Australian businesses and public organisations draw on a wealth of clever, experienced and well-educated people to drive their objectives but inflexible ways of working can easily become insurmountable obstacles to reaching them.
People with deep experience and who are committed to doing good can find themselves frustrated by the delays, inefficiencies and glaring blocks in entrenched workplace practices.
Right now, the drivers of change – tech disruption, globalisation, climate change and increasingly fragile social licences to operate – are generating unpredictable disruption and ongoing uncertainty. We know we need to bridge silos and work creatively to innovate but the effort to change can easily devolve to innovation plans left on the table in favour of more structures, policies, and procedures to follow.
The problem, then, is not about what we know, it’s about how we think. If we want to change the future, we need to change the kind of thinking that got us here. To do that, we need to get to the nub of the values that drive our thinking and default behaviours.
That’s where the experiences of two leaders in property development and insurance have been part of the proving ground for a postgraduate course that sets out to bring down the silos, championing creativity as the foundation of change.
Developed by the University of Technology Sydney’s TD School, the university’s home of transdisciplinary education and research, the Master of Creative Intelligence and Strategic Innovation was developed to support the people in public and private sectors called on to lead transitions while straddling the legacy of older systems.
Sarah Neilsen, general manager of placemaking at Stockland, was looking to find ways to deepen engagement with the communities Stockland works with.
We could see that if we took an enterprise approach, which stretched us beyond our organisational structure and usual processes, we could look at project complexities differently which, in turn, would lead to better outcomes for our communities. - Sarah Neilsen
Meanwhile, Julie Batch, group executive direct insurance at IAG, was spurred by her experience of overseeing innovation initiatives ultimately stymied by organisational conditions. She was looking for a set of tools and practices that would empower and amplify creativity across the organisation from the inside out.
Using their work as real-world labs, Sarah and Julie trialled new approaches. Stockland partnered with university students from UTS and Macquarie. Initially, the intention was to explore ideas for community innovation, but Sarah picked up something that could have been missed, and the impact has been profound.
Working closely with the students was a valuable development opportunity for all those involved. She noticed her colleagues had time to slow down, be vulnerable, reframe and experiment. Different kinds of connections were being recognised and people were interacting in less hierarchical, professionally bounded ways.
Participants from the Master of Creative Intelligence and Strategic Innovation program
And so, at Stockland there has been a tangible shift in the way teams are working together. The results are being seen at both an enterprise and business level so much so that a three-year partnership has been established with UTS students to amplify this momentum.
Julie has shifted her approach toward working with existing structures to promote opportunities for creative growth. It’s not revolutionary, it’s evolutionary – a long-term view that dedicates time and resources to teams and individuals so that they are skilled and empowered.
Julie is looking to unlock the potential trapped in legacy organisations. For Julie (a third-generation insurer) it’s about cultivating the conditions for “moon shots” – those giant leaps when technology and creative ideas combine to profoundly change the way we live.
I have learnt tools and mindsets to work with existing structures while readying my organisation to leap into a brighter future. - Julie Batch
This article has been republished with permission from The Sydney Morning Herald. The original article is available on The Sydney Morning Herald website.