This article is written by Anne Alexandrina Peters, Manager, Ministry of the Attorney General, Ontario Public Service, Canada.

  • The problem: Innovation is understood in different ways and there is a need for more clarity around how as public servants, we can all play a role.
  • Why it matters: As public servants, we all should have a part to play in driving innovation as it improves the way we can better serve our public.
  • The solution: Provide clarity as to what innovation means in the public service. Provide clearly defined ways to support creativity and innovation. Ensure everyone (managers and employees) assumes responsibility for innovation.

If you are interested in an insightful synthesis of definitions and perspectives on innovation, the article ‘What is innovation? 26 experts share their innovation definition’, by writer Nick Skillicorn is an excellent source. In its midst, the definition that I believe bears the most relevance to the public service context is by Karen Hurt, who defines innovation as approaching every situation saying, “How can we make this better?” This definition speaks to shaping a new culture for innovation to thrive and in turn, taking on our individual responsibilities as leaders, staff, team members and public service organisations in driving this critical area of our work.

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Skillicorn’s analysis of these experts’ responses identifies four key elements of innovation:

  1. Having an idea
  2. Executing an idea
  3. Addressing a real challenge
  4. Adding value to a company

Let’s start with the idea. Public sector leaders have a responsibility to create a culture where employees feel supported and encouraged to bring forth ideas and that their ideas will be welcomed. However, research in the book Courageous Cultures by Karen Hurt and David Dye, highlights that 56% of employees indicated that they withhold their ideas out of concern they won’t get credit, 49% said they are not regularly asked for their ideas, 40% said they don’t feel confident sharing ideas, 67% said their manager’s notion is “because we have always done it this way” and 50% believed that their ideas would not be taken seriously.

Do these statistics resonate with your team?

These research results are disconcerting but a good signal for public sector leaders – if they have not already done so – to closely examine whether their staff may perceive their work environments as not being conducive to creativity and ideation. I would challenge leaders to explore some of these questions:

  • How diverse is my team? (There are strong correlations between diversity, inclusion, creativity and innovation.)
  • Have I built an inclusive workplace where employees feel that they belong and can contribute?
  • Do employees, especially those from historically marginalised communities, feel psychologically safe, where they can make mistakes and failures as an opportunity to learn and improve?
  • Are employees fairly recognised and rewarded for their ideas and do they have equitable opportunities to participate in their execution?
  • What feedback mechanisms are in place for employees to share ideas? Are these mechanisms inclusive and accessible?

These questions are especially relevant as design thinking – which is a well-known methodology in innovation – is based on a human-centric approach. Throughout its various phases, teams need to collaborate, experiment, iterate, generate innovative solutions and learn from their experiments. Bringing together diverse perspectives in this process to tackle problems will result in a greater appreciation of how to eliminate and address biases, assumptions and potential blind spots as we try to find fresh solutions and improve service delivery. Building inclusive work environments will encourage dialogue and foster sharing of different viewpoints, encouraging all employees at any level of the organisation to challenge traditional ways of thinking and doing things. This should also extend to understanding the diversity of our customers and clients who comprise the public we serve and innovating to address these needs.

This article is intended as a call to action to encourage each of us to commit and take on our responsibilities for making innovation flourish.

Within teams, there are shared responsibilities for innovation. Team members can collaborate and bring their insights, knowledge and expertise to generate innovative ideas, suggest new ways to execute ideas, ensure ideas address challenges and, more importantly, determine if they add value. Leaders should engage with their teams, championing new proposals and pilot projects, sourcing resources, and pushing through layers of approvals. Leaders can act as role models, advocates and allies, encouraging creativity, helping break down resistance to change and effectively promoting the value proposition at their leadership tables in executing the idea.

Ask questions – continually

As public servants, we should be continually asking ourselves and even each other if there is a better way to deliver services to the public we serve. This question can be applied to customer experiences, workflows, products, strategies, or anything that relates to the work we do. It is our responsibility as public sector employees to develop bold ideas, to experiment and explore new ways of thinking and new ways of doing. We need to develop and nurture a mindset of resiliency in failure, perseverance if faced with rejection of our ideas and a determination to execute our ideas to make things better. This approach will ensure we will make a difference to benefit both our customers, clients and our organisations.

We should not lose sight of the overarching responsibility of government in encouraging technological innovation by supporting investment in research and development. These efforts should extend to also supporting its public service organisations and their employees. As an example, the Government of Ontario Public Service (OPS) has recognised the importance of attracting and retaining top talent, diversifying its workforce and creating a workplace where employees feel they belong. These are key elements in inspiring creativity and propelling the delivery of public services to new heights in innovation.

This article is intended as a call to action to encourage each of us to commit and take on our responsibilities for making innovation flourish within our organisations and, by example, into the wider communities we serve. We can be energised by the words “How can we make this better?”

I wish to expressly acknowledge that I am writing in my personal capacity and that the views and opinions shared are personal views and not of my employer.

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