It is rare
to see people from the same company coming
together to talk about innovation. So when
the participants of the 3rd Innovation
Circle Network Session met kindred spirits
from nine other ministries, they probably
thought that some powerful force of nature
had aligned their lucky stars!
Well, there were indeed powerful forces
at work. They were in the form of the Innovation
Circle (I-Circle), established by the Innovation
Unit of the Public Service Centre for Organisational
Excellence (PS COE).
I-Circle, which is sponsored by The Enterprise Challenge, brings together innovation
champions from across the public sector to encourage learning, knowledge sharing
and discussion.
The 3rd Innovation Circle was jointly organised by PS COE and the Ministry
of Defence (MINDEF) Innovation Office. With the new theme “Strategic
Innovation in the Public Sector”, the session aimed to shed light on
some key issues public agencies face in the course of promoting innovation
in their organisations.
The afternoon kicked off with an interesting introduction and ice-breaker session.
After that, the Commanding Officer of the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) provided
insights into CMPB’s successful journey towards becoming the first organisation
in MINDEF/SAF to achieve the Innovation Class (I-Class) award.
He went on to emphasise the importance of structural support for innovation
and discussed the four Cs of CMPB’s integrated innovation framework — conditions,
culture, competency and connectivity.
The highlight of the day was the “Burning Questions Discussion” during
which the participants formed small groups to discuss issues such as the difference
between continuous improvement and innovation, motivation for innovation, assessing
innovative projects and creating an innovative culture.
This workshop prompted heated discussions as participants related their experiences,
frustrations and difficulties in implementing innovative practices in their
organisations.
The sharing continued as group representatives presented on the insights they
had gained during the session. While the topics presented were diverse, the
learning experience was deep for all. Many participants found the sharing beneficial
as they learnt new ways to promote innovation and their doubts on innovation
were cleared.
Ms Bernadette Choo from the Ministry of Community Development and Sports applauded
the workshop for not only “providing a focused, in-depth discussion of
innovative thinking” but also “reaffirming my belief that everybody
is creative — we simply have to find that spark within us”.
Soon enough, the participants found the perfect avenue to show off their newfound
knowledge in a role-playing game called “The Boiler Room”, which
was developed and presented by the MINDEF Innovation Office.
The participants were given an exciting scenario: Singapore’s limited
water sources were being contaminated by a villain called Dr T. The participants
had to come up with a strategy to tackle the problem. In the process, they
had to overcome all preconceived barriers to be creative, adaptable and to
work as a team.
This powerful game of self-discovery saw some participants deep in thought
and others engaging in boisterous arguments. With sporadic situational stimuli,
these players had to think on the spot and come up with strategic innovations
to achieve their goals. And think out of the box these participants did. Some
ideas had the facilitators roaring with laughter and their teammates beaming
with admiration.
By coming together to share their diverse experiences, the participants soon
learnt that innovation requires the right culture, managerial structure and,
most importantly, passion in staff. They also discussed the many obstacles
to promoting innovation and the ways to overcome them.
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