Seminar

Innovation and Organization Politics

- If you want to make enemies, try introducing something new!

An executive seminar with Professor David Buchanan, Cambridge University and Cranfield School of Management, UK


Innovation involves identifying creative ideas, testing them, and then implementing them - if they work. However, it takes more than a great idea and a good business case to make this happen. Innovation upsets the old order. Those who feel that they will be disadvantaged may either ignore new ideas, or try to stop them. And if they can’t do this by openly challenging the logic of the business case, they can move backstage, and use organization politics instead.

In this seminar, Professor David Buchanan will discuss political issues in innovation work. The seminar will be intense and participative, combining a small amount of lecture input with case and incident analysis (some based on pre-recorded video), and organizational diagnostics, as well as table and plenary discussion.

The aims of this seminar are to explore how organization politics shape the processes of stimulating creativity, adopting and piloting innovations, implementing real change, and disseminating good ideas to other parts of the organization.

Participants will leave this seminar with a working knowledge and understanding of:

  • the conditions that make the innovation process a political one
  • influence tactics and how to use them effectively
  • typical political games affecting the innovation process
  • how to develop a ‘killer culture’ for constant innovation
  • the importance of self-promotion and issue selling techniques
  • how to craft a high impact communications strategy to launch an innovation

 

Agenda

08:30   Registration and coffee

09:00   Your innovation is my headache

  • Why is the innovation process a political one?
  • What are the personal and corporate implications?

09:15   How political is your organization?

  • How should we define ‘organization politics’?
  • How does this affect the innovation process?

10:00   Influence tactics (1)

  • Short video analysis - persuading others to do what you want them to do

10:30   Networking Break

10:45   Influence tactics (2)

  • What is the best way to use these tactics?
  • What other political tactics have you experienced?

11:15   Ove and Annika: mini-case discussion

  • Playing politics to promote your ideas
  • Are we dealing with ethical or practical issues here?

11:30   The losing salesman: mini-case discussion

  • Someone is playing politics to block your innovation, how can you respond to this situation, and to other situations like this?

12:30   Networking Lunch

13:30   Climate control

  • What can Charlie’s Angels tell us about innovative organization climates?
  • ‘Killer cultures’ - creating conditions for innovation in your organization

14:30   Selling yourself as well as the idea

  • There are two parts to adopting a new idea . . . .
  • Video analysis: what mistakes do these innovators make?

15:00   Networking Break

15:15   Issue selling techniques

  • Techniques to increase the probability that your innovations win

15:30   The Bad Press Case

  • Using creative public relations techniques to craft a high impact communications strategy to launch your innovation

16:30  Roundup

  • Reflections, lessons, and personal implications

17:00   End of seminar

The book behind the seminar

Professor Buchanan's book

This session is based on Power, Politics, and Organizational Change: Winning the Turf Game, by David Buchanan and Richard Badham. Reviewers said:

‘It is rare to find a management book today that so effectively combines theory, practical advice and an enjoyable read as this one does’.

Patricia Lord, British Academy of Management Newsletter

 

‘Some books are just exemplary: they change fields, set benchmarks, redefine practice and sculpt theory. I have no doubt that this will be such a book’.                            

Stewart Clegg, Human Resource Management Journal

 

‘This is a very important book. For the academic, it reviews the literature on power and politics. For the manager or internal change agent, it provides valuable frameworks for reflection and advice for action.’

David Coghlan, Leadership and Organization Development Journal

Full refund of seminar fees will be made for reservations cancelled no later than two weeks prior to the seminar. No refund can be made for later cancellations. Cancellation must be made in writing. We are always willing to consider a colleague as a substitute for the original applicant. Cancellation and postponement must be made in writing. Cancellation of accommodation is subject to the cancellation policies of the hotels.