CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION by John Lisenko Employee involvement Re-engineering Networking APWA self-assessment

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION Employee involvement Re-engineering Networking APWA self-assessment

Employee involvement The person doing the actual work often has the answer to how to do it better. As a supervisor, your job is to get that person to think creatively and to share his/her thoughts with you. Empowerment comes through trust, respect and honesty. Everything we do involves people. Innovation and creativity are created through successful and meaningful interaction with others.

Re-engineering

When to consider that the work process may need re-engineering: –When the organization has grown and the process no longer fits the new size –When the process was created as a reaction to a specific incident and is no longer relevant –When new technology is available to make an existing process more efficient

Re-engineering (cont’d) When to consider that the work process may need re-engineering (cont’d): –When attitudes have changed over time (e.g., the generation gap) –When new laws or new $$$ create new opportunities

Re-engineering (cont’d) When not to mess with existing process: –To solve personnel problems –To increase productivity – if productivity is a problem, then it is most likely a personnel issue rather than a process issue

Networking You are not alone. Your peer group organizations provide a great opportunity to develop creative and innovative solutions through exchange of ideas. If you think going to meetings is a lark and you’re to busy, either you’re going to the wrong meetings or you need to change the tone of the meeting to be more of a learning experience.

APWA Self-Assessment Brochures are provided Following cities have completed and been certified:

Summary and Food For Thought Budgeting – an opportunity or a nuisance? Productivity – management vs. workers or cooperative teamwork? Purchasing and inventory – are these systems in place to make finance happy or are they systems that insure good management? Creativity and innovation – whose idea is it? Management or employees or both?