The Innovation-Friendly Organization (eBook)

Anna Simpson is a writer and editor specialising in the future of business and society. She works at Forum for the Future as the Curator for its dynamic online Futures Centre, and lives in Singapore. Her first book, The Brand Strategist's Guide to Desire was published in 2014. @_annasimpson

Dedication 5
Acknowledgements 6
Contents 7
1: Introduction: Cultures Where Ideas Thrive 9
Aiming for Resilience 11
Beyond Good Intentions 12
The Social Life of Innovation 14
Breaking Free of Mental Blocks 16
Lessons from Religion 17
Standing Out, Looking In 19
Changing the Odds 20
A Context Conducive to Change 21
Diversity: A Hidden Strength 22
Imagining Things Afresh 24
Five Cultural Elements 26
2: Diversity 27
Over Imaginary Walls 28
The Importance of Relationships 30
When Ideas Get Together 32
Diversity, But to What End? 34
Towards a Transformative Culture 38
The Empathy Challenge 41
The Case for Unlearning 44
What You See Is What You Get 48
Cultural Archaeology 51
Beyond Gender Norms 53
New Approaches to Social Roles 55
Health in Numbers 58
3: Integrity 60
Core Strength 61
Why We Conform 62
Beyond Frameworks and Obligations 64
Rocket Straps 67
Teal for Integrity 68
The Sensing Organization 71
Tools Supporting Conscious Decisions 73
What You See, and What You Get 75
Time to Come Out 77
Creative Connections 80
The Importance of Foundations 81
Accounting Like a Forest 83
On Trust and Teamwork 86
Aiming for Transformation 89
4: Curiosity 91
Curious Paths to Purpose 92
Making Space for Adventure 94
Advantages of Time Travel 95
Design for Fresh Thinking 97
Elemental Connections 99
How Spaces Change Behaviours 103
Places to Play 106
For the Love of Making 110
Seeing Life as a Game 113
Out of Your Mind 116
Obstacle Course 119
5: Reflection 121
The Rise of Slow 123
Thinking About Our Future 125
We’re All Future Makers 127
‘Prehearsing’ the Future 128
Designing It Forward 131
The Value of Caution 133
Designing in Systems 135
Learning Journeys 138
Supporting a Daily Practice 141
The Power of Perspective 142
Making Sense of Culture 146
Mindful Perspectives 148
Keep Asking 150
6: Connection 152
Connecting in Difficult Contexts 154
From Cannibalism to Safety 157
Connecting in Spite of Yourself 161
Authority and Leadership 164
Pitfalls on the Path 167
Ritual Connections to Change 169
Empowerment Through Uncertainty 174
Compassion: Practical Steps 175
A Word of Thanks 181
7: Afterword: The Still Point of Innovation 182
Next Steps 186
Transform the Culture of Your Organization for Innovation 186
Resources 189
Books 189
Papers 190
Mixed Media 192
Tools 196
Index of Concepts 197
Index of People 200
Index of Organizations 203