Reference no: EM132708920

Task - Performance and Skills Assessment

Case Study - IT Stuff Pty Ltd
You are the product manager of a new start up IT company called IT Stuff. It is a very competitive market and you are keen on creating a more innovative environment within your team. You have 4 team members, all ‘outside-of-the-box' thinkers, and you want to ensure that you create an environment where innovative (and sometimes crazy) ideas are welcomed, discussed, and implemented (where appropriate).
You have decided that the key priorities are as follows:
• Establish a leadership style and work practices that encourage and support innovation
• To create a work environment that encourages and supports innovation
• Help the team to learn and grow to develop the skills needed to be innovative

Part A - Leadership and work practices
1. Describe 4 ways you can make innovation an integral part of your leadership and management style. (60 words)

2. Describe 4 activities or work practices that you can introduce to help encourage innovation within your team. (60 words)

3. Describe 3 ways you can build and maintain mutual respect and trust within your team. (60 words)

4. You decide to survey your team on their views about how well they work together and how well they come up with and implement new and innovative ideas. What are 5 questions you can ask as part of your survey?

5. Draft and email to staff asking them to fill in the survey. In the email, include the following:
a. explain the importance of innovation to the company and the team
b. your goals, priorities and plans
c. the importance of each team member contributing
d. a request that each person fills in the survey
e. a due date
f. encouraging team members to contact you with any queries or suggestions
6. List 4 ways you can demonstrate positive reception of the information and ideas from others.

Part B - Work environment
It is important that you create a work environment that fosters creativity, innovation and team work. The current work environment is an open area made up of traditional desks and office chairs with partitions between each desk. There is a small kitchen area for tea and coffee making at the other end of the building but not enough space for any seating. The décor and colour scheme are grey and black with white walls. You also have a private office and personally find the work space dull, dreary and uninspiring.
7. Research other IT companies for example Google or Facebook or any IT company of your choice that has an innovative work environment and answer the following questions.
a. Describe their work environment (60 words)

b. What are the benefits? (60 words)

c. List 3 risks that you can identify with implementing a similar environment at IT Stuff. Conduct a risk assessment for each risk and identify 1 strategy to overcome that risk.
8. You want to get input from your team members about ideas for enhancing the work environment and equipment.
a. You will begin by circulating a short survey. What are 4 questions you can ask in the survey?

b. Describe one other way that you can get input from your team members. (20 words)

9. One of your team members has suggested that everyone use standing desks. You want to respond in a positive manner that will build trust and respect. Write a response to this team member. Include the following in your response. (80 words)
• Acknowledge their idea
• Describe 2 positive aspects of their idea
• Describe 2 aspects of their idea that needs further consideration

10. Conduct some research on the sort of furniture and equipment that can help to create an environment that promotes innovation. You will now share this information in an informal email to your team members. Include the following. (80 words)
• A thank you to team members for completing the survey
• A summary of your research and why you conducted it
• A description of 3 items of furniture or equipment that you could include in your work space.
• A request for feedback on the 3 items

11. With the information that you now have from your research and feedback, create a design for the work environment by completing the following.
a. Create a layout of how you would set up the work environment for your 4 team members and yourself. This can be hand drawn (but must be neat and readable and drawn to an approximation of scale) or you can use a simple computer draw program. Scan and upload your diagram with this assessment
b. Describe how you would decorate the work space. (60 words)

12. You are planning a celebration for the introduction of the new work space once it has all been put in place. Describe how you would do this in a way that will achieve the following: (60 words)
• Congratulate the team members
• Involve senior management

13. Identify five ways of evaluating any new innovative ideas from team members now that you have put in place the environment to encourage innovation.

Part C - Learning Environment
Whilst you have built your team and hired ‘outside-of-the-box' thinkers, it is important to continue developing their creative and innovative mind set and skills. To do this, you will need to maintain your own knowledge and competence, share information and provide team members with formal and informal professional development opportunities.
14. What are 3 ways you can share information on work practices, new ideas and innovation with your team members?

15. Describe how you will help staff develop their creative and innovative skills by answering the following:
a. List at least 2 books you would recommend.

b. Provide at least 2 links to YouTube or other videos

c. Describe at least one workshop you could organise

d. Describe how you can provide mentoring and coaching

Part D - Evaluate Personal Approach
It is important you set aside regular time for reflection on your own approaches to innovation and ensure that they are consistent with the wider organisational or project context.
16. Evaluate your approach to innovation and describe 3 ways that the work environment and the learning environment contribute to the achievement of organisational objectives.

17. List 3 other approaches to innovation that you can consider and implement.