1

The Role of Innovation in

Education

Alex C. Cirillo, Jr., Ph.D.Vice President, 3M, Retired

Monday, February 28, 2011, 8:45 a.m.

Today’s discussion

• Define innovation and its elements.• Demonstrate how innovation relates to both the

purpose of the LASSCA Conference and to your work at home.

• Briefly discuss change management• Remind ourselves that we “must be the change

we seek.”

The LASSCA Conference

• “create greater synergies”• provide opportunities for

– collaboration– mutual enrichment

• promote innovative STEM initiatives in Lasallian schools

4

Managing Complex Change

Vision + Skills + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan = Change Skills + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan = Confusion Vision + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan = Anxiety Vision + Skills + Resources + Action Plan = Gradual

Change Vision + Skills + Incentive + Action Plan = Frustration Vision + Skills + Incentive + Resources + = False starts

from Motorola4

• What does innovation look like in the world of Lasallian education?

1st take-home message:

To be innovation, it must be transformational!

Creativity:Creativity:The aptitude of the mind to construct or formulate ideas, The aptitude of the mind to construct or formulate ideas, concepts or images in which the essential newness or concepts or images in which the essential newness or freshness is embodied in new relationships, associations or freshness is embodied in new relationships, associations or linkages.linkages.Discovery:Discovery:The uncovering, elucidation, recognition or advancement in The uncovering, elucidation, recognition or advancement in understanding of new scientific phenomena or knowledge. understanding of new scientific phenomena or knowledge. (Some preexisting state of affairs is now somehow known to (Some preexisting state of affairs is now somehow known to us.)us.)Innovation:Innovation:Is the use of knowledge, either from discovery or from some Is the use of knowledge, either from discovery or from some widely known knowledge base, to achieve an widely known knowledge base, to achieve an outputoutput that is that is new or novel (e.g., a new product or process). (Pragmatic.)new or novel (e.g., a new product or process). (Pragmatic.)

2nd Take-home message:

Innovation is….

NOT an accident

It is driven by a system of principles and practices which support and encourage the coupling of systems and creativity to solve a problem.

Elements of Innovation

• Values/Vision• Culture• Networks• Personal expectations• Metrics

Role of innovative leaders (traditional)

• Come from the trenches• Champion• Understand innovation culture• Prioritization/efficiency not dominant• Informal• Role model: William McKnight

“As our business grows, it becomes increasingly necessary to delegate responsibility and to encouragemen and women to exercise their initiative. This requires considerable tolerance. Those men and women… are going to want to do their jobs in their own way.

McKnight Principles (3rd take-home message)

- William McKnight, 1948

Mistakes will be made. But if a person is essentially right, the mistakes he or she makes are not as serious in the long run as the mistakes management will make if it undertakes to tell those in authority exactly how they must do their jobs.

Management that is destructively critical when mistakes are made kills initiative. And it is essential that we have many people with initiative if we are to continue to grow.”

(Risk takers)

What’s expected of today’s leaders

• Recognize (and declare) what works and doesn’t work…not always easy.

• Global perspective.

• Model “change in the face of change.”

• Goal: sustainable innovation in a rapidly changing world (constituents, employees, nature of org.).

• Much is about metrics, incentives, role models.

• Role of spending.

How do each of these drive innovation?

“Curriculum” of Innovation

The purpose of these so-called courses is

to fix in your minds the basic elements

understood and practiced around the world by the most innovative organizations.

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Innovation 101

Just because you can doesn’t Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should!mean that you should!

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Innovation 201

• Resign yourself to the fact that there is no such thing as an LTQF.

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Innovation 301

• Be multilingual

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Innovation 401

• Be clear about the context in which you are working

• Keep your perspective.

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Innovation 501 (graduate)

• Know when to think in Black and White and when to think in Color.

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ApproachBlack

White

Grey

Rainbow

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Innovation 601 (graduate)

• The thing you should work hardest at is to build confidence in your people.

• Be a teacher.

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Innovation 701

• Be personally committed to making yourself and those around you excited about innovating.

• Be positive.

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Be . . .

• Open to change

• Hungry to learn

• Anxious to move quickly on a new idea

© 3M 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Questions to Ask Yourself About Innovation

Does everyone in your organization know how to define innovation?

Who are the innovators in your organization?

Does your organization have an oral history that helps employees learn about innovation?

What are your platforms (content, process, culture, capabilities)?

Do you have both a long and short term mindset (bi-visual)?

What volunteer activities foster innovation and how can these activities be encouraged for your members?

Does your organization recognize and reward innovative achievements in a meaningful way?

…foster greater interest in STEM

Disclaimer:

It’s important to state that we don’t expect every student to become a scientist or engineer, but that every Lasallian trained student will have a greaterunderstanding and appreciation for STEM than

their predecessors.

We also want more scientists and engineers!

Keys to getting students interested in STEM

• Role of– Parents– Teachers – Science community (actions, role models)– Local communities & leaders– Press– Media (TV, movies, advertising)– Etc.

Some program examples to consider…

• 3M STEP Program• 3M TWIST• 3M Ingenuity Grants

Some partnerships to consider…

• Project Lead the Way• FIRST Lego League & FIRST Robotics• Teacher Resource Centers (e.g. SMM)

In summary…

• We won’t have innovation in our schools unless you embody it.

• Leadership, cross cultural capability, and communication skills are part of STEM.

• Partnerships give necessary leverage.• The rules of change management apply!