When Henry Ford began revolutionizing the automobile industry with assembly line production of affordable cars for the public, the status quo for most people around the world was still transport by ho

DQ 1 AND ASSIGNMENT

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Discussion: Challenging Your Status Quo

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.

When Henry Ford began revolutionizing the automobile industry with assembly line production of affordable cars for the public, the status quo for most people around the world was still transport by horse. You can just imagine the questions Henry Ford might have asked as he looked around at the status quo of the time. Perhaps he asked "What if I could mass produce a type of transportation that everyone could afford?" Ford's innovations in business process allowed him to create a series of radical changes which would help to create what we recognize today as a modern lifestyle. Ford identified and challenged the initial resistance to changing the status quo that he faced.

Is there a status quo in your work life that you think could be changed? In this Discussion, you will cultivate some of the important skills needed to challenge the existing state of affairs in your work life. Start by looking around your current workplace or envision the workplace at an organization with which you are familiar and start thinking, "What if?"

With these thoughts in mind:

By Day 2

Post the following:

• Ten questions that challenge the status quo at your current workplace, or one with which you are familiar. Be sure to place this list at the beginning of your Discussion post.

• Then, select one question for further analysis and provide a rationale as to why this question is important, why it poses a barrier to innovation, and why it challenges the status quo of the organization.

• Finally, select one of the five discovery skills from Dyer, et al. (2009), and provide a rationale for why this discovery skill would enable you or the organization to drive innovation and overcome creativity barriers and the status quo that prompted your question in the first place.

By Day 3

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 3, to two or more of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

• Select a question offered by your colleague that he/she did not use and suggest potential ways that your colleague or the organization might drive innovation and overcome the barriers and status quo.

• Compare your colleague's findings to those of others and your own. If you see similarities, explain why the status quo might appear similar across different workplaces and industries. Do not limit your responses solely to budgetary or resourcing constraints.

• Identify any challenges at a colleague's workplace that seem unique or that you have not encountered before. Offer your ideas about why you think those are important and which discovery skill from Dyer, et al., would best enable your colleague and/or the organization to drive innovation and overcome the barriers and status quo. Be sure to provide your rationale for your choice.

• Offer your insights to your colleague about the value of this process and importance of using it to identify opportunities for innovation or opportunities to challenge the status quo.

DQ 1 Forum Templates

Initial Post Template

Ten Questions That Challenge the status Quo at Your Current Workplace

One Question for Further Analysis and Importance

One discovery skill from Dyer, et al. (2009) to Overcome Creativity Barriers

APA References

Peer Responses Template

Question Not Used by Colleague with Suggestions

Comparison of Colleagues Findings with Others and Your Own

Colleagues Workplace Unique Challenges. Use Dyer, et. Al., Rational

Insights to Colleagues on Value of the Process

APA References

Dyer, Gregersen, and Christensen, in their essential components of "The Innovator’s DNA" make the important point that, while all successful innovators share certain characteristics, those characteristics are not literally written into an innovator’s DNA. Instead, it is essential to practice thinking creatively. What innovators achieve is the result of their actions and what they do, not simply who they are.

With this in mind, it stands to reason that it is important to periodically assess whether you are on the right track in developing the skills of a leader who successfully fosters creativity in the organization. This self-assessment is not the final verdict on the level or depth of your creativity or your potential success as an innovator, but instead is an important part of understanding the ways you currently lead others and thinking about how you will lead others in the future.

Regardless of where you are in the organization, there are leadership characteristics you have or would like to strive towards as you develop professionally. For this Individual Reflection you will identify and describe an innovation leader who has inspired you. This Individual Reflection will allow you to conduct a personal analysis of leadership qualities between you and an innovation leader to help you identify key leadership dimensions that you can develop.

Note: For the sake of clarity, be mindful during this Individual Reflection to focus on a leader that you admire who inspires innovation and not a leader who is innovative in terms of leadership style and characteristics.

For this Individual Reflection, describe a person who successfully brought together leadership, foresight, creativity, and innovation. This person should be someone with whom you have worked or who has inspired you in your professional career or personal life. (Note: You do not need to identify the individual by name, if he or she is someone you personally know). Be sure to include the following:

• Part 1: Provide an opening section where you provide your assessment of the characteristics of this innovation leader that you currently do not possess or demonstrate that you would like to develop. Your own characteristics are the baseline in the analysis, and the innovation leader you identified is the model. If you are not currently in a leadership role, envision how you might develop these characteristics in a future position. Be sure to consider the following factors and questions:

  • Explain how this innovation leader supported a creative environment, and how they catalyzed, implemented, and promoted innovation in the organization.

  • Describe the leadership skills he or she used to foster creativity in successful ways.

  • How does the leader engage stakeholders (vendors, executives, board members, employees) in the innovative or creative process? For example, how does the leader conduct a stakeholder analysis?

• Provide an inventory of leadership characteristics exhibited by this leader using the Leader Characteristic Inventory Handout document in this week’s Resources.

• Part 2: Provide a self-assessment on the extent to which you have (or need to cultivate to be successful) the dimensions of leadership that foster creativity. For each of the following dimensions of leadership, assess how you currently display (or would display) the dimensions in your work and professional life. Provide a brief explanation of your self-assessment for each of the dimensions listed below. (Refer to "The Innovator’s DNA" for more details about each of these innovator dimensions):

  • Associating

  • Questioning

  • Experimenting

  • Observing

  • Networking

  • Cultivating New Thinking

  • Comfort with Change

  • Risk tolerance

  • Collaboration

• Part 3: Aggregate your findings and provide a summary of the main lessons you have learned about yourself as a leader (present or aspiring) and what you may need to work on to achieve your identified dimensions. How important do you think it is that leaders possess these dimensions and which do you think are the most important to your future? Provide your rationale or examples to justify your answer.

Submit a paper that addresses the four areas listed above. Include your Innovation Leader Characteristic Inventory within the body or your paper or as an Appendix, depending on what makes better sense for the way you organize your assignment.

Guidance on Assignment Length: Your Week 7 assignment should be 6–10 pages (3–5 pages if single spaced), excluding a title page and references.

ASSIGNMENT TEMPLATE

Abstract

Element 1a: Part 1 Innovative Leader Analysis Characteristics That Inspire Innovation

Element 1b: Part I Innovative Leader Analysis - Compelling Case For Why Characteristics Important to His/her Success

Element 2: Part I Leader Characteristic Inventory

Element 3: Part 2 - Self-assessment of Dimensions of Leadership That Foster Creativity

Element 4a: Part 3 - Analysis of Findings: Main Lessons Learned About Himself/Herself As A Leader

Element 4b: Part 3 - Analysis of Findings: Most Important Dimensions For Student

References

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