Innovation Nonsense
We are awash in a world of absolute nonsense insofar as the word innovation is concerned. There exists a remarkable euphoria in education around the term, intertwined with an ignorance as to its meaning, and therefore, usage. What do I mean?
Outmoded Working Culture
We talk so much (ad nauseam, perhaps) about mindset…from this general perspective, I support Gratton’s assertion that we must catalyse a mindset revolution, as opposed to a radical revolution, if we are to move decidedly into the future of work. As she points out, quite rightly, I think, “while executive teams may continue to receive a lot of applicants from across the normal distribution (of talented candidates), they may increasingly struggle to find the quality they desire, as the ‘very talented’ seek out more forward-thinking and innovative work environments” (39).
The Changing Face of Competition for Schools
You may not be aware of the next-generation challengers to the traditional international school model. A recent report from SSATB (now: The Enrollment Management Association) highlights a number of new models to ponder from the perspective of competition. These are not putative or theoretical models of how we might do school -- they exist and they're gaining ground. They are expanding. They have proof of concept.
Why Innovation Fails
Innovation is a buzz-word, admittedly. People think they're cool when they use it, when they criticise schools (and other organisations and industries) for not being innovative. The truth is, though, that innovation is deeply challenging. Although we frequently hear a choir of folks sing the praises of failure, it should be pointed out, as Ben Slater of consultancy Bow & Arrow (London) does in the most recent issue of London Business School Review (2.2015), that "[i]nnovation is a complete and utter basket case in business [...]. There is no other discipline [...] that has a higher failure rate than innovation [...]. It is incredibly hard. There are multiple pain points where innovation can fail [...]."