Alleviation: An International Journal of Nutrition, Gender & Social Development, ISSN 2348-9340
Volume 2, Number 2 (2015) : 1-7
©Arya PG College, Panipat & Business Press India Publication, Delhi
www.aryapgcollege.com, www.apcjournals.com

Success Factors for Innovative Management

Dr. Jagdish Gupta
Principal, Arya PG College, Panipat (Haryana), India
E-mail: jagdishgupta65@gmail.com

Introduction

We live in a world that is growing at a high speed and heading towards competition. Innovation is needed not only to compete and grow but to survive in a global economy. Innovation by definition implies breaking new grounds, introducing new concepts and technologies. Innovation takes place in many forms i.e. new ways of organizing work, new business models and innovation in design or marketing. All these kinds of innovations represent a major challenge to all of us. In order to achieve success in innovative management, the managers should keep in mind the following things:
Setting of Goals
Let there always be a goal to whatever one does. That gives an incentive and something to live for. Begin by setting exact goals. A vague idea for future does little to inspire you. A precise one provides incentive for substantiated effort. Goals may make one bit uncomfortable but these make one master of every situation one chooses. One learns new skills and overcomes fears of failure. True sustainable success of management can only be achieved with perseverance, patience and a steady eye on one’s long term goal. Successful managers should have purpose with action leading to progress and prosperity. They are willing to do things that unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Success depends on what they are willing to do today in order to become successful tomorrow.
Avoiding Shortcuts
Shortcuts are available if these do not overlook essentials but these can be dangerous if these oversimplify solutions to perplexing difficulties. One should not be tempted by easy way out, this won’t work. No matter whatever one does, it should be built on a solid foundation. Management should be done step by step until one reaches the goal.
No Compromise on Work
In times of emergency, make a special point to keep first things first. This will help in keeping sense of balance and peace of mind and will provide strength to others. The manager should remember that she/he has many duties to perform and nothing should dissuade her / him. Work attitude shapes the success of management techniques.
Developing Positive Attitudes
Look for positivity, no matter who says what, one should always accept the things with a smile. Work should be done with a full potential. It is only the positive attitude which helps in learning the best management performance. There should be a will to explore and achieve the goals. It will help in handling challenging tasks and also make the work environment lively and pleasant.
Avoiding Selfish Motives
Look not for own benefits but provide help to others with good cheer. One should begin work by avoiding selfishness.
Providing Human Touch
We seldom stop to reflect what is concept of the human being behind our daily work. Respect for individual should be the basic value in every organization. There should be basic liking for workers and other people in the organization. Managing the people with different religious, cultural and moral background is a challenging task. There should be continuous dialogue, open communication and participative and democratic decision making. Interaction should be encouraged asking open ended questions. Instead of going around the table and asking for opinions or inputs, ask a question and let people volunteer their answer. Avoid calling on individuals directly. Since it can make them feel uncomfortable. There should be efficient use and development of available skills and talent within an organization. The manger should identify an individual’s potential and on that basis, planning of employee’s education, training and career development should be done. We should look at our individuals as total persons. We have to consider the total wellness concept in terms of professional, physical, mental, social and spiritual wellness.
Managing Change
The world is changing very fast and we have to be acquainted with these changes. The management techniques should be adjusted according to changing trends. It is important to re-invent and streamline all management strategies and principles. To adjust to the changing realities, one needs to be a leader of consequences to reach and sustain the best level of management. The manager should be willing to learn and adapt to the environment, its partners and concerned names.
Taking Risks
Keep trying. One should have not the fear of the failure. The number of times you try is not important. The important consideration is the intelligence with which you try, and above all, what you yourself discover from your efforts. Courage helps one to accept failure, not as defeat, but as a discipline leading to ultimate success. One should start experimentation, try lots of ideas and let the loser go quickly and with more remorse.
One should work with passion. To discover something new, make the jobs challenging, exciting and meaningful. Make each feel like an individual in a great team, rather than a cog in a lifeless machine. People need meaningful work, even if it is tiring and unpleasant; they need to know that it is important and necessary for the survival of the organization. Greatness lies not in avoiding failures, but in overpowering them. Failures arouse dormant energy in some and extinguish it in others. Failure fires the former with a burning sense of purpose. Failure is an opportunity to prove how strong you are. You prove your strength when you meet failure. Difficulties strengthen the mind as labor does the body. Each failure is a step to success. Every trial exhausts some form of error. She/he alone is free from failure that makes no attempt. There should be idea generation for analyzing the risks. Proposed measures against risks should be planned.
Respecting Deadlines
Stick to schedule so that workers after the manager in the work neither have to compromise on quality and nor become tense.
Facilitating Team Work
Talent wins gain, but team work and intelligence wins championship. The members of the team work not for individual credit but they work for organization success. They work with integrity, courtesy and humility and they are the ones who reap rich dividends and are recognized as heroes. Transparency in communication and courage to speak the truth with each other and taking responsibility for one’s actions must become a part of life. Manager should facilitate people to finish their job and making them responsible for their work. Wins and successes should be shared to promote togetherness. One should win with the team. It will help in having a harmonious team equation. Allow your team to be part of the planning and problem solving process Firstly this helps them in their development and allows you to coach them. Secondly, it motivates them – people who are part of the decision making process become the owners of it, thus it gives them a personal interest in seeing the plan succeed. Thirdly, communication is clearer as everyone has a better understanding of what role they must play as part of the team. Next, it creates an open trusting communication bond. They are no longer just the doers for the organization – they are now part of it. Finally, recognition and appreciation from a respected leader are powerful motivators. There should be open and flexible attitude on the part of management.
Establishing Effective Working Relationship
Innovative management is based on sincerity, respect and reliability. The successful managers should have interpersonal skills. Managers have to speak with one voice. Better relation provides the basis for enhancement of human excellence and fire production with minimum cost and higher profits. Aggressiveness, lack of flexibility, egoism, tendency to harbor negative feelings and make others the scapegoat when plans go awry should be curbed at the earliest. A secure environment with minimal administrative influence should be provided. The work environment should be such that makes it easy for the people to discover and solve problems. Effective working relationship creates a good quality of work life which encourages good performance and contributes towards one’s mental hygiene. Lasting relationship with the employees should be build through focus on work styles, work environment, conflict resolution and feedback.
Rewarding Loyalty
A loyal work force comprises of people who have been with the organization for several years and they understand the organization’s values and it is a key asset. Loyalty is beneficial for the organization and the employee. Retention of it will help in motivating the loyal employees to keep performing better. It will help in building an ownership quotient towards the organizational growth. Various initiatives to reward employee loyalty help employers to successfully retain deep domain of knowledge within the organization and for employees; it is a just reward for their loyal service to the organization.
Retention of quality talent is possible only when certain factors like a conducive work environment, recognition and reward mechanisms, development and learning opportunities are provided. The loyal employees understand where they stand and where they need to go in terms of the career.
Providing Support Network
In order to share experiences and gain perspective on issues, a support network should be developed. Like minded co-workers with common interest can help ward off feelings of isolation and loneliness in addition to sharing the work load.
Building Managerial Effectiveness
There should be effective communication within organization. It will integrate the employee with the organization’s vision and action. There should be clearly defined mission statement and future road map. This roadmap has to be consistently demonstrated and frequently communicated to the employees. All the employees should be treated equally and should be given a fair chance at career progression. Everyone should be provided equal opportunities to learn and grow. Training and workshops should not be limited to just a few favored ones. Extend these to as many people as possible. Give them the training they need. Give them something that is going to motivate them in an honest and hopefully not in a manipulative way. Ensure that everybody is suitably rewarded for good work. Make sure that everyone gets what she/ he deserves in terms of rewards, promotions, recognition and pay hike. Equal opportunities for development, advancement and personal growth will make the employees more contented and satisfied. Fair leadership and guidance should be provided to the employees to help them contribute effectively to the organization.
Using e- Learning
Computer based supporting techniques should be used to stimulate creativity. There should be implementation of computational models to generate and organize ideas for creative work.
Using Right Approach for Solving Problems
Firstly problem should be simplified and then after deconstructing it, one should start solving these. First of all, attempt the easier and important ones. The success will boost up the confidence level and provide encouragement to proceed further. Be receptive to other people for inputs related to the problems. You should be ready to make changes to your solutions so that it is acceptable to others connected with it. It is best to be flexible and considerate about the expectations and demands of others. It should be made a fun activity which will make solving even the trickiest of problem-a child’s play.
Fostering Creativity and Autonomy
Creativity is a generation of new ideas involving a radical newness, innovation or solution to problems and radical reformation of problems. Those ideas should be valued which deliver tangible benefits to the organization. Moreover it should also be seen that creative ideas should be feasible and lesser ideas should be discarded quickly. Thinking innovative idea is a great skill that can be encouraged. In order to stabilize innovative management, creativity at all level to solve problems should be promoted and creative ideas should be celebrated by stabilizing an environment that rewards them for doing so. The act of creativity is one of self expression. In order to enhance creativity, formal and informal training should be provided. Moreover autonomy in one’s own environment should be provided. Let the employees know that you value their judgment. If the manager trust employee, then better results can be achieved.
Building New Capabilities
In situations, where key issues are to be addressed, it is necessary that new capabilities and resources must be developed which may use new operating models.
Maintaining Climate of Trust
Climate of trust should be maintained. If the employees are fearful, they can perform at their best because they cannot express themselves openly above what is wrong and how the improvement can be made. They do not feel comfortable while giving their views.
optimizing the Efforts
There should be better use of existing resources so as to improve competitiveness. The concern of each group in the organization should be addressed, it will increase the appropriateness and credibility of the recommendations coming from the system and will improve flow of information within the organization.
Removing Barriers
The barrier hindering the goal accomplishment should be removed. Ways to do a better job should be discussed.
Sharing Gain and Profit
One of the major concerns of organizations is the reduction of costs and wastage in operations and activities. In this endeavor, it would be beneficial to the organization to recognize the fact that creative ideas and innovative suggestions could come from any quarter or employee level in the organizations. Many organizations were successful because of the contribution of the employees towards the cutting of costs and enhancement of productivity. If we share the substantial portion of the costs saved with the employees, it will improve the work performance. The profit that any organization makes is also due to the concerted efforts of all employees, it is therefore imperative that this profit be shared with the employees. This gesture will be instrumental in getting the employees’ wholehearted commitment to work and loyalty towards the organization. This will create more avenues for expanding and diversifying the business.
Making Realistic Expectations
High expectations are the source of frustration and failure. So expectations should be at the reasonable height and sight. You must work at the right earnest and then the failure cannot create hindrance in achieving the genuine goals.
It is necessary that a manager should develop such a mindset that helps her/him to function in all types of environment. They should be adequately trained and equipped to handle the new challenges and responsibilities. They should be knowledgeable professionals. Knowledge is the key to driving value from new technologies and processes. The manager has to create the environment that facilitates idea generation and executions. They should adopt smart ways of working which enhance speed and quality and reduce waste of time and energy. They should continuously learn to adopt new practices.
References
Kathryn A and Zimmerman M (1994) Using Innovative Management Techniques in Implementing Pavement Management Systems. Available at www.pavement management.org.
Sawaguchi M (2011) Creative Risk Management Based on Reverse Thinking Helping with Innovation. Available at www.aitriz.org/articles.
Erdyn C (1999) Promoting Innovation Management Techniques in Europe. Available at www.proinno.europe.eu.
Eleni S (2000) Creatvity. Available at www. en.wikipedia .org.wiki
Nair N (2008) Say no to Negativity. Times of India, December-2, New Delhi.