Getting Unstuck #125: Harnessing "Us" to Power Innovation
Today on Getting Unstuck
We’re joined in this conversation by David Price (OBE). David is an author, speaker, consultant and trainer. He has led education innovation projects around the world, and is the author of two books: OPEN:How We’ll Work, Live And Learn In The Future, and his new book, which we discuss here, The Power Of Us: How We Connect, Act And Innovate Together. In 2009, he was made an Officer of the British Empire by The Queen for his services to education.
The essential point in David’s own words
“Even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, we were going to have to find solutions to an unprecedented cluster of societal, economic, environmental and cultural problems. I was curious to see how all kinds of organizations, from corporations to high schools, were responding to these challenges. What I didn't anticipate was how many of them cultivated people-powered innovation, creating porous outside-in environments where everyone - especially the users of products or services - played a part in figuring things out.“
How you can use this podcast
David makes the point that eight qualities define organizations that thrive on innovation: trust, transparency, engagement, equity, autonomy, agency, mastery, meaning. (We would add “teamwork” or “collaboration” to that list.)
• Where do you see strong evidence of these qualities in your organization?
• Which qualities are clearly missing? What, if anything, prevents their growth?
• How might you begin to develop any of the missing qualities either in yourself or others?Author Joseph Murphy argues in Caring School Leadership that education won’t shift meaningfully without consulting students on changes they would like to see. Given that idea and David’s thinking that the best innovations are often user-led, where could you include the student voice in educational change?
David explains “Nobody understands a problem better than the users.” See what happens when you don’t ask your students what they want to be when they grow up, but instead ask them what problems they see and would like to be a part of solving.
Connect with David
References
“Could a book on how to change in education be anymore timely?“
It is needed as educational leaders work through new distance learning approaches for all students. Educators must balance educating students, while keeping staff and students healthy. There is fear on the part of many teachers to remain healthy as they go back to school. Their why is to inspire and ensure that students thrive emotionally, socially and academically.
— Patrick Sweeney, Leadership Coach / Retired Superintendent