WEF roept op tot Samenwerken bij Innovatie.

'Innovation is the work of Knowing rather than Doing.' Peter Drucker in The Discipline of Innovation (1985)

Het jaarlijkse World Economic Forum is gisteren van start gegaan en op het openingscongres werd er direct een oproep gedaan: Annual Meeting opens with calls for collaborative innovation.  Wereld wijd is er een overdaad aan Goede Ideeën maar Samen Werken ho maar. 

& Toch is er een noodzaak: 'Collaboration, the main theme of this year's Davos meeting, is the keyword to make progress on the issues of climate change, Africa's development and the global economy.' zo stelt Japan's prime minister Yasuo Fokuda op deze openingsdag. Andere inleiders vallen hem bij waaronder co-dagvoorzitter Tony Blair.

'Waar levert dat nu op?' denkt u misschien nou, laat nu nét Tony Blairs' thuisland, Groot Brittannië, een mooi voorbeeld zijn van succesvolle innovatie.

Omdat het begrip Innovatie lastig is (nb; PWC, 'the Conference's Knowlegde Concierge', meldt hier over: 'BusinessWeek magazine asked several US presidential candidates for their thoughts on innovation. The candidates all agreed innovation was important for America's future success, but each offered a different definition.' en dat was nog in november 2007), eerst even terug naar ur-guru Peter Drucker. Hij stelt in 1985 het volgende:

Sources of Innovation:

• unexpected occurrences 
• incongruities 
• process needs 
• industry and market changes
• demographic changes
• changes in perception
• new knowledge

Over The Principles of Innovation merkt hij nog op: 'Purposeful, systematic innovation begins with the analysis of the sources of new opportunities. Depending on the context, sources will have different importance at different times.'(....) 'To be effective, an innovation has to be simple, and it has to be focused. It should do only one thing; other-wise it confuses people. Indeed, the greatest praise an innovation can receive is for people to say, "This is obvious! Why didn't I think of it?"'(....) 'In innovation, as in any other endeavor, there is talent, there is ingenuity, and there is knowledge. But when all is said and done, what innovation requires is hard, focused, purposeful work. If diligence, persistence, and commitment are lacking, talent, ingenuity, and knowledge are of no avail.'

Ook al was men in Groot Brittannië in 1985 nog niet zo ver, op zich levert Drucker hier zijn voorzet voor Investors in People. & Dat hadden de Britten vervolgens goed begrepen.

Groot Brittannië beschikt inmiddels over een Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills en dit Ministerie wist medio 2007 over het Innovatieve succes van Investors in People te melden:

'Over 40,000 organisations/businesses have been recognised as Investors in People. About 40% of the British working population (some 10 million) are working within the standard. IiP is now part of the UK white paper : 21st Century Skills - Realising our Potential.

What have been the financial benefits of IiP ?

• IiP has helped businesses to increase profits by GBP 756 million annually.
• IiP companies are making changes that are twice as profitable as other changes
• IiP helps businesses to realise profits through people
• The improved financial benefits of recognition outweigh the costs incurred'

De genoemde White Paper kent inmiddels een definitieve versie: het 'World Class Skills' programma. In dat programma wordt over IiP opgemerkt: 'Investors in People has made a significant impact since its launch 15 years ago. Working with Investors in People can help employers to improve the performance of their businesses by investing in and making the most of the skills of their employees. In the context of our stretching new ambition on skills, it is now timely, working with the Devolved Administrations, to review Investors in People UK's remit. The review will consider how we can build on its success to date and develop the Investors in People Standard and services to help employers to develop their businesses to rise to the challenges they face by investing in their people.'

O ja, het doel van het Britse World Class Skills programma is: 'In order to sustain and improve our position in the global economy, the Government has committed itself to the ambition of becoming a world leader in skills by 2020, benchmarked against the top quartile of OECD countries.'

Mooi ambitie 1 waarvoor, cfm WEF, Innovatie nodig is maar dat zal de Britten ongetwijfeld lukken. Nu wij nog....