5 FIVE DOS AND DON’TS FOR INNOVATION IN EDUCATION – by Maxim Jean-Louis

FIVE DOS

 1  ENCOURAGE RISK TAKING:

Many of the major innovations in our field have been high-risk ventures, such as the UK’s Open University.

2  ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS:

Innovation involves developing programs, courses, boot camps, technologies, processes and learning experiences WITH people, not FOR people.

3  BUILD ON STRENGTHS:

Keep identifying teams and groups that are keen to innovate and set priorities and environments so your chances of success are high. In doing this, break down silos and show leadership to be a champion of change.

4  LEARN TO TOLERATE AMBIGUITY:

We all know we will never have 100 per cent certainty that a new idea or process will work. Let’s continue to learn to live with excitement, doubt, anxiety and hope.

5  GET THE MINDSET RIGHT:

Encourage your colleagues to experiment, understand, embrace, and lead innovation. Having a clear process is very helpful but preparing your team with the right mindset is far more effective

FIVE DON’TS

1  DON’T DWELL ON FAILURES:

As innovators, we know some failures are inevitable — but learning from failure is what helps us eventually be successful innovators.

2  DON’T SEE INNOVATION AS “A BIG IDEA”:

Sustainable innovation begins with an idea, but it then takes ingenuity, diligence, persistence, commitment and hard work to convert the idea into something that works.

3  DON’T LET EGO GET IN THE WAY:

Let’s continue to keep our eye on the learner and not let our egos as innovators get in the way. We too are learners, and

innovation is a learning process.

4  DON’T BE IMPATIENT:

It takes TIME for innovation to flourish and to work through the start-up challenges.

5  DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE EFFORT IT TAKES:

You’ve got to put in the work to get from idea to execution, so you must build that “effort time” into your plan for success

https: /www.col.org/news/five-dos-and-donts-innovation-in-education