Basic 5 - Contribute To Workplace Innovation

MODULE CONTENT
Unit of Competency : Contribute to Workplace Innovation

Module Title : Contributing to Workplace Innovation
Module Descriptor : This module covers the knowledge, skills and
Attitudes required identifying, discussing and
integrating ideas for innovation in the
workplace.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module you must be able to:
1. Identify opportunities to do things better.
2. Discuss and develop ideas with others.
3. Integrate ideas for change in the workplace.
Assessment Criteria:
1. Identify opportunities for improvement proactively in own area of
work.
2. Gather and review information which may be relevant to ideas and
which might assist in gaining support for idea.
3. Identify people who could provide input to ideas for improvements.
4. Select ways of approaching people to begin sharing ideas.
5. Set meeting with relevant people.
6. Review and select ideas for follow up based on feedback.
7. Use critical inquiry method to discuss and develop ideas with
others.
8. Use critical inquiry method to integrate different ideas for change of
key people.
9. Use summarizing, analyzing and generalizing skills to extract salient
points in the pool of ideas.
10. Use reporting skills likewise to communicate results.
11. Identify current Issues and concerns on the systems, processes and
procedures, as well as the need for simple innovative practices.
Document No. SFC CSS-001-16

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DETAILS OF LEARNING OUTCOME
Learning Outcome No. 1 Identify opportunities to do things better
CONTENTS:
1. What is Workplace Innovation?
2. Cultivating Innovation and Creativity in the Workplace
3. Techniques to Encourage Innovation in the Workplace
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
1. Identify opportunities for improvement proactively in own area of work.
2. Gather and review information which may be relevant to ideas
and which might assist in gaining support for idea.
CONDITION:
The following are available:
1. EQUIPMENT
● Computer
● Whiteboard
2. LEARNING MATERIALS
● Competency based learning materials
● Bond paper, permanent Marker
ASSESSMENT METHOD:
● Written test
● Interview

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LEARNING EXPERIENCES
Learning Activities Special Instructions
1. Read Information Sheet If you have some problems on Information Sheet
5.1-1 on What is 1.1-1, don’t hesitate to approach your facilitator.
Workplace Innovation? If you feel you are knowledgeable on the content
of Information Sheet 5.1-1, you can now answer
Self-Check 5.1-1.
2. Answer Self-Check 5.1-1 Compare your answer with the answer key 5.1-
What is Workplace 1. If you got 100% correct answer in this self-
Innovation? check, you can now move to the next
information sheet. If not review the information
sheet and go over the self-check again.
3. Read Information Sheet If you have some problems on Information Sheet
1.1-2 on Cultivating 5.1-2, don’t hesitate to approach your facilitator.
Innovation and Creativity If you feel you are knowledgeable on the content
in the Workplace of Information Sheet 5.1-2, you can now answer
Self-Check 5.1-2.
4. Answer Self-Check 5.1-2 Compare your answer with the Answer Key 5.1-
Cultivating Innovation 2. If you got 100% correct answer in this self-
and Creativity in the check, you can now move to the next
Workplace information sheet. If not review the information
5. Read Information Sheet If you have some problems on Information
5.1-3 on Techniques to Sheet5.1-3, don’t hesitate to approach your
Encourage Innovation in facilitator. If you feel you are knowledgeable on
the Workplace. the content of Information Sheet 5.1-3, you can
now answer Self-Check 5.1-3.
Techniques to Encourage 3. If you got 100% correct answer in this self-
Innovation in the check, you can now move to the next
Workplace. information sheet. If not review the information

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INFORMATION SHEET 5.1-1
What is Workplace Innovation?
Learning Objectives:
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, You must be able to:
1. list the different types of innovation,
2. discuss the meaning of innovation in the workplace,
3. develop goals and ideas for workplace innovation.
Defining Innovation?
Innovation in its modern meaning is "a new idea, creative thoughts,
new imaginations in form of device or method". Innovation is often also
viewed as the application of better solutions that meet new requirements,
unarticulated needs, or existing market needs.
The main driver for innovation is often the courage and energy to
better the world. An essential element for innovation is its application in a
commercially successful way. Innovation has punctuated and changed
human history (consider the development of electricity, steam engines,
motor vehicles, et al).

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Types of innovation
In business and economics, innovation is often divided into five types:
1. Product innovation, which
involves the introduction of a
new good or service that is
substantially improved. This
might include improvements in
functional characteristics,
technical abilities, ease of use, or
any other dimension.
2. Process innovation involves the
implementation of a new or
significantly improved
production or delivery method.
3. Marketing innovation is the

development of new marketing
methods with improvement in
product design or packaging,
product promotion or pricing.
4. Organizational innovation (also

referred to as social innovation)
involves the creation of new
organizations, business
practices, ways of running
organizations or new
organizational behavior.
5. Business Model innovation

involves changing the way
business is done in terms of
capturing value e.g. Compaq vs.
Dell.

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A Suggested Innovation Framework
Workplace Innovation is about creating organizations in which all

employees use and develop their knowledge, skills, experience and creativity
to the full. Growing evidence shows that workplace innovation practices
which empower employees to make day-to-day-decisions, challenge
established practices, contribute ideas, and be heard at the most senior
levels, lead to better business results, as well as enhanced workforce health
and engagement.

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SELF-CHECK 5.1-1
True or False:
Direction: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if the
statement is wrong:
1. The main driver for innovation is often the courage and energy to
better the world.
2. Innovation in its modern meaning is "a new idea, creative thoughts,
new imaginations in form of device or method".
3. Business Model innovation involves changing the way business is
done in terms of capturing its integrity.
4. Innovation is often also viewed as the application of
better solutions that meet new requirements, unarticulated needs,
or existing market needs.
5. Hospitality innovation is the development of new marketing
methods with improvement in product design or packaging,
product promotion or pricing.

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ANSWER KEY 5.1-1
True or False:
1. True
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. False

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Cultivating Innovation and Creativity in the Workplace
Learning Objectives
After reading this Information sheet, you must be able to:
1. list down tips in enhancing creativity,
2. describe traits of creative people,
3. use leadership for innovation.
Leading Innovation
To innovate is to intentionally let
go of the “way things are” and
welcome “the way they could be.”
Breakdown is the first step toward
innovation, an intentional release of
established habits of thought,
expectations, assumptions, and
beliefs in order to embrace “not
knowing”. The concept of surfing the
“edge of chaos” sounds exciting until
you get there and leave control at the door. In Adaptive Change we call this
the Fall.
3M Innovation Strategy and Leadership

♦ Setting stretch targets – such as ‘x% of sales from products
introduced during the past y years’ – provides a clear and consistent
message and a focus for the whole organization.
♦ Allocating resources as ‘slack’ – space and time in which staff can
explore and play with ideas, build on chance events or
combinations, etc.

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♦ Encouragement of ‘bootlegging’ employees working on innovation
projects in their own time and often accessing resources in a non-
formal way – the ‘benevolent blind eye’ effect.
♦ Provision of staged resource support for innovators who want to
take an idea forward – effectively different levels of internal venture
capital for which people can bid (against increasingly high hurdles)
– this encourages ‘intrapreneurship’ (internal entrepreneurial
behavior) rather than people feeling they have to leave the firm to
take their good ideas forward.
Six Tips to Help You Enhance Your Creativity
1. Open Your Mind - Have one new
experience every day; no matter how
small. New experiences stimulate the
brain and help you make new and
original connections; critical for
boosting breakthroughs.
2. Diversify - Involve others in your

problem-solving efforts who bring a
different perspective or cultural
experience than yours.
3. Mental Floss – Relax; Stress,

exhaustion, boredom and even pain can
block our pathways to creativity.
4. Stop Looking for the Right Answer -

Look for many right answers.
5. Discover Your Creative Rhythm - Start

paying attention to when you get your
best ideas.

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6. Health Makes Wealth - Regular
exercise not only benefits your body, it
boosts brain performance as well.
Portrait of a Creative Person

Creative people pay attention
to their world, see things differently,
challenge assumptions, take risks,
are not afraid to fail, and strive to
generate multiple solutions to
problems. They are passionate about
creativity and seek opportunities to
innovate.”
5 Traits of Creative People

1. Creative people are curious. They ask questions all the time. When
they see or discover something they do not understand, they make
the extra effort to learn everything they can about how it works, and
how it can benefit them and others.
2. Creative people like challenges. They do not run away from
challenges; they tackle them head on. The bigger the challenge, the
more they are intrigued. They do not try to escape problems, but
rather they treat them as challenges. The most creative people I
know are also great problem solvers.
3. Creative people are not afraid to experiment. They are risk takers,
and they are not afraid to try something new, whether it be a
process, gadget or formula. Experimenting is a way for them to see
what works and what doesn’t work. They will not wait for people to
dictate their actions; they would rather lead.
4. Creative people have high standards. They do not settle for less than
their best. They will find a way to make something better. They
never stop learning.

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5. Creative people know how to accept and give constructive criticism. No
matter what we do, people will always have something to say about
it, whether it is good or bad. Creative people can accept criticism
and turn it into opportunities. They also know how to give
constructive criticism. Since they have high standards, they many
times expect themselves and others to excel in whatever they do.

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SELF-CHECK 5.1-2
Enumeration:
Direction: Enumerate the 5 traits of creative people.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5

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ANSWER KEY 5.1-2
Enumeration:
Direction: Enumerate the 5 traits of creative people.
1. Creative people are curious.

2. Creative people like challenges.
3. Creative people are not afraid to experiment.
4. Creative people have high standards.
5. Creative people know how to accept and give constructive
criticism.

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Techniques to Encourage Innovation in the Workplace
Learning Objectives
1. List down techniques to encourage innovation in the workplace.
2. Explain the importance of encouraging innovation in the
workplace.
3. Restructure work layout and design for innovation.
Encouraging workplace
innovation not only helps
companies stay on top of the
market and defend their bottom
lines: innovative workplaces are
also happier workplaces, with
consistently higher levels of
employee satisfaction and
retention.
Why should companies care about their capacity to innovate?

1. Competitive advantage
Companies that invest time, effort and money in finding new and
better ways of doing things have an advantage over others in the market. It’s
that simple.

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Innovation doesn’t just help a company to offer exciting new products
and services to customers. It also allows companies to stay profitable and
survive in the market
2. Customer centricity
Trailing new approaches to services and products ensures a constant
focus on serving the needs of customers. This helps build a dedicated
market base and ensures a company stays responsive to customer demand.
3. Employee satisfaction and retention
An innovative working approach appeals to employees with higher
levels of creativity and lateral thinking, helping companies to hold on to
their best talent
How can companies encourage innovation and creativity in the workplace?

Encouraging innovation
isn’t easy. From juggling
competing company priorities to
overcoming internal resistance
and inertia, there are a lot of
things that can get in the way.
No matter what industry
you’re in, unlocking the
innovative potential of your people
– and your business more
generally – comes down to a mix
of management approaches, shared values, strategy, and resources.
Techniques to encourage innovation in the workplace, broken down into the

following subjects:
● Leadership & management
● Innovation strategy
● Willingness to experiment
● Open communication
● Staff well-being
● Workplace design & layout
● Tools & software

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Leadership & management
When it comes to innovation,
the tone always comes from the top.
Senior leaders need to find ways to
encourage their staff to think about
innovation every day and to take
ownership and responsibility for new
ideas and solutions. Encouraging
innovation via lea dership and
management can be a challenge,
empowering your employees to think
about tough problems can definitely
help the challenge.
● Empower your employees to think about tough problems

As Apple’s Steve Jobs said, “It
doesn’t make sense to hire smart
people and tell them what to do; we
hire smart people so they can tell us
what to do.”
This is a key technique to
encourage workplace innovation:
empower your employees to think
about the tough problems and reward
staff for working towards solutions.
● Adopt a non-hierarchical management approach

When it comes to encouraging
workplace innovation, a strict
hierarchy can be a real killer.
If your staff work deferentially
and only think about innovation
when specifically tasked to do so,
you’ll never be able to reach your
company’s full potential.
The most innovative companies
have a flat – b ut strong – management approach, allowing employees to
break down silos and barriers between work areas. A lot of innovation comes
from cross-pollination between teams and divisions, and from the sharing of
ideas and problems.
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● Give your staff a reason to care
To be truly innovative, your
employees need some skin in the
game. They shouldn’t think about
innovation as something for senior
management to think about –
instead, innovation should be part of
everyone’s job description.
Look for ways to incentivize
staff to think about innovation, and
bring them along the journey by
developing a company-wide innovation strategy
● Encourage your people to think about innovation on a daily basis

Innovation shouldn’t be
something people think about only
during retreats and workshops. If
thinking about new ways of doing
things is seen only as an occasional
exercise, you’ll never be able to access
the full potential of your employees’
creativity and imagination.
Innovation strategy
Workplace innovation needs to
be strategic and should be a core part
of your company’s DNA.
No matter what their
responsibilities are, every single one of
your people should be able to draw a
straight line between the company
innovation strategy and the contents of
his or her day-to-day job.
● Develop an innovation strategy – and use it

An innovation strategy sets out guiding principles for how your
company will grow its market share through product and service

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innovation. A good strategy helps to clarify what is expected of employees at
every level of your company when it comes to problem-solving.
By developing an innovation strategy, leadership provides employees
with certainty about the core role of innovation and reinforces the idea that
innovation is everyone’s responsibility.
Developing an innovation strategy also forces senior management to
think about what innovation means to them, and to state in clear terms how
their employees should contribute new ideas for products, systems, and
services.
Microsoft is an excellent example of how to put an innovation strategy
to use. By making its strategy a core part of employee responsibilities,
Microsoft helps its employees at every level to make innovation a key part of
what they do.
● Accept failure and make it the norm

It’s an unavoidable fact that
innovation carries the risk of failure.
For every example of world-changing
innovation, there’s a whole trash
heap of failed ideas.
Rather than running from this
fact, companies need to come to
peace with it. Acknowledge the
possibility of failure, de-dramatize it
and encourage risky initiatives to help employees approach innovation in a
more open and inventive way
Willingness to experiment
In order to be truly innovative,
companies need to be willing to
experiment.
Whether this is through
customer co-creation, identifying
market adjacencies, or participating
in an innovation hub, companies
must demonstrate an appetite for new
ways of doing things.

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● Look for market adjacencies
A key aspect of innovation is
thinking about market adjacencies.
Adjacencies are new products
or markets that are closely related to
the work a company is currently
engaged in, but are different enough
to represent new value for the
company. By moving into these areas,
a company can create new customers
and solidify its market position.
For example, think about Disney’s recent foray into streaming media.
The media giant already produces an incredible amount of popular content,
so stepping into the market adjacency of a platform for streaming made a lot
of sense.
● Embrace co-creation and open innovation opportunities

When it comes to innovation,
don’t be afraid to get your customers
involved, too. After all, your diehard
fans are the most likely people to
have great ideas for new products
and services – especially if they use
your services and products every day.
A great example here is
Starbucks, which ran its “My
Starbucks Idea” portal for a decade
from 2007 to 2017, receiving over
150,000 suggestions from dedicated Starbucks fans as a result.
This not only resulted in top-selling Starbucks products like Hazelnut
Macchiatos and pumpkin spice lattes but also gave Starbucks the chance to
build a valuable community of superfans for market research purposes.
● Participate in an innovation hub

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Innovation hubs are places
for business representatives to get
together and share approaches to
innovation. Having grown in
popularity over the last decade,
there are now hundreds of these
hubs around the world.
The concept of an innovation
hub recognizes the importance of a
multidisciplinary approach to innovation and shows the importance of
collaboration in problem-solving. Innovation hubs can be a great way to
encourage “blue-sky” thinking.
Open communication
Getting innovation right takes
a commitment to open
communication and transparency.
To make innovation a real
part of your workplace culture, your
staff need to know senior
management is being open about the
need for innovation, and the
potential benefits for the company
as a result.
● Be transparent
Your staff need clear,
consistent information about the
company’s innovation goals, and
about the potential benefits for
employees if they get things right.
A key part of this is developing
an innovation strategy, and ensuring
open communication about
innovation.
Staff wellbeing
Innovation isn’t just about
encouraging your staff to think
laterally: it’s also about making sure
that when your employees are being
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creative, they don’t feel threatened or
at risk.
There are two great ways to do
this. First, you can recognize and
reward innovations, and second, try
to ensure staff psychological safety.
● Recognize and reward successful innovations

To get the best out of your
people when it comes to innovation,
you need a way to recognize and
reward successful new ideas –
especially when they have the
potential to save the company
money or boost revenue.
This can be as simple as
providing public recognition, for
example, giving out awards at all-
hands meetings.
● Ensure staff psychological
safety
This is a crucial element to
get right. After all, employees don’t
want to feel like attempts at
innovation could threaten their jobs
if it goes wrong.
Your staff members need to
be able to be honest and forthright about new product and systems
suggestions, without fear of recrimination or adverse effects on their jobs.
So, one of the first things you should do when encouraging innovation
is to set clear ground rules and let people know that their positions won’t be
at risk if the innovation exercise isn’t a success.
Workplace design and layout

There’s a growing
recognition that the physical
working environment is just as
important as management or
leadership when it comes to
encouraging innovation.

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● Organize your office for maximum innovation
Office design and layout can
make a huge difference when it
comes to innovation. Even
something as simple as deciding
where particular teams should sit
can have a massive effect on
creativity and collaboration.
Google’s groundbreaking office
designs include features like putting
greens, vintage subway cars, and
revolving bookcases. However, you
don’t have to invest in gimmicks to be like Google.
Instead, you can learn from Google’s approach to putting teams
together to learn from each other, and from creating spaces where informal
meetings and information sharing is more likely to happen.
Tools and software

Finally, your staff also needs access to
the right tools to support innovation.
There are two reasons for this. First,
using the right set of tools can save time and
effort, freeing your staff up to innovate.
Second, a good set of innovation software can
guide your staff in taking an idea through from
concept to implementation.
● Use tools to create time and space to innovate

There’s an incredible range of time-
saving software available to businesses.
Whether it’s project management software,
online collaboration platforms, or even cloud
accounting products, it’s never been easier to
save time on basic processes.
These software products aren’t just
helpful with avoiding headaches – they can
also free up your staff to do the kind of
creative and innovative thinking they didn’t have time for before.
So, take a look at the range of software products out there, and think
about how you could put the inevitable time savings to use.

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● Consider innovation software
Innovation and creative
thinking isn’t a question of
natural talent. With the right
tools, processes, and methods,
anyone can be an innovator and
find new solutions to complex
problems.
This is where ideas and
innovation management software
can help. By structuring ideation,
collaboration, communication and setting parameters for problem-solving,
the right software can foster a real innovation culture across your whole
company.
True innovation takes commitment and perseverance
Moving towards an innovative workplace takes time, hard work, and a
certain amount of forgiveness for error and failure. As we’ve seen, even
successful and highly innovative companies still have their fair share of
failures.
Many of the necessary ingredients of workplace innovation also

involve juggling some downsides. For example:
● encouraging employee collaboration must be balanced against
maintaining individual accountability, and leaving room for those lone
wolves who get their best work done by going solo
● avoiding workplace hierarchies requires strong leadership, a trusting
approach to management, and a commitment to hiring highly
motivated people
● before a company can experiment with innovation, it has to get the

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day-to-day operations on track first
So, while you’re working to encourage workplace innovation, don’t be

surprised if the changes are harder to implement than you thought.
Innovation can be a long game. Whether you’re chasing incremental
innovation or radical innovation, things will probably take longer than you
realize.

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SELF-CHECK 5.1-3
Enumeration:
Direction: Give 7 techniques to encourage innovation in the
workplace.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

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ANSWER KEY 5.1-3
1. Leadership & management

2. Innovation strategy
3. Willingness to experiment
4. Open communication
5. Staff well-being
6. Workplace design & layout

7. Tools & software

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Learning Outcome 2 Discuss and develop ideas with others

Contents:
1. Generating and Developing Ideas
2. Great minds Discuss Ideas. Average Minds Discuss Events. Small
Minds Discuss People.
3. Idea Sharing from all Team Members
Assessment Criteria
1. Identify people who could provide input to ideas for improvements.
2. Select ways of approaching people to begin sharing ideas.
3. Set meeting with relevant people.
4. Review and select ideas for follow up based on feedback.
5. Use critical inquiry method to discuss and develop ideas with
others.
Condition:
Trainees must be provided with the following.
Equipment
● Computer
Supplies And Materials
● Pen
● Paper
● Forms
Learning Materials:
● Competency based learning material
Assessment Method:
● Written test
● Practical/performance test
● Interview

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5.2-1 on Generating and Sheet 5.2-1, don’t hesitate to approach your
Developing Ideas facilitator. If you feel you are knowledgeable on
the content of Information Sheet 5.2-1, you can
1. If you got 100% correct answer in this self-
check, you can now move to the next
5.2-2 on Great Minds Sheet 5.2-2, don’t hesitate to approach your
Discuss Ideas. Average facilitator. If you feel you are knowledgeable on
Minds Discuss Events. the content of Information Sheet 5.2-2, you can
Small Minds Discuss now answer Self-Check 5.2-2.
People.
5.2-3 on Idea Sharing Sheet 5.2-3, don’t hesitate to approach your
from All Team Members. facilitator. If you feel you are knowledgeable on
the content of Information Sheet 5.2-3, you can

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Generating and Developing Ideas
After reading this Information Sheet, you must be able to:
1. Identify steps in generating and developing ideas;
2. discuss brainstorming;
3. develop WH-questions to generate and develop ideas.
For many people, the toughest part of any writing task is getting
started. Here are some exercises that help with "blank page syndrome" or
"writer's block."
Listing: Brainstorm a list of possible
topics. If the assignment deals with your
own experience, try a list of important
events in your life related to the topic. If
the assignment deals with material from
a class, brainstorm all of the things
you've talked about in the class that you
remember or that interest you.
The important thing is not to
censor yourself at this point - write down
anything that comes to mind.
Freewriting: Freewriting simply means

writing without stopping for a set
amount of time. Start with shorter
amounts of time (2-5 minutes) and build
up "stamina" slowly. Again, as in listing,
it's important not to censor ideas at this
point; simply write down anything that
comes to mind.
Sometimes, if you keep your hand
moving, you'll come up with details and
connections that never occurred to you until you wrote them down!

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Looping: Looping is a variation on
freewriting. Pick one aspect of your topic
to begin writing on. Free write for five
minutes. Then, read over what you have
written and underline the most
important or interesting idea or
sentence. Start with this idea or
sentence and free write for another five
minutes.
Find your "center of gravity" sentence again. If you continue this
process, you'll often find you've started a rough draft of the assignment.
Clustering: Write the topic in the

middle of the page and put a circle
around it. Then, branch out from the
circle with associations and details
about the topic. Write down anything
you can think of, making connections
as you see fit (see "Guidelines for
Selecting a Subject," next page, for an
example).
Cubing: This is another way to look at

one topic from many angles (like the
pentad exercise). Write for one to three
minutes on each of the six "sides":
Describe, Compare/Contrast (How is it
like something else? How is it different
from something else?), Analyze (What
parts does it have?), Evaluate, Apply
(What can you do with it? How can you
use it?), Argue (for or against). All sides
will not work equally well for all topics.
Answering WH-questions: Write the five

"Wh" questions (who, what, where,
when, why) across your paper. List as
many questions as you can think of
that a reader might ask about your
topic in those categories. Write down

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answers or features of your topic that might address those concerns.
Invisible Writing: If you have trouble
writing without constantly re-reading
and editing what you've said, this may
work for you. Using a computer, turn
the contrast down on your monitor so
the screen is blank. Type for at least 20-
30 minutes without looking at what
you've written. Then, turn the contrast
up and, ignoring typos, find out what
you have to say!

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SELF-CHECK 5.2-1
Identification.
Direction: Read the following statements and identify what is being
asked in each number.
1. Write the topic in the middle of the page and put a circle
around it.
2. This is another way to look at one topic from many angles
(like the pentad exercise).
3. simply means writing without stopping for a set amount of
time.
4. variation on freewriting.
5. Brainstorm a list of possible topics.

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ANSWER KEY 5.2-1
1. Clustering
2. Cubing
3. Freewriting
4. Looping
5. Listing

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Great Minds Discuss Ideas. Average Minds Discuss Events. Small Minds Discuss
People.
Identify the importance of non-verbal communication;
1. relate topics on “Small Minds Discuss people” in real life events;
2. differentiate Great minds discuss ideas and Average minds discuss
events;
3. interpret the quote “Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds
discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”
Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss
people.
This is a quote
commonly attributed to
Eleanor Roosevelt. What
does it mean?
Let’s start by
defining “ideas,” “events,”
and “people.” Discussing
people here means to
talk about a person,
typically in a negative,
gossipy way. Discussing events means to talk about the events happening
around the world. Discussing ideas means to understand the higher level
messages behind an event, to understand human behavior, to look beyond
what’s given, and to find solutions to help the world.
“Small Minds Discuss People”

When the quote says “Small
minds discuss people,” it means that
those who discuss people as an end to

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itself are shallow. Unfortunately, a fair segment of the media and
our population today dedicate themselves to discussing people. You have
tabloid magazines, celebrity gossip sites, and people who follow celebrity
gossip like it is the central goal of their lives. Office politics is not
uncommon.
People backstab and criticize each other more often than we like. Even
our politicians today make personal attacks and conduct smear campaigns.
Online, we often see people shaming or attacking each other, or worse still,
others supporting such behavior and joining in the attack, rather than
taking a higher ground.
“Average Minds Discuss Events”

When you switch from
discussing people to events, there is
an improvement because you look
beyond people and focus on events.
There is an element of objectivity
as you’re now looking at facts,
figures, and occurrences. Yet it is a
logical fallacy to think
that just discussing events makes us
smarter.
Firstly, many news stories (depending on where you live) are heavily
censored according to the publication’s ideology and alliances. In some
countries, the government controls the media. So when you’re reading the
“news,” you’re really reading news created/selected to fit what the
publication wants you to know, along with filtered comments and angled
statistics.
Something to consider when you think that you’re being educated by
reading a particular news channel — it’s more likely that you are being
conditioned.
Secondly, news channels tend to sensationalize and report what is
shocking. In internet terms, “clickbait.” As the saying goes, “When a dog
bites a man, that is not news, because it happens so often. But if a man
bites a dog, that is news.” Hence even though there are one billion possible
things to report each day, including countless positive stories and
consciousness-raising events, the selected stories are rarely the most
important, but some of the most negative, fear-based stories you can find.
Thirdly, even though we may be shocked by a grisly murder that just
happened, we have to bear in mind that murders, suicides, crimes, and even
war happen every single day. But when you read the news, your attention
gets directed to that one crime or that one murder. Or when a news
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channelrepeatedly highlights the crimes that happen in a country, it
creates the notion that the place is highly unsafe, when 99.999% of its
people get by perfectly safely each day.
In the process of being caught in fear/anger/shock, we miss the
bigger picture. The irony is that by thinking that we educate ourselves by
reading the news, we are isolating our minds and painting an extremely
skewed image of the world and associating it with fear and terror, yet
missing the whole point which is, “What can we do to solve the issues we
see?”
“Great Minds Discuss Ideas”

As someone becomes more curious about the world and looks beyond
what’s immediately visible, they start to talk about not just people or events,
but ideas.
● Why people do the things they do. What drives them;
● Why issues like murder, mass shootings, war, and crimes are
happening. What we can do to prevent such violence;
● How we can uplift others;
● How we can improve as people;
● World issues, because we’re not just citizens of a country but a
citizen of the world;
● Whether the direction we’re moving in, as a society, as a
world, is actually good for us;
● And most important of all, ideas to improve the world.
Discussing ideas means not

just taking what is presented to
you, but digging deeper.
Understanding root causes.
Understanding how something
came to be. Questioning
realities. Identifying solutions.
This quote is of course
meant as a generalization. People
and events are often proxies to
discuss ideas. We look upon people like Elon Musk, Nelson Mandela, Oprah
Winfrey, Martin Luther King Jr., Buddha, Bill Gates, etc. as inspirational
figures for change. We discuss people as a way to understand each other.
Discussing events helps us grow in awareness; current affairs is a way to
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learn about the world. If something just happened in my life and I share this
with a friend, that’s part of conversation, of relating to each other.
The problem comes when we talk about people or events as an end to
itself. This quote reminds us that when we bad-mouth others, gossip, or
follow the news reactively, it doesn’t bring us anywhere. Complaining or chit-
chatting about people/events endlessly will not change our lives or make us
smart.

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SELF-CHECK 5.2-2
People.
True or False
Direction: Read the following statements below and write True if the
statement is true and write False if the statement is false.
1. When we bad-mouth others, gossip, or follow the news
reactively, it doesn’t bring us anywhere.
2. When you switch from discussing people to events, there is an
improvement because you look beyond people and focus on
events.
3. Discussing people means to understand the higher level
messages behind an event, to understand human behavior, to
look beyond what’s given, and to find solutions to help the
world.
4. People backstab and criticize each other more often than we
like.
5. Complaining or chit-chatting about people/events endlessly will
not change our lives or make us smarter.

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ANSWER KEY 5.2-2
People.
1. True
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. True

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Idea Sharing from All Team Members
1. list the ways to encourage sharing of ideas;
2. identify ideas for sharing
3. develop ideas to share among team members.
One person alone can't come up

with all the concepts and collateral
needed for these campaigns, so
marketing leaders rely on the diverse
viewpoints and imaginations of their
teams.
It's not always easy to get
everyone to share their brilliant ideas.
Your introverted staff members may
be less inclined to speak up during
meetings, and sometimes people are stuck in creative ruts and need a little
motivation.
Ways to encourage everyone on your team to bring their ideas to the table
1. Make it personal.
Whether a personal interest is really niche or shared by many, start
there. You'll be amazed by the parallels you find with your professional
work, and people enjoy discovering different ways of thinking about their
work. From basketball to music to science, when the team starts with what

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they personally care about, they
create whole new avenues for
interesting content.
2. Schedule regular team

brainstorms.
Build ongoing brainstorm
sessions into the weekly or monthly
meeting rhythm. This creates a
culture of open engagement and
ensures your team that their ideas
are valued. For all ideas selected,
follow up with incentives. Even a
small gift card, a lunch out with you
or access to company products and
services goes a long way to show appreciation and fuel future innovation.
3. Build the right environment.

As a leader, your role is to
knock down walls and develop an
environment that evokes creative
thinking from your team. The team
needs to feel that their voice is
appreciated and that they have room
to do cool things. Let them test their
ideas, see what works and what
could be improved, and make sure
they know that they have to opportunity to do so

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4. Create innovation zones.
When office spaces are
inviting and open, there are
unlimited opportunities for team
members to provide new and
creative input. Our office includes a
separate innovation area designed
specifically for team collaboration.
This space is bright and open, and
our marketing teams regularly
leverage that space for
brainstorming and planning new marketing campaigns.
5. Be transparent with overall business goals.

The more teams know about
changing goals and new opportunities
for the business, the more involved
they will feel in its success. Creative
marketing ideas stem naturally from
the desire to participate in the
company's growth and awareness of
the right direction. The resulting
successful marketing campaigns
compound the benefits on a morale
level and reinforce employee loyalty.
6. Ask the team what they want to learn.

One of the best ways to engage
your team is by asking what they'd
like to learn. For example, if someone
says "video content," develop a project
that encourages them to dive deep
into what you are already doing,
research competitors in the space and
present strategy ideas. This project
will help them to structure feedback
and learn more from the experience
than just sharing a few early ideas.

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7. Create a rotating culture.
Repurposing the same teams for
similar tasks may seem like the
easiest approach to resource
allocation, but switching things up
can stimulate new brainstorming
ideas. To help foster more creativity,
consider rotating teams, desk
arrangements and assignments. This
allows your team to step out of their
comfort zones and interact with
different team members on a deeper level, which can spark new ideas.
8. Build a shared, centralized idea bank.

Within our intranet, I created an
indexable database for our team to add
campaign retrospectives and ideas that
can be accessed throughout the
company. It makes it easy to type in a
keyword tag when creating a new
campaign to find relevant ideas from our
idea bank. Ongoing brainstorming
sessions are also a must to get the
creative juices flowing and sharing
knowledge and ideas across the board.
9. Give them feedback.

Give them feedback on their work.
Show them how their work has produced
real results and why. Give them access
to all the tools in your company that
measure the results of your marketing
campaigns to help them analyze the
results. For example, if you involve a
person in researching topics on a blog,
show them what makes blog posts
popular.

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10. Encourage mistakes.
One of the best ways to encourage
creative ideas is by making it really
clear that mistakes are not just
tolerated but encouraged.
Understanding that not all creative
ideas are going to be wins creates a
comfortable environment to brainstorm
ideas and walk through new concepts.
Mistakes are part of every creative
process, and making room for them allows for innovative thinking
11. Outline campaign objectives.

As a marketing leader, you're
more likely to get creative ideas from
your teams by having clear goals
associated with the campaigns in
question and creating a safe
environment in which people feel
comfortable sharing their ideas. It can
also help to give people the
opportunity to contribute in writing after a brainstorming meeting
12. Foster cross-functional conversations.

Momentum builds when you
can bring members from your
organization's various departments
together to deliver ideation and
execution. A product marketer can
offer UX delivery that elevates a
brand marketing idea. An analytical
wizard will know the best ways to
capture data. The content, social and
PR teams all add relevance. An idea is only a seed; it takes a cross-
functional team to bring it alive.

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13. Feed their brains.
Schedule educational activities
into your team's work week. My team
and I listen to the same branding
audio books or the latest marketing
lectures over a similar period of time.
Each person then interprets this
newly acquired information
differently, resulting in a whole
spectrum of ideas to share during
weekly marketing pow-wow (i.e.
brainstorming) meetings.
14. Offer positive reinforcement.

Sometimes the best way to
encourage a team member is to not
discourage them. If a team member
suggests an idea that obviously will not
work or is even irrelevant, don't put
them down, especially in front of others.
If they have a great idea in the future,
they may hesitate or refuse to share for
fear of being mocked. Foster an
environment where there are no bad
ideas.
15. Democratize idea creation.

People who are shy about sharing
their ideas usually feel their ideas are
not great and they may look bad in
front of their colleagues. Assert that no
ideas are dumb and that you welcome
all ideas. Let your team submit ideas via
email or one on one. Discuss submitted
ideas anonymously in team meetings so
everyone can hear about them and let
people choose the idea that they like the
best.

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SELF-CHECK 5.2-3
True or False
Direction: Read the following statements and tell whether the
statement is correct or not. Write TRUE if the statement correct and FALSE
if the statement is wrong.
1. If a team member suggests an idea that obviously will not work
or is even irrelevant, don't put them down.
2. People who are shy about sharing their ideas usually feel their
ideas are not great and they may look bad in front of their
colleagues.
3. One of the best ways to engage your team is by asking what
they'd like to learn.
4. To help foster more creativity, consider permanent teams, desk
arrangements and assignments.
5. Sometimes people are stuck in creative ruts and need a little
motivation.

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ANSWER KEY 5.2-3
1. True
2. True
3. True
4. False
5. False

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Learning Outcome 3 Integrate ideas for change in the workplace
Contents:
● Introducing Change in the Workplace
● Get Employees Involved in Making Changes
Assessment Criteria
1. Use critical inquiry method to integrate different ideas for change of
key people.
2. Use summarizing, analyzing and generalizing skills to extract

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salient points in the pool of ideas.
3. Use reporting skills likewise to communicate results.
4. Identify current Issues and concerns on the systems, processes and
procedures, as well as the need for simple innovative practices.
Condition:
Trainees must be provided with the following.
Equipment
● Computer
Supplies And Materials
● Pen
● Paper
● Forms
Learning Materials:
● Competency based learning material
Assessment Method:
● Written test
● Interview

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5.3-1 on Introducing Sheet 5.3-1, don’t hesitate to approach your
Change in the Workplace facilitator. If you feel you are knowledgeable
on the content of Information Sheet 5.3-1,
you can now answer Self-Check 5.3-1.
2. Answer Self-Check 5.3-1 Compare your answer with the answer key
5.3-1. If you got 100% correct answer in this
self-check, you can now move to the next
information sheet. If not review the
information sheet and go over the self-check
again.
5.3-2 on Get Employees Sheet 5.3-2, don’t hesitate to approach your
Involved in Making facilitator. If you feel you are knowledgeable
Changes on the content of Information Sheet 5.3-2,
you can now answer Self-Check 5.3-2.
4. Answer Self-Check 5.3-2 Compare your answer with the answer key
5.3-2. If you got 100% correct answer in this
self-check, you can now move to the next
information sheet. If not review the
information sheet and go over the self-check
again.

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INFORMATION SHEET 5.3–1
Introducing Change in the Workplace
1. Illustrate how to fill up the different forms
2. Identify different workplace forms
3. Select the appropriate form for specific purpose
Change in the workplace is

implemented to benefit the organization,
whether the planned goal is increasing the
bottom line or improving customer
relations. Even the best of employees can
balk at changing practices and procedures
they see as still working well in the
workplace.
Advertise Your Goal

Inform all your employees of your
planned goal. Make them aware that you
will be expecting, for example, a 5-percent
increase in sales or improved numbers in
regards to customer service. Be specific with
the figures and the methods by which you'll
measure the progress and success toward
your chosen goal.
Emphasize the Benefits

Create a sense of enthusiasm toward
the coming changes by pointing out the
benefits of achieving your new goal. You
may be able to afford bonuses if your
bottom line increases, or your corporate
headquarters may reward your unit if
expenses go down by a certain percentage.
Make your employees aware of how they
will benefit by hitting your goal.
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Make Change Possible
Create and provide training for all
employees to help them achieve the
needed changes. Teach them new
procedures, hold classes on controllable
cost savings, or hold meetings to
demonstrate best practices in customer
relations. Give your people the tools
with which they can succeed.
Listen
Monitor the progress while the
change is occurring. Make it known
that you welcome feedback and listen to
any concerns your employees may
have. While some may object to certain
changes simply because they were used
to the old way of doing things, others
may have intelligent and legitimate
alternate solutions that you should
consider. Implement any employee-based ideas you can to make the
transition go more smoothly.

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SELF-CHECK 5.3-1
True or False
Direction: Read the following statements and tell

whether the statement is correct or not. Write TRUE if
the statement correct and FALSE if the statement is
wrong.
1. Always inform your employee on your planned goals.
2. Provide and create necessary
trainings for your employees.
3. Always feed your employees with monetary
incentives.
4. Create a sense of enthusiasm toward the
coming changes by pointing out the
benefits of achieving your new goal.
5. Do not implement any employee-based
ideas you can to make the transition go
more smoothly.

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ANSWER KEY 5.3-1
1. True
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. False

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Get Employees Involved in Making Changes

1. identify initiatives in making changes;
2. list the reasons behind making changes;
3. use tips and warnings in making changes.
Change initiatives can be

difficult for employees, especially if
they’ve grown comfortable with the
status quo. Shifts in marketing and
sales strategy, management
structure, workplace technologies or
other areas can alter a business
drastically. Fundamental changes in
operation might redefine employee
responsibilities, forcing them to
acquire new skills to remain productive.
Add to that the psychological stress of great change: Workers might
fear the initiative will compromise the financial integrity of the business or
jeopardize its competitive standing. For all these reasons, its vital to inspire
employees to work for change rather than against it.
How to Get Employees Involved in Making Changes?

1. Explain the reasons behind the push for change. The major reason
change initiatives fail is a disconnect between the views of management and
employees, according to the Harvard Business Review on Change. Lay out in
detail why the change is necessary, what benefits are expected, what risks
the change entails and any other relevant features of the plan.
2. Ask for employee input. Eliciting experienced viewpoints from
various levels within your organization helps you plan effectively. For
example, practical consequences that are immediately apparent to
employees on the ground might not occur to management.
3. Provide incentives to motivate employees to work for the change.
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For example, offer profit-sharing plans that hinge on the success of the
initiative, or offer bonuses to the most proactive employees. Incentives
increase employee participation and boost morale.
4. Delegate responsibilities so employees feel empowered. Distributing
power gives everyone a stake in the success of a change initiative.
Otherwise, employees might feel plowed under and helpless, which could
lower worker morale and jeopardize the initiative.

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5. Provide extra support for employees who have difficult
transitioning. For example, a shift in organizational structure might remove
some from familiar roles, forcing them to take on responsibilities they can’t
yet handle. Help them adapt to their new roles by providing any extra
training they require and offering your guidance throughout the transition.
TIPS
● Change your staff: If people aren't performing or are bringing a
negative attitude to work everyday, then let them go. Workplace
culture begins with its people.
● Change your attitude: Make sure you're expressing gratitude
always and espousing company values that make each
employee feel special for being a part of this exclusive workplace
culture.
● Change the cash-flow: You may need to reallocate funds to
different departments.
● Change your advancement structure: Give employees an
opportunity to move up.
● Change your compensation: Make sure your plan is fair and
rewards the hardest workers.
● Change your communication: Hire someone new to oversee clear
communication.
● Change your decision making processes: Give employees a say
for better results.
WARNINGS
● Avoid management-only decision making that is imposed upon
employees.
● Do not play favorites or advance people without clear, merit-
based criteria.
● Be careful not to spring the changes on everyone suddenly,
without warning.
● Never threaten or coerce workers into submission.
● Forget about mass layoffs if you want to maintain any kind of
corporate culture.

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SELF-CHECK 5.3-2
Enumeration
Direction: Enumerate the steps on How to Get Employees Involved in Making
Changes?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

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ANSWER KEY 5.3-2
1. Explain the reasons behind the push for change True

2. Ask for employee input.
3. Provide incentives to motivate employees to work for the change.
4. Delegate responsibilities so employees feel empowered.
5. Provide extra support for employees who have difficult
transitioning.

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Basic 5 - Contribute To Workplace Innovation

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MODULE CONTENT

Unit of Competency : Contribute to Workplace Innovation

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3. Marketing innovation is the

4. Organizational innovation (also

5. Business Model innovation

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Workplace Innovation is about creating organizations in which all

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3M Innovation Strategy and Leadership

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2. Diversify - Involve others in your

3. Mental Floss – Relax; Stress,

4. Stop Looking for the Right Answer -

5. Discover Your Creative Rhythm - Start

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Portrait of a Creative Person

5 Traits of Creative People

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1. Creative people are curious.

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Why should companies care about their capacity to innovate?

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How can companies encourage innovation and creativity in the workplace?

Techniques to encourage innovation in the workplace, broken down into the

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● Empower your employees to think about tough problems

● Adopt a non-hierarchical management approach

● Encourage your people to think about innovation on a daily basis

● Develop an innovation strategy – and use it

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● Accept failure and make it the norm

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● Embrace co-creation and open innovation opportunities

● Participate in an innovation hub

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● Recognize and reward successful innovations

Workplace design and layout

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Tools and software

● Use tools to create time and space to innovate

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Many of the necessary ingredients of workplace innovation also

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So, while you’re working to encourage workplace innovation, don’t be

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1. Leadership & management

6. Workplace design & layout

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Learning Outcome 2 Discuss and develop ideas with others

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Learning Activities Special Instructions

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Freewriting: Freewriting simply means

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