However, if you do that, you’re missing out on a chance to fuel future accomplishments and feel good.

A coaching client recently shared a scenario with me in which she did a great job handling a difficult situation with a long-term employee. She finished the story and then immediately started talking about the next topic. I said, “Wait, let’s celebrate what you accomplished and what you learned!” I asked her to share reflections on these three questions: “What went well? What didn’t go so well? What will you do differently next time?” This process is valuable for three reasons.

The Bedrock Of Successful Strategy: Purpose

Dr. Evans Baiya, HR.com, February 2022

Creating a long-lasting strategic foundation for your organization is not easy. Many leaders struggle in creating a successful strategy—often because the organization’s purpose is not clear.

A good strategy offers clarity to stakeholders, both on what the company is doing and where it plans to go in the future. If the path is clear, measuring and monitoring the execution is far easier. A clear purpose statement summarizes why a company exists. It answers the questions: why is the organization needed, who are its customers, and what do they value? Without these answers, a strategy isn’t specific or actionable enough to show the what and the where.Read More

Is Communication Sabotaging Your Ability to Innovate?

Dr. Evans Baiya InnovationManagement.se, February 2022

Avoid these four communications landmines as you navigate the stages of innovation.

Innovation can sometimes feel like a winding journey that includes steps forward, backward and sideways. There are even landmines along the way that can stall or derail the process. These landmines are often communication points that, if not properly structured, will cause dysfunction, disengagement, lack of ownership, and lack of creativity within a team or an organization.

When this happens, what could be a groundbreaking idea is as good as dead. You need successful communication during each of the Six Stages of Innovation, or your team will fail to complete the innovation journey. Avoid communication sabotage by being aware of these four landmines.Read More

Get the Support You Need: A Guide to Identify Your Tribe

By Jalene Case

Tell me if this sounds familiar to you: I probably have no fewer than 12 personal systems and devices—all designed to “support” and streamline my work and life. I’m surrounded by devices, yet when I have needed support from a person, I have sometimes found myself alone.

There were two extraordinary times during the last several years when I really wanted and needed support. Indescribably, even though the right people were there, I didn’t reach out to them. Read More

5 Ways People Managers Can Become Innovation Champions

Dr. Evans Baiya, Hr.com, November 2021

How to help everyone find their role in creating innovation

Does this innovation challenge sound familiar? Your team leaders and managers acknowledge the importance of innovation and even sing its praises—but if you ask them how they routinely champion innovation within their teams, you might get crickets.

The problem is that most people managers, while they recognize the need for innovation initiatives, don’t engage in these initiatives themselves. Innovation isn’t their job; their main concern is ensuring employees get the necessary day-to-day work done. People managers are good at directing and growing what already exists but often struggle to guide their teams to new ways of thinking and creating.Read More

Your Company is One Disruption Away From Becoming Irrelevant

Dr. Evans Baiya, Fast Company, November 2021

Your company is one disruption away from becoming irrelevant. A few years ago, I spoke at a conference where I told the leaders in attendance this exact statement.

It struck a chord with one attendee: the chief innovation officer of the Great NW + Pacific BBB. He reached out to me to talk about his goals to move his regional Better Business Bureau forward, and we created an innovation academy designed to inspire innovation across every department—the ultimate goal was to jumpstart a culture of innovation. Fast forward 2 years, and 50 employees have graduated from the in-house training, innovation efforts have increased across departments, and the organization continues to report cost savings as departments find more efficient ways to work. Read More

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