BSBSTR401

Promote innovation in team

environments
Release 1

Learner Guide

Aspire Version 1.1

Learning Resources
 Copyright Warning
This product is copyrighted to Aspire Training & Consulting
(ABN 51 054 306 428).
Aspire Training & Consulting owns all copyright to its products. Except as
permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) or unless you have obtained the
specific written permission of Aspire Training & Consulting, you must not:
‚ reproduce or photocopy this product in whole or in part
‚ publish this product in whole or in part
‚ cause this product in whole or in part to be transmitted
‚ store this product in whole or in part in a retrieval system including a
computer
‚ record this product in whole or in part either electronically or mechanically
‚ resell this product in whole or in part.
Aspire Training & Consulting:
‚ invests significant time and resources in creating its original products
‚ protects its copyright material
‚ will enforce its rights in copyright material
‚ reserves its legal rights to claim its loss and damage or an account of profits
made resulting from infringements of its copyright.

Aspire also has learning resources available in these areas:

· Foundation skills
· LLN and employability skills (non-competency)
· Community services
· Early Childhood Education and Care
· Allied health

Aspire is committed to developing quality resources that meet the needs of our customers. However, occasionally Aspire finds, or
is notified of, errors. Please refer to our website at www.aspirelr.com.au to see if there are any updates that may be relevant to you.

Every effort has been made to ensure the information in this book is accurate; however, the author and publisher accept no
responsibility for any loss, damage or injury arising from such information.

Except where an information source is acknowledged, the names and details of individuals and organisations used in examples are
fictitious and have been devised for learning purposes only. Any similarity to actual people or organisations is unintentional.

All websites referred to in this unit were accessed and deemed appropriate at time of publication.

Aspire Training & Consulting apologises unreservedly for any copyright infringement that may have occurred and invites copyright
owners to contact Aspire so any violation may be rectified.

BSBSTR401 Promote innovation in team environments, Release 1

© 2020 Aspire Training & Consulting

Level 1, 464 St Kilda Road
MELBOURNE VIC 3004 AUSTRALIA
Phone: (03) 9820 1300

First published October 2020

Cover design: Anne-Marie Reeves Design

Printer: Doculink Australia Pty Ltd, 1d/28 Rogers Street, Port Melbourne VIC 3207

e-ISBN 978-1-76075-789-2 (PDF version)

ISBN 978-1-76075-788-5
CONTENTS
Before you begin vii

Topic 1 | Identify opportunities to maximise innovation 1

1A Identify team dynamics������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 2
1B Identify opportunities to promote innovation����������������������������������������������������������������� 13
Summary���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 22
Learning Checkpoint 1: Identify opportunities to maximise innovation�������� 23

Topic 2 | Organise an effective way of working 27

2A Identify ideas for ways of working better������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28
2B Delegate and agree on responsibilities����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 35
2C Schedule activities for working with the team�������������������������������������������������������������� 42
2D Establish rewards���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 45
Summary���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 49
Learning Checkpoint 2: Organise an effective way of working������������������������� 50

Topic 3 | Support and guide colleagues to promote

innovation 53
3A Demonstrate behaviour that supports innovation����������������������������������������������������� 54
3B Create an environment where information, knowledge and
experiences are shared��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 58
3C Challenge and test ideas with the team and others������������������������������������������������� 65
Summary���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 69
Learning Checkpoint 3: Support and guide colleagues to promote
innovation���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������70

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting v

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Topic 4 | Evaluate innovation ideas and promotion 73

4A Review innovation and share successful examples���������������������������������������������������74
4B Reflect on implemented innovation ideas������������������������������������������������������������������������79
4C Seek and respond to feedback for discussion������������������������������������������������������������� 83
4D Discuss the challenges of being innovative������������������������������������������������������������������� 89
4E Document feedback for improvements in promoting innovation��������������������� 92
Summary���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 94
Learning Checkpoint 4: Evaluate innovation ideas and promotion����������������� 95

vi Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Before you begin

Before you begin

This Learner Guide is based on the unit of competency BSBSTR401 Promote innovation
in team environments, Release 1. Your trainer or training organisation must give you
information about this unit of competency as part of your training program. You can
access the unit of competency and assessment requirements at:
www.training.gov.au.

How to work through this Learner Guide

This Learner Guide contains a number of features that will assist you in your learning.
Your trainer will advise which parts of the Learner Guide you need to read, and which
Practice Tasks and Learning Checkpoints you need to complete. The features of this
Learner Guide are detailed in the following table.

Feature of the How you can use each feature

Learner Guide

Learning content Read each topic in this Learner Guide. If you come across content that is
confusing, make a note and discuss it with your trainer. Your trainer is in the
best position to offer assistance. It is very important that you take on some
of the responsibility for the learning you will undertake.

Examples These highlight key learning points and provide realistic examples of
workplace situations.

Practice Tasks Practice Tasks give you the opportunity to put your skills and knowledge
into action. Your trainer will tell you which practice tasks to complete.

Summaries Key learning points are provided at the end of each topic.

Learning There is a Learning Checkpoint at the end of each topic. Your trainer will tell
Checkpoints you which Learning Checkpoints to complete. These checkpoints give you
an opportunity to check your progress and apply the skills and knowledge
you have learnt.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting vii
 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Foundation skills
As you complete learning using this guide, you will be developing the foundation skills
relevant for this unit. Foundation skills are the language, literacy and numeracy (LLN)
skills and the employability skills required for participation in modern workplaces and
contemporary life.
The following table provides definitions for each foundation skill.

Foundation skill area Foundation skill description

Reading • Interprets and analyses textual information, from a wide

range of sources, to identify information relevant to team
activities

Writing • Uses clear language and formats appropriate for the

audience to highlight and present specific information

Oral communication • Actively participates in verbal exchanges of ideas and elicits

the views and opinions of team members by listening and
questioning
• Uses clear language to clarify rules and roles relating to
team activities in formal and informal situations

Numeracy • Interprets numeric information relevant to team activities

Planning and organising • Selects the appropriate form, channel and mode of
communication for a specific purpose relevant to own role

Teamwork • Uses inclusive techniques to initiate, contribute and promote

discussion amongst potentially diverse team members
• Recognises the importance of establishing and building
effective working relationships

Planning and organising • Plans, sequences and prioritises tasks for efficient and
effective outcomes

Problem solving • Uses problem-solving processes to address less predictable

problems, and when appropriate, seeking input from others
• Contributes to continuous improvement of current work
practices by applying basic principles of analytical and
lateral thinking
• Reflects on outcomes and further explores own and the
team’s role in implementing innovation

Initiative and enterprise • Understands the nature and purpose of own role and how it
affects others in the work context

viii Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting
Topic 1 | Identify opportunities
to maximise innovation
1A Identify team dynamics
1B Identify opportunities to promote innovation

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 1

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

1A Identify team dynamics

Innovation starts with an idea.

Encourage each member of a team to contribute ideas. While it is not always possible
for everyone’s ideas to be put into practice, it is important that each person feels their
contribution is valued. When team members contribute to ideas, the productivity of the
team increases. People become motivated to explore better ways to do things and have
a greater degree of job satisfaction.

The benefits of innovation

Innovation means doing things differently.
Innovation is finding the answer to a problem in your workplace. It means doing things
better by implementing a new idea or a modification to an existing process. The problems
a workplace experiences might involve needing to adapt processes to utilise new
technology, or finding ways to work more efficiently to increase productivity and reduce
costs. Whatever problem is identified, innovation should offer a way to solve it. The
solution must offer value to your organisation.
Before any investigation gets underway, the reasons why things should be done
differently need to be explored. People need to see how these changes can benefit the
workplace and be able to identify the benefits to themselves and to the team.
Innovation can have the following benefits for a team:
• encourages the sharing of ideas and promotes collaborative working
• leads to saving time and reducing waste
• encourages team members to be proactive, and able to recognise and deal
with change
• encourages team members to feel the work they do is important and valuable.

2 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Identify opportunities to maximise innovation | Topic 1

Types of innovation
The types of innovation you focus on will depend on your team and the problems
you have identified.
Jay Doblin was an American industrial designer and educator who identified 10 areas of
organisational innovation.
1. Profit model – how to make money and ways to make money from different avenues
2. Network – how to connect and network with others to use the capabilities and assets
of other companies
3. Structure – how to organise and align talents and assets in ways that create value
4. Process – how to look at different ways of doing things using the company’s unique
capabilities
5. Product performance – how to develop distinguishing features and functions in new
products or extend an existing line of products or services
6. Product system – how to create complementary products and services
7. Service – how to amplify the value of the offerings to customers
8. Channel – how to improve the way offerings are delivered to customers and users
9. Brand – how a business and its offerings are represented
10. Customer engagement – how to improve the customer experience and develop
insights into connections with the company.
You can learn more about these types of innovation at the Doblin website:
aspirelr.link/doblin-ten-types.

Identify team requirements

Consider the team requirements from several perspectives.
The starting point for identifying opportunities for innovation is to consider the team,
the relationships in the team and what the team might require to be able to maximise
innovation.
You can ask yourself and your team the following questions:
• What is the purpose of the team within the organisation?
• What are the objectives of the team?
• What does the team require to achieve these objectives?

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 3

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

The following table explores these questions.

Purpose of team The purpose of the team is its function. For example, the marketing team
exists to communicate with customers about the products and services
of the organisation.

Team objectives Objectives state how the team will fulfil its purpose. Many objectives
relate to improving efficiencies in the team such as time, cost and
processes. For example, the finance team may have objectives to
complete monthly reports by a certain date, ensure data is accurate for
quality assurance purposes, and manage cash flow and creditors.

Team requirements Requirements are the resources a team needs to carry out its work and
meet its objectives. These might include basic items such a desk, chair
and computer, but also specific software, knowledge and training. It
might also include access to resources to find information.

You may find that some team members are unable to answer these questions or that
they provide different answers. To be able to innovate, the team members need to have a
shared understanding, and a clear vision of what they are doing and what resources they
need to achieve their objectives.
Team requirements can include physical resources, such as equipment and machines, to
do their work. They can also include a range of human resources that each team member
provides. These can be enhanced with training, and sharing of knowledge and skills
among the team under the guidance and supervision of a team leader.
Initiatives will require a range of resources to achieve objectives. The requirement to
work innovatively might mean the team needs:
• dedicated time to brainstorm, collaborate and problem-solve
• additional training for skills and knowledge development
• time and resources for testing new concepts and processes.

4 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Identify opportunities to maximise innovation | Topic 1

Example

Creating new product lines

A beauty product manufacturer wants to diversify its product range and asks its
employees for their ideas. The organisation creates a team of people who represent
different business functions (marketing, product, sales, production, distribution,
customer service). They are provided with the following resources to create new
products and processes:
• a dedicated two hours a week
• a specified budget to be spent as required
• access to experts or consultants for support
• additional training
• permission to fail.
The organisation does not expect every idea to be viable, but they want to encourage
innovative thinking and collaboration. In order to do this, they have provided the teams
with the resources required, assuring them that it is OK if their idea doesn’t work, as
long as they can learn something from the process.

Characteristics of the team

The relationship between members is a key factor in the effectiveness of a team.
In a typical team, you will find a mixture of skills and knowledge, personality types and
cultures. The value of diversity is that minds that think differently can come together for
a common purpose. Diversity within a team encourages people to think differently by
hearing other perspectives, and this can challenge the way things are done. Perspectives
and ideas can be too similar when a whole team has similar backgrounds, skills and
experiences. Diversity in the team can include a variety of ages and life experiences,
cultural backgrounds, beliefs, perspectives, languages, education, skills, abilities and
knowledge.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 5

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Here are five areas to consider when identifying common and unique characteristics of
your team:

Personal interests

It is good for people to spend most of their work time doing things they like,
but through working with others they learn to operate effectively in other areas
as well.

Knowledge, experience

Each team member is the product of past learning, skills and experience; they
bring their unique perspectives to the work and can share these with other
members of the team. This adds to the ability of the team to carry out its tasks
and achieve common goals.

Work styles

A person’s work style includes things such as what time of day they work best
and how they like to get things done. For example, some people like a checklist
to identify and work through their tasks. Others are keen to have variety and
mix up their tasks.

Strengths, weaknesses

Finding out people’s strengths and weaknesses helps identify situations where
they can be relied upon to undertake certain roles or lead/train others.

Life roles

Each team member has a range of other roles in life, in addition to their work. All
of these life roles should be seen as valuable when building an innovative team.

6 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Identify opportunities to maximise innovation | Topic 1

Team dynamics
Group dynamics are unconscious, psychological forces, or undercurrents, that
influence behaviour and performance.
Each team member has skills, knowledge and experience to offer, but it is helpful to get
the right mix to ensure the team can work effectively together.
People tend to be attracted to specific roles when working in a team, and adopt distinct
roles and behaviours. Dynamics are created by the nature of the work, personalities within
the team, their working relationships with others and the team’s work environment.
Researcher and management theorist Belbin developed the Belbin Team Roles model
to help identify and build strengths, and improve weaknesses in teams. The aim is to
improve team contributions and performance. Belbin identified nine team roles and he
categorised those roles into three groups, as shown below.

Action-oriented

• Shaper: challenges the team to improve

• Implementer: puts ideas into action
• Completer-finisher: ensures thorough, timely completion

People-oriented

• Coordinator: acts as a chairperson

• Team worker: encourages cooperation
• Resource investigator: explores outside opportunities

Thought-oriented

• Plant: presents new ideas and approaches

• Monitor-evaluator: analyses the options
• Specialist: provides specialised skills

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 7

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Group dynamics can support team performance through positive behaviours, or hinder
it through negative behaviours. Teams with positive dynamics trust one another, make
decisions collectively, take responsibility for their individual and team performance, and
hold one another accountable. Poor dynamics can disrupt work, impede decision-making
and lead to poor choices.
Some behaviours that commonly affect group dynamics are listed here.

Negative behaviours Positive behaviours

Giving too much advice or instruction Promoting teamwork and shared problem-
solving

Belittling or undermining team members Accepting and welcoming diverse opinions

Attempting to persuade (without listening); Employing and encouraging active listening

the ‘hard sell’

Censoring ideas and giving precedence to Conveying empathy and welcoming objective
only one opinion assessment of each idea

Talking too much or dominating discussion Letting others speak and gently interrupting
dominators to call on other individuals to
present their views

Remaining silent and impassive Contributing whenever possible and

encouraging contributions by asking
questions, boosting confidence and giving
credit

Displaying negativity or lack of interest Taking on more challenging and active tasks
such as gathering information, taking notes
or making presentations

Continually arguing with others Encouraging positive attitudes, remaining

calm, allowing everyone to contribute to
discussion

8 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Identify opportunities to maximise innovation | Topic 1

Leader’s relationship with the team

Team leaders can encourage their members to embrace innovation.
Team leaders must have a good understanding of the dynamic between team members
and a clear way of communicating information to their team members. They can model
positive ways of working to encourage the team members to do their best. You can ask
team members what they think and how they like to work to determine the best ways to
work as a team.
Characteristics of an effective team leader include:
• showing respect and support for others, their ideas and concerns
• sharing the responsibilities and planned objectives
• involving the team in decision-making
• showing support for changes within the organisation
• being prepared to invest time in their team
• understanding the benefits of innovation
• showing others how to question the norms and raise ideas.

Policies and procedures

Policies and procedure documents form a framework for the operations of staff
in their various roles.
A policy is a formal internal document that sets out the commitment, objectives,
expectations and standards that need to be achieved in each area of a business.
Procedures are the steps that outline how to achieve the commitments set out in the
policy statement.
Each team member must comply with the relevant policies to ensure there is
accountability, compliance, consistency and quality. You may be required to assist in
evaluating team requirements and relationships as a part of innovation. For example,
when bringing about a change to the way people work, you need to follow the relevant
policies and procedures.
You will need to check that requirements of the team, and relationships and reporting
lines are correctly reflected in current workplace policies and procedures. If there are
discrepancies, make recommendations to a supervisor so they can be adjusted in job
descriptions and other documents to reflect current team requirements.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 9

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

The table below lists some of the workplace procedures, processes and policies and that
you may need to be familiar with when evaluating your team.

Policy or procedure Description

Job descriptions Job descriptions outline the expectations, key performance indicators,
reporting lines and objectives of a role. They may also outline the
skills and knowledge required to carry out the role and the behaviour
required of staff.
Relevant documents include code of conduct, WHS policies and
procedures, customer service policy, IT and email usage policies,
complaints procedures, and fair work entitlements such as leave, work
conditions and salary.

Organisation chart The organisation chart shows the teams, line managers and
management structure of an organisation. This indicates the reporting
lines and level of responsibility of each department or team and their
manager.

Team, department Meetings are scheduled to share information, and keep teams and
and whole company departments updated. There are likely to be set agendas, and teams are
meetings expected to share information and participate in discussions.
Relevant documents include minutes of meetings, code of conduct,
conflict resolution procedures, and storing and sharing of documents.

Terms of employment Terms of employment statements outline the tools required to fulfil
the duties of a role and any working arrangements that have been
negotiated.
Relevant documents include fair work entitlements such as leave, salary
and work conditions.

Performance reviews Past and present performance reviews provide team leaders with
insights into team member performance.
Relevant documents include conflict resolution, complaints, fair work
including unfair dismissal, and privacy policies.

Reflecting legislation Policy review processes ensure the organisation remains compliant with
legislative requirements, such as privacy, workplace health and safety
and fair work entitlements.

Example

Changing team requirements

Talia’s manager, Sian, speaks to her about a proposal to integrate a new financial
system into the business. It means their old, unreliable system will be replaced and
the new one will offer many of the features the business has been waiting for. Talia is
excited and Sian asks her to consider her team’s requirements to implement the new
financial system. Talia expresses concern that most of her team lack spreadsheeting
skills, so Sian notes this as a training need. Together they look at the job descriptions
for members and propose updating them to include spreadsheeting as a required skill.

10 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Identify opportunities to maximise innovation | Topic 1

1B Identify opportunities to promote innovation

Take time to watch the way your team works together before you begin
identifying opportunities for innovation.

Workflow processes
Your team will work to a plan and follow processes to achieve their objectives.
A workflow process and the ways of working should be documented so everyone has a
clear idea of how work is to be carried out. If it has not already been documented, arrange
a team meeting to discuss it, or have individual team members or small groups work
together to document the process they use to carry out work tasks. A workflow process
doesn’t need to be overly detailed, but it does need to capture the actions required to
complete a task, who carries out the actions and an estimate of how long each action
typically takes.
Documenting workflow processes makes it easier to identify where there could be
improvements in ways of working, and can lead to ideas on how to work better or more
efficiently. A workflow shows:
• transparency of who is doing what within the team
• an increased understanding of the activities required to complete a task
• greater visibility of overlap in activities, doubling up of work or other
inefficiencies.

Encourage input relating to team roles

The innovation process must belong to the entire team and you will be
responsible for creating the right environment to promote innovative thinking.
Encourage the team to make suggestions affecting their work role, including planning,
key decisions and other operational aspects of their role.
The team members are well positioned to recognise issues and factors that affect their
own performance. You can ask them how they would like to share their ideas, provide
comments, show their initiative and raise any concerns about work-related issues.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 13

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Issues relating to work roles may include:

• too much or not enough work

• requests relating to work hours, rosters, leave, work arrangements, remote working etc.
• environmental factors such as office space, furniture, heating, noise levels
• training needs or skill gaps
• workplace health and safety
• work task performance, such as different ways to perform tasks
• equipment needs, such as being under-resourced and working with out-of-date
technologies or equipment.

Ideas for innovation may come from customers, stakeholders or management, as well
as from team members themselves. You should work to see that all ideas have potential
merit and are not dismissed or taken up without proper investigation.
The nature of work-related issues will vary according to the industry, roles and
responsibilities, and the working environment. Typical examples are discussed below.

Identify opportunities in areas for innovation

Innovative ideas can come from anyone in the team.
Before you begin discussing opportunities for innovation, you need to have created
processes that allow team members to suggest innovative ideas.
The work you have carried out in identifying team requirements, relationships and ways
of working, may have signalled a number of issues or problems that need to be resolved.
Internal forces can drive change in the way the team operates. This might be as a result
of new leadership and a restructure, changes in staff performance or resignation of key
staff members.

Areas where opportunities for innovation can found include:

• improving budgetary performance

• developing new services or products
• implementing projects
• investigating ongoing ideas
• improving or changing work processes
• improving outcomes from the work that is done
• creating a broader social or community impact beyond the workplace.

14 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Identify opportunities to maximise innovation | Topic 1

External factors influencing innovation

Innovation is the solution to an existing or potential problem.
Businesses need to be aware of and monitor the external environment in which they
operate. Broader environmental factors can affect the organisation’s ability to achieve
its objectives. These can have both positive and negative impacts on organisational
performance. Industry trends or changes in government policy or legislation can affect
the need for and type of innovation required from a team. Here are some examples:
• change of government
• change in industry standards
• increases in interest rates
• change of legislation such as taxation
• natural disaster
• civil or international conflict
• economic performance / exchange-rate fluctuations
• increased use of social media by customers
• shifting demographics, such as ageing population, increased immigration
• changing fashion trends
• change in competitor presence or activity.

Continuous improvement cycle

Innovation and implementation form a continuous process because there are
always new challenges to be met.
You need a process that allows you to measure the team’s performance before and after
new ideas are implemented, so you can gauge the effectiveness of the ideas.
One way in which ideas can be assessed is by using a continuous improvement cycle.
A want or a need is identified. As each idea is formed, its merit is evaluated. Ideas that
have merit are then implemented. After a period of time, they are reviewed to assess
effectiveness. When team members see that their ideas have been taken seriously and
tested, they will be encouraged and motivated to identify further innovations or ideas.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 15

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Below are some steps in a continuous improvement cycle for innovation.

The continuous improvement cycle for innovation

Come up with an idea to solve an existing or potential problem.

Evaluate and reflect on that idea.

Implement changes to accommodate the new idea.

Review all of the above.

Identify business issues and needs.

Create processes that encourage suggestions

Processes can be built that will allow team members to contribute to an
innovative environment.
These processes may need to be innovative as it may require changing the way you and
your team work and the way everyone interacts and shares information. In order to
create processes, you need to consider the following:
• Does your team currently have the ability to work innovatively?
• How can you encourage innovative and collaborative contributions?
• What changes do you and your team need to make to the way you work?
• What will be the process for sharing and acting on innovative ideas?
Below are five areas with questions for assessing a team’s ability to work innovatively in
each area. The answers to these can be used to develop processes that suit the team and
will enable them to better identify innovation opportunities.

Communicate openly and effectively

└ How easily do people share information about themselves, their roles, their needs
and their wants?
• How well do they listen to others when they communicate?

Resolve real and potential conflicts

└ How well do team members work together to overcome problems, see others’ points
of view and account for differences?
• How do they minimise tension and conflict?

16 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Identify opportunities to maximise innovation | Topic 1

Generate ideas

└ How are people’s ideas received in the group situation?

• Can all ideas that are presented be discussed and extended by the group?
• Is there sufficient knowledge and experience in the group to provide input at the
ideas stage?

Make decisions

└ Can the group reach the decision stage at an appropriate point?

• Are decisions based on compromise, incorporating the best of each person’s
contributions?
• Are decisions made in line with common goals and stakeholder expectations?
• Are decisions agreed on, or are they forced on people?

Carry out necessary activities to a high standard

└ What is the skill base of the group?

• Are all the skills and capabilities required held by the group or do new members
need to be enlisted?
• What training and development are required?

Encouraging contributions
People have different strengths that can be used in different ways.
Ensuring team members and others feel they can contribute is very important, but not
everyone will contribute in the same way.

Benefits to the team of contributing to innovation

• Collaborating requires respect to be shown to each other.

• Team members feel good when they contribute to the success of the team.
• Team members are more proactive, sensing changes and developing new ways to tackle
tasks.
• Team members feel closer bonds with each other and this builds a positive team spirit.
• Team members feel that the work they are doing is important and valuable.
• Team members are more likely to be commended for their work
• Teamwork skills are developed that will equip them for other roles.
• Empowerment is fostered and encouraged within the team.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 17

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Individuals who often share ideas are usually people who enjoy being active and vocal in
the group, thinking about all the possibilities. Less vocal people generate ideas too, but
may need more encouragement to share them. Others may excel at seeing various points
of view and accounting for differences, and these people often work to minimise tension
and conflict.
Below are some different ways team members contribute to team innovation.

Motivating and energising the team

└ These team members are positive and energetic, with an interest in team cohesion;
they also provide an element of fun.

Mapping concepts and seeing possibilities

└ These team members are good at visualising and creating flow charts, mind maps,
diagrams and other pictorial representations of ideas.

Playing the devil’s advocate

└ These team members can take an opposing view and ask the hard questions; this
ensures all aspects of an idea have been considered before the team decides to act.

Articulating the direction of the team

└ These team members are good at bringing together ideas and strategies so they
make sense; they have good analytical skills and a high level of literacy.

Making links and tapping into networks

└ These team members are good networkers and come into their own when
negotiation is required.

Providing technical input

└ These team members understand the organisation’s processes and systems, and
can advise on how new processes and systems might be incorporated. They can
provide historical information about previous successes and failures.

Problem-solving

└ These team members ensure new ideas are implemented with a minimum of fuss.
They meet challenges and overcome hurdles to facilitate the process of change.

18 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Identify opportunities to maximise innovation | Topic 1

Consider the way information is shared

Consider the way you currently share information as a team and how this could
be improved.
You’ve already identified the way your team works to achieve objectives, but you also
need to consider the way you currently share information as a team. Here are some
things to consider:
• Meetings – If you have regular meetings, look at the agendas for those meetings
and determine if they allow for the exchange and discussion of innovative ideas. It
may not be appropriate in certain meetings, so you may need to set aside specific
time for sharing of ideas.
• Discussions – How do you normally discuss ideas and issues? Does everyone
contribute? What activities do you use to generate ideas and how do you evaluate
these? Think about what processes you may need to change or introduce to
ensure discussions are fruitful and effective.
• Actions – What happens to ideas after they have been generated and evaluated?
Who keeps track of these and oversees implementation of these ideas? Innovative
thinking might quickly deteriorate if team members can’t see that good ideas
are being acted upon, so consider how you will share the progress of innovation
implementation with your team.
• Collaborative communication – Does your team prefer to communicate via email,
rather than talking face-to-face? For those who work remotely, email may be the
most common means of communication. However, ideas are more likely to stem
from conversations than emails, so encourage team members to talk, even if it’s
via video conferencing or phone.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 19

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Example

Being innovative is more than working together

Over one week, each member of a customer service team working in isolation
produces a certain amount of work. This may include responding to a number of sales
inquiries. Multiplying this output by the number of people working individually, in this
case four, provides the total number of sales inquiries responded to.
When group members form an innovative team they can achieve more because
they are not simply adding together their individual efforts, but combining them.
This productivity is gained through team dynamics, which refers to the ways team
members interact with each other and work together to combine their talents, abilities,
personalities and interests, so they work cohesively as one entity.
Individuals working innovatively respect each other’s different ways of working, their
different personalities, strengths and weaknesses, and they look to learn from one
another to lead to a higher combined work output.
In an innovative team, each member contributes in a way that enhances the capability of
every other team member, multiplying the possibilities for work output for each member.

20 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Summary
• Innovation is a new way of doing things to solve a problem.
• Identifying team requirements will confirm the purpose of the team and what the
team needs to carry out their duties.
• Understanding the team relationship will provide insights into individual
strengths and weaknesses and how these are combined as the team members
work together.
• Any changes to team requirements and relationships need to be reflected in
workplace policies and procedures.
• Identifying the way teams work towards objectives will provide greater
transparency and uncover where efficiency could be improved.
• Creating processes that allow for collaboration and the sharing of ideas will
promote innovative working within teams.

22 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

Topic 2 | Organise an effective
way of working
2A Identify ideas for ways of working better
2B Delegate and agree on responsibilities
2C Schedule activities for working with the team
2D Establish rewards

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 27

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

2A Identify ideas for ways of working better

Innovation can be challenging.

It is quite common that when someone new joins a team and asks questions about
processes, they are told, ‘It’s the way we always do things’. This response will prevent
innovative working and ideas, as it does not allow for teams or team members to change
the way things are done.
Here are some ways to get your team to share their working practices, learn from one
another and provide support for better work practices.
• Ask team members to document and share their work practices to identify if
there are inefficiencies.
• Ask them to identify the work tasks that take the most time and discuss if the
tasks can be approached differently.
• List all the ways the team carries out their tasks then discuss what would happen
if things were not done that way. Lead the discussion on ideas for new ways of
working.
• Listen to the feedback from team members. Discuss whether the right tasks are
allocated to the right staff, or if other team members could help get the job done
more efficiently, either by working more effectively or sharing their skills and
experience.

The changing way we work

Innovation can mean that job descriptions and ways of working change.
The way people work should be flexible enough to accommodate changes in priorities
and changes to the team composition. Staff often move around within a company or on
to new employment opportunities. As team members enter or leave the team or their
roles change within that team, adjustments need to be made to the way a team operates
to accommodate staff with new skills and strengths as well as changes in projects and
priorities.
Many businesses are thinking about new ways for their staff to work that are more
flexible and increase productivity. Some examples:
• Working hours – Many staff work flexible hours to fit in with family
commitments and requirements of their job. For example, they may leave early on
some days but begin work earlier on other days. This improves work/life balance,
which goes a long way in motivating people. Some staff may need to log in late at
night to have some thinking time or connect with a business contact overseas.

28 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Organise an effective way of working | Topic 2

• Working space – Many businesses use hot desking where people don’t always use
the same desk but move around the seating provided in the office. This allows for
better collaboration by getting people out of their own space and mixing with
other staff they may not have worked with otherwise.
• Agile working – This could be working remotely and using video conferencing to
communicate with others in the team. It can decrease costs for the business but
also increases productivity, and adds more flexibility to arrange tasks and think
creatively.
One common way working conditions change is through the introduction and use of
technology.
Here are examples of how technology is changing the way people work, where and when
they work, and the nature of employment itself.

Casualisation and contracting

└ Employers call in casual employees or contractors only when the organisation

needs them. This allows employers to minimise wage costs, roster workers around
peak periods, and save money by not having to invest in training and development
activities.
Casual staff need to have flexible work hours and be available if required.

Outsourcing

└ The contracting out of non-essential and non-core functions to independent

providers can mean that some of the areas or departments of a business are
working from a remote location.
Common outsourcing tasks include:
• administrative work such as accounts and payroll
• information technology services
• customer service and call centre operations
• human resources functions such as recruitment and selection, and training and
development.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 29

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Telecommuting

└ Working from home or in a remote location is popular because it can increase

productivity, lower costs and give team members greater satisfaction. It may also
mean staff need to work flexible hours and can complete tasks outside of standard
work hours.
Telecommuting such as video conferencing is only effective if time and resources are
invested to set up the required systems. These include:
• audits to ensure the home working environment meets WHS standards
• investment in technology such as software and cameras
• ensuring that internet connections are secure, especially shared-access and
cloud-based systems
• training staff to work with the software and staying connected with others in the
team
• training workers to work productively at home and to close the office door at the
end of the day.

Changing the ways people work

The rules that govern the way a team operates may need to change based on
innovation and the incorporation of new ideas.
Establishing the ground rules places the team in a better position to work collectively
to meet deadlines and work objectives. Guidelines should not be too prescriptive about
exactly what is to take place or how the work is to be done, because this may discourage
innovative practice.
Any change to the responsibilities in a job role should be done in consultation with each
team member and confirmed with a supervisor or area specialists such as a human
resources manager. Any change must also be reflected in the policies and procedures.
Examples of the type of ground rules that might be needed to accommodate changes in
work practices are listed here:

Boundaries

└ These include the kind of work, the scope of the job role, accountabilities and
outcomes of work. Boundaries may also cover areas not to be dealt with by the team
if they need to be clarified.
Example: ‘This team does not process payments to staff, whether these are wages
or sundry items.’

30 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Organise an effective way of working | Topic 2

Confidentiality

└ Team members must follow policies and procedures to ensure individual, group,
client and other stakeholder privacy and confidentiality are respected.
Example: ‘All correspondence related to specific clients will be centrally maintained
with limited access.’

Communication

└ Set guidelines for how often people need to communicate and what methods are to
be used such as meetings.
Example: ‘Team members are expected to attend the staff meeting on the third
Thursday of each month.’

Key roles and responsibilities

└ The general duties and authority/knowledge base of each team member regarding
meeting the team’s common or project goals need to be clear.
Example: ‘Maria is to respond to all inquiries about the project from within the
organisation.’

Relationships

└ Coordinate with the other teams and individuals that are critical to the work of the
group – either inside or outside the organisation – and how the team is to relate to
them.
Example: ‘The sales team is to supply updated figures to the finance team each
month so they can incorporate the figures into the monthly report.’

Timelines

└ Clarify any critical deadlines that the team must meet.

Example: ‘Customer orders must be processed and dispatched within one week of
receipt.’

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 31

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Example

Develop rules and ways of working collaboratively

Team A decides to have an all-team meeting to develop group ownership of ground
rules. Each person is asked to come to the meeting with a list of what they require
from others in order to perform their role. During the meeting, team members conduct
a brainstorming session to identify ideas for ways of working better and set ground
rules to implement the new ways of working. They also identify other key people in the
organisation whose work affects theirs and each person is allocated a person to speak
with about the similarities of their roles or where their roles overlap.
After two weeks the team has a follow-up meeting to review the guidelines they
established, ensuring all the information they have obtained is included.

32 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Organise an effective way of working | Topic 2

2B Delegate and agree on responsibilities

If individuals fail to take responsibility for their roles, collaboration on projects

and the achievement of team objectives will be difficult.
Team responsibilities are different from role responsibilities. When someone is appointed
to their role, they are advised about their role responsibilities as outlined in their
position or job description. Every job requires that people work as a team, so they need
to understand the expectations of their work and how it affects others and the broader
team objectives.
Team responsibilities are those responsibilities that do not fit precisely into anyone’s
job role but are shared among the team. Examples of team responsibilities include
doing tasks that contributes to the work of everyone by making tasks easier or quicker.
Examples in an office may include putting paper into the photocopier when it is getting
low, reporting damage to the scanner, answering the phone when others are busy or tied
up doing other tasks, taking it in turns to record the minutes of team meetings.

Delegate team responsibilities

Taking responsibility means you are in charge of the problem and solution.
Responsibility means to own something, as opposed to denying, rationalising
or passing the buck.
During periods of innovation, new responsibilities can arise or the team members need
to change their responsibilities. This might be a new set of responsibilities or they may
have had to pick up responsibilities that were once another team member’s.
Delegating responsibilities needs to be done in way that is transparent, inclusive, fair and
equitable. Failure to be transparent can lead to confusion and misunderstandings where
staff feel they are being overlooked or a taking on more of their share of work. Those
involved need to be provided with information and aware of discussions and how tasks
have been allocated.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 35

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

The following conditions will help with delegating responsibilities to staff in a

smooth way.

Ground rules

Ground rules need to be explained so team members know where they fit into
the team and what is expected of them now they have a different role or set of
responsibilities.

Individual ownership

Team members need to be given some control of their own role and that
they can bring their own individual influence to the responsibilities and
contributions.

Collaboration

Team members need to be involved in discussions so they can appreciate each

other’s roles and effectively support each other.

Agreement

The team needs to work in an environment of mutual respect and willingness to

compromise, if agreement and sharing of responsibilities is going to occur.

In some situations, as team leader, you may need to make the decision on the
responsibilities for each team member with little consultation. This may be because of
an urgent priority or as a result of a staff absence at short notice.
Decisions about who will take on certain responsibilities will depend on the task or
objectives involved and the skills or strengths of the team. It is likely that certain team
members will be better suited to certain responsibilities based on their skills, knowledge
and personal characteristics. For example, a member who is a good communicator may
be better at seeking advice from others in the organisation. A team member who enjoys
solving problems, may like to lead the group in a problem-solving brainstorming session.

36 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Organise an effective way of working | Topic 2

Ways to successfully delegate responsibility

• Match the skills, knowledge and attitude of team members to the tasks.
• Match the level of responsibility of the person to the amount of authority they have.
• Provide training and development activities if required.
• Discuss timelines and schedules.
• Think about the time required to complete the tasks and if the amount of work will mean
reshuffling other tasks or backfilling for their original role.
• Consider the level of independence of the staff member and their work style.
• Provide support or ‘buddy’ systems so team members develop confidence in new tasks.
• Reward contributions and behaviours that show responsibility has been taken.
• Monitor the progress of each team member.

Using the team’s strengths to divide up tasks

Identify the strengths of your team so that you can use them in the most
effective way.
Observe the people in your team as they complete a range of tasks and responsibilities.
See the way they interact with each other, make decisions, find a consensus and share
information with others in the team.
• What are their strengths?
• How do these characteristics add to the strength of the team?
Here is a list of key team characteristics and a brief description of what each brings to
the team.

Type of team What they bring to the team

member

Coordinator Gets things started and keeps things on track

Inspirer Motivates others to contribute
Creator Comes up with new and innovative ideas
Reflector Consolidates themes and ideas, feeds back to others
Organiser Puts ideas into a logical or easy-to-use form
Enabler Makes ideas practical, finds ways to make concepts work
Harmoniser Makes sure everyone is happy and is having their needs met, defuses arguments
Questioner Asks the hard questions, checks the legitimacy of statements
Completer Decides when enough has been done and brings things to a conclusion
Leader Maintains an overview, does not get actively involved in discussions but
ensures a satisfactory outcome is obtained

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 37

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Make the best use of strengths and abilities

Strengths tie in with people’s personalities, abilities and interests.
Before allocating roles to team members, determine the skills and strengths of each team
member. If the strengths of the team are known, then the team can tap into its internal
resources.
If you have a team where everyone has similar strengths, you may need to consider
what new skills are required for a team project. You can also arrange for new members
to join the team. New skills can be developed in a team by arranging for formal
training opportunities, on-the-job training by more experienced staff or by coaching or
mentoring. Here are some features of coaching and mentoring:

Coaching Mentoring

Focus of development is on technical, The focus of development is on life skills

process and job skills. and soft skills, such as relationship building,
leadership, interpersonal communication,
problem-solving conceptual and contingency
skills.

The approach is task-driven, to achieve a set The approach is relationship-driven to

outcome. achieve improvements in problem-solving
skills.

It is not always practical or easy to divide tasks up according to the individual strengths
of each team member. This can be a particular problem if it is a small team. Here are
some other ways to share tasks and responsibilities among the team:
• Rotate responsibilities around the team.
• Arrange for external staff to help out in busy periods or for a special project.
• Have several team members share a set of responsibilities.
• Divide up the less popular responsibilities so each team member has only a
small share.

Reinforce innovative teamwork

Opportunities to share new ideas and innovative processes need to be available
to the whole team.
You may need to actively encourage and reinforce team-based innovation so that your
team members learn to share and act on their ideas.

38 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Organise an effective way of working | Topic 2

Here are some tips for encouraging collaborative and innovative teamwork.
• Ensure team members have time to meet and discuss issues and share solutions.
• Encourage active listening to everyone’s views.
• Ensure levels of autonomy are established and are clearly understood so the
need to ask for permission doesn’t prevent innovative ideas from being trialled or
implemented.
• Identify obstacles that stand in the way of effective teamwork and/or innovation.
• Ask team members to come to meetings prepared, but if ideas don’t flow then
don’t persevere for too long. Innovation can’t be forced.
• Encourage each team member to offer their ideas. Give people enough time to
formulate their ideas.
• Ensure you have agreement before moving on. Avoid asking for a vote, as this will
create tensions and promote black-and-white thinking.
• Do not try to reach agreement too quickly or compromise too early in the
process. Rushing to agree without sufficient thought or consideration may lead to
problems later.

Obtaining agreement
Before team members are delegated tasks, they need to agree to take them on
as additional responsibilities or to reduce some of their existing responsibilities.
Here are some strategies to use when getting agreement from the team on the sharing of
responsibilities.
• Agree on a time frame for discussion ahead of time.
• Allow each person equal time to put forward their point of view or ideas, and
listen to each person before proceeding.
• Identify areas of agreement and disagreement.
• Encourage everyone to think outside the square. Avoid team responsibilities being
allocated purely based on their similarity to work roles.
• Explore each person’s ideas, discussing their pros and cons as a team.
• Reach a solution, ensuring all team members have the same opportunity to fully
express their opinions.
• Ask each person individually if they agree to and support the group decision.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 39

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Example

The benefits of having a team

Sharon’s role in her team includes keeping track of the number of customers
who phone each day and the purpose of their calls: new inquiries, follow-ups and
complaints. As the receptionist, Sharon doesn’t handle the calls herself, but passes
them onto the relevant sales and support team member. These calls have always been
recorded in a log before being used in a monthly report. This seems to Sharon like too
much handling of the same information and she wants to find a more efficient way to
get the call figures into a report.

40 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

2C Schedule activities for working with

the team
Being innovative means being proactive.
Taking positive steps towards achieving more at work and doing better can come from
allowing time for thinking, challenging and collaborating with others.

Thinking

└ Thinking is an internal process; you look inward to make sense of things and
formulate ideas. Critical thinking is reflecting on one or more possible solutions to a
problem and evaluating or comparing them against criteria to judge their validity or
likelihood of success.

Challenging

└ Challenging is not about arguing points with others, but questioning our own
thoughts and ideas, and those of others. Challenging activities include debating
issues, testing theories and ideas, and combining and re-formulating ideas into
other possibilities.

Collaborating

└ Collaborating with others helps us understand how they think and gives us new
ideas to think about. It also helps others feel involved and that their contributions are
valued. This is especially important in teamwork.

Build innovative practices into team practices

Planning and scheduling thinking and challenging activities can be done around
core activities.
Time for building innovative practices into the workplace is not usually written into a
timetable or a job description. To make innovation happen, time needs to be created and
allocated to the development of and collaboration over new ideas.
Setting priorities is about allocating time for the work that needs to be done but also
allowing time for important activities such as exploring new ways of doing things with
the team.

42 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Organise an effective way of working | Topic 2

Activities that support innovation need to encourage independent decision-making and

avoid groupthink. ‘Groupthink’ is the name given to the desire for group consensus at the
expense of critical thinking. When groupthink occurs, the desire for the group to agree
with each other to maintain cohesion overrides the ability of team members to challenge
the group or offer an unpopular alternative view.
Thinking is not a passive activity but requires focused energy. Thinking activities
that include the whole team working together can include brainstorming and critical
thinking.

Brainstorm new ideas

Brainstorming is the free flow of ideas around a particular subject or topic. One method
is to list keywords and ideas that come to mind when thinking about a certain topic.
The brainstorming environment should foster an uninhibited, burst of ideas where
all contributions are valid. No idea is judged and there are no right or wrong answers.
Brainstorming sessions in a group can generate ideas, raise concerns and allow
discussion of issues in a direct yet informal setting.

Critical thinking
Critical thinking involves reflecting on possible solutions to a problem and evaluating
them against criteria to judge the validity of each possible solution. It involves looking
carefully at an issue and making a decision based on what you know from by questioning
your own and others’ ideas.
Critical-thinking skills are important because they help solve problems, identify solutions
and generate new ideas. Many workplace issues such as process inefficiencies, resource
allocation and workplace safety can be improved by using critical thinking.
Another activity is the Six Thinking Hats exercise, based on Edward de Bono’s work on
lateral thinking and problem-solving . In this activity, you and your team put on various
‘hats’ in order to examine a problem.

The White Hat

└ The White Hat calls for information known or needed: just the facts.

The Yellow Hat

└ The Yellow Hat symbolises brightness and optimism. Under this hat, you explore the
positives and look for value and benefit.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 43

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

The Black Hat

└ The Black Hat is the devil’s advocate. Under this hat, you spot the difficulties and
dangers – where things might go wrong. The Black Hat is probably the most
powerful and useful of the hats but should not be used too often.

The Red Hat

└ The Red Hat signifies feelings, hunches and intuition. Using this hat, you express
emotions and share fears, likes, dislikes, loves and hates.

The Green Hat

└ The Green Hat is about creativity: possibilities, alternatives and new ideas. Using this
hat provides an opportunity to express new concepts and new perceptions.

The Blue Hat

└ The Blue Hat is used to manage the thinking process. It’s the control mechanism
that ensures the other hats are being used.

44 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Organise an effective way of working | Topic 2

2D Establish rewards

No matter what we do, we are driven to activity for a reason.

As an employee, we carry out our duties in a way that is valuable to our employer, who
provides us with an income and other benefits. Some of the rewards we seek from our
work are instant, while others provide longer-term benefits.

Personal rewards from work include:

• a sense of personal satisfaction

• the opportunity to interact with others
• a pleasant work environment
• the opportunity to use different skills and strengths
• more interesting and challenging work roles, including promotion.

Reward and recognition

People need to be rewarded in ways that are meaningful and useful to them.
We do not all feel motivated and rewarded in the same ways. What motivates you will
not necessarily motivate others.
Certain rewards lose impact over time if over-used and instead of providing motivation,
they can come to be expected as an automatic return for their efforts. Bigger rewards are
important and valued and can give a team something to look forward to, such as a bonus,
a day off or a gift voucher. Smaller, more frequent rewards are also valued, such as saying
‘Thank you’.
A team that is recognised for its efforts and for achieving what it set out to achieve can
be more willing to take on new and exciting challenges, ideas or activities. Rewards can
increase the confidence level of each team member and this will often be demonstrated
in their willingness to undertake tasks.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 45

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Here is a list of staff characteristics, the types of things that motivate each person
and what a suitable reward might look like. Notice that very few of the rewards relate
to money.

Type of team member Motivation Reward sought

The relater Social interaction Being liked

The source Meeting new people and Wider networks, more

making social links contacts or resources

The missionary Community service Serving or helping others

The adventurer Challenge Overcoming adversity

The leader Empowering others Helping others fulfil their

potential

The learner Knowledge Personal fulfilment

The guru Wisdom Being sought for advice

The craftsperson Competence Being respected for high-

level skills

The interpreter Communication Being seen as socially adept

The citizen Participation Belonging to a group

The hedonist Pleasure Fun and interesting

environment

The pragmatist Money or other tangibles Personal or financial

freedom

A rewards program
A rewards program can provide the necessary boost for many team members,
build spirits, inspire creativity and increase motivation.
A rewards program can give the team more exposure in the organisation and recognition
of their work. Rewards can include the act of publicly recognising outstanding efforts in
front of the rest of the team or wider organisation. The key is to ensure that every team
member has a reasonable opportunity to achieve a reward.

46 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Organise an effective way of working | Topic 2

Principles of an effective rewards program:

• The system must be fair and achievable for all employees, not just the high achievers.
• It must aim to motivate workers and be relevant to the objectives of the team.
• It must be based on clear targets that are known to the team to avoid conflict when one
member feels another is being given preferential treatment.
• It must support the organisation’s core values.

Examples of rewards:

Email notification Email is sent to the team/department/senior manager acknowledging

a result or outcome.

Half-day reward Staff can leave early if they meet their targets.

Parking space for a Reward a team member with one paid parking space for a month.
month

Gift vouchers Give an online or retail shopping vouchers or movie tickets.

Allied health Arrange for a massage or other body treatment.

appointment

Travelling trophy Organise a trophy for the best performer that sits at each person’s desk
for a set period, and is then rotated around the team.

Time off in the field Offer access to a specialised conference, training event or seminar.

Certificates Create paper-based certificates acknowledging high achievements and

improvements.

further training Provide payment for a short course or formal training qualification

Example

Benefits of rewarding your team

The management at BizOps encourages staff to be community-minded and to feel
rewarded by serving and helping others. It also places emphasis on fun and wants
staff to enjoy their time at work. The workers fulfil these criteria, but a backlog of office
tasks is becoming a problem.
The team holds an early-morning brainstorming session and each person brings a
plate of breakfast food. As a short-term fix, they come up with a game that chooses six
team members who will work on the administration tasks each week with a reward at
the end of each week.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 47

 Organise an effective way of working | Topic 2

Summary
• The team can share their working practices, learn from one another and provide
support for better work practices.
• Developing ground rules for the team can help identify ways of working better.
• It is important to be transparent, inclusive, fair and equitable when allocating
team responsibilities.
• Before allocating roles to team members, it is critical to determine the skills and
strengths of each person.
• Thinking, challenging and collaborating are important proactive aspects of
innovation and time needs to be set aside for them.
• For innovation to happen, it is essential to plan and schedule thinking,
challenging and collaborating activities in and around core activities.
• Individuals and teams need to be rewarded in ways that are meaningful and
useful to them.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 49

Topic 3 | Support and guide
colleagues to promote innovation
3A Demonstrate behaviour that supports innovation
3B Create an environment where information, knowledge and experiences
are shared
3C Challenge and test ideas with the team and others

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 53

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

3A Demonstrate behaviour that supports

innovation
A team leader should behave in a way that demonstrates qualities and
encourages others to adopt these behaviours.
You will be familiar with modelling desirable traits to your team, such as politeness,
punctuality and accountability. This is leading by example and demonstrating expected
behaviours. There are also behaviours that will encourage and support innovation among
the team.
Workplaces are not static environments. Work teams face different challenges at
different times and you need to be ready to adapt your behaviour style as required.
Depending on your personality and work style, you will find some behaviours more
natural and easier to model than other ones.

Supportive

Supportive behaviour provides empathy and encouragement and offers

understanding and concern. This behaviour works well during times of change
and when team members are trying new tasks and building new skills.

Participative

Participation is a collaborative behaviour. It involves activities such as

consultation, sharing fears, encouraging team problem-solving activities, and
asking for and considering suggestions. Participation is best modelled when
teams are thinking and behaving innovatively, such as in creative activities
when considering new things to do and new ways to do them.

Achievement-oriented

Achievement-oriented behaviour is focused on goals, continuous improvement,

quality and best practice. This behaviour is best modelled when teams are
working well, consistently and with high-level skills, and when large-scale
change is not taking place.

54 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Support and guide colleagues to promote innovation | Topic 3

Directive

Directive behaviour is task-related behaviour (sometimes called micro-

management). It includes activities such as organising work rosters, setting
and advising on standards and benchmarks, setting timelines and directing
others to carry out their work roles. This behaviour is best modelled when staff
are learning new tasks, and in high-pressure situations such as peak workload
periods or when deadlines are tight.

Here are some characteristics that you can display in your interactions with the team
that allows for innovation.

Collaborative

└ Ensure that a wide range of viewpoints are presented and considered.

Equitable

└ Give equal consideration to all team members and all ideas.

Fair

└ Don’t offer a judgment on any idea or contribution too quickly or without giving
sufficient attention to it.

Fun

└ Suggest interesting ways to accomplish tasks.

Hard-working

└ Demonstrate a willingness to put in whatever effort it takes, which helps others see
that their efforts will also be valued and rewarded.

Reflective

└ Take the time to understand all ideas and viewpoints.

Responsible

└ Show maturity and the ability to acknowledge personal successes and failures.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 55

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Example

Encouraging ongoing participation from team members

At a national fast-food restaurant chain, shift managers are trained to coach and
mentor their teams to raise issues about process and customer service difficulties.
Each team member is responsible for following the processes and systems that are in
place, but are also accountable for meeting customer satisfaction targets and service
level agreements.
Each Friday before the lunch time shift, the shift manager meets with the team to
discuss issues experienced throughout the week. This allows team members to raise
their concerns, contribute ideas and agree on improvements to existing processes
and systems.

56 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

3B Create an environment where information,

knowledge and experiences are shared
The right work environment is crucial for the development of innovative working.
Innovative ideas need to be shared. You need to create an environment that allows staff
to proactively and effectively communicate. It needs to be a place of trust where the
team know that their contributions are valued. Sometimes, the information being shared
needs to be kept confidential; for example, when seeking an honest response to questions
about performance of others or the way things are done. If information is sensitive, you
will need to seek the person’s permission to disclose it or not reveal the source of the
information; for example, you could get feedback through an anonymous survey.
Exploring new initiatives as a team will:
• allow ideas to be thoroughly challenged and tested
• offer insights and suggestions that may not have been considered
• promote collaborative teamwork and diversity
• ensure buy-in if the idea is adopted because all team members have contributed
to the discussion

Encourage sharing of knowledge and information

Staff need to feel they can share knowledge and experiences without judgment.
Some team members may be hesitant about sharing ideas; for example, if they are new to
the team, or they are unsure of how others will respond.
An environment where communication flows among the team would have the following
characteristics:
• Respect and support are shown to each other.
• Messages are received as they were intended.
• Responsibility is shared, and the all people in the team have a common purpose.
• There is joint decision-making between the leader and the team members.
• Change and new ideas are supported in the organisation.
• There is a high level of synergy and collaboration between different teams and
departments.
• Conceptual thinkers and problem solvers in the organisation are recognised and
given credit.
• Time is invested in brainstorming and other activities to bring forth new ideas
and ways of working.
• Staff understand the benefits of innovation.
• Staff are encouraged to question the norms and raise ideas.

58 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Support and guide colleagues to promote innovation | Topic 3

Communication strategies
Sharing ideas in a team can involve a number of steps.
Steps for sharing information or knowledge or ideas might look like this:
1. A discussion is initiated, such as organising a meeting.
2. Background information is provided, such as a work issue or opportunity for
improvement.
3. Information is shared, such as insights, experiences and thoughts on continuous
improvement processes and systems.
4. Evidence is presented that supports the rationale for a new idea or a change in the
way things are done.
5. Responses, reflections and feedback from the team are provided, such as email
suggestions, insights and input where possible.
Sometimes a team member may initially discuss their ideas with one other team member
who does the same work. Then they may choose to share this information with the
whole team.
Different communication strategies are suitable at the various stages of the innovation
process.

Identification of the problem

└ Brainstorming
Questioning

Clarification of the issue

└ Probing
Active listening

Troubleshooting and contingency planning

└ Exploring options
Challenging
Creative thinking

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 59

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Overcoming obstacles and challenges

└ Collaborating
Providing positive reinforcement

Examining successes/failures in overcoming challenges

└ Debriefing
Obtaining feedback

Involvement of team members

Participation can be the sharing of ideas and insights in areas that impact on
people’s job roles.
Team members’ level of involvement with innovation will depend on the extent to which
they can participate in the analysis of work-based issues. Including the team gives you a
different perspective based on their experiences and insights in their day-to-day work.
Involving staff in decisions, encourages responsibility and initiative. It will also build on
improving knowledge and abilities. This in turn contributes towards greater performance
and innovation.
You can make arrangements for a time and place where innovation can be discussed and
ideas shared. The environment you set up for these sessions, will be determined by the
size of the team and the size of the issue or scope of the innovation opportunity being
discussed. In some cases, a session might be used as an introduction into innovation
processes or as a starting point for communicating the experiences of the team.
It may be appropriate to introduce an informal segment to each team meeting when each
team member is encouraged to put forward their ideas. Or you may introduce another
forum for idea-sharing among the team.

Forums

A forum is a meeting that aims to promote open discussion. These involve a

group of participants led by a facilitator such as a team leader or other invited
guest. A digital forum can be used if team members are spread across different
locations.

60 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Support and guide colleagues to promote innovation | Topic 3

Meetings

Meetings can be either formal or informal. Formal meetings are planned

to gather information or feedback. Informal meetings may be a discussion
between two members of the team, or a quick discussion before a shift.

Newsletters

A newsletter can be paper-based or delivered in digital format. The aim of most

of these formats is to reach as many of the stakeholders as possible to ensure
that team members are supplied with up-to-date information.

Reports

Reports are based on agreed reporting systems. For example, they could
provide research into an area where opportunities have been identified or they
might report on advice about ways to enhance processes and systems.

Using respectful communication

To establish an innovative culture, respectful and professional communication is
required.
Start any communication with the purpose of the information and the expectations of
what the receiver will do with it. To ensure good understanding, examine your audience
and their level of language and literacy skills. Every team will be made up of people from
a range of diverse backgrounds and this may affect how they understand and participate.
This can be particularly important when technical terms and industry jargon are
frequently used.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 61

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Here are some strategies to adapt a communication style to different audiences, and
ensure that your message is communicated in an effective and respectful manner.

Understand the audience

• What does your audience already know?

• What is the demographic profile and how will this affect understanding?
• Will they understand jargon and technical terminology?
• Do they have any needs to be addressed, such as a hearing or visual
impairment?

Plan methods

• Will it be spoken or written?

• Will it be formal or informal?
• What are the main points that need to be covered?
• What media will you use?
• Will diagrams and visuals help comprehension?
• Is the environment too noisy?
• Do you need a private area?

Communicate clearly

• Repeat and restate in verbal communication.

• Use plain language in written communication.
• Make eye contact in verbal communication.
• Use sequence signal words – such as first, second, then – when giving
instructions or writing instructions.
• Use appropriate tone, pitch and intonation.
• Consider your pace when speaking – not too fast or too slow.
• Be conscious of which words/parts of the communication you emphasise.

62 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Support and guide colleagues to promote innovation | Topic 3

Check for understanding

• Ask direct questions to ensure the audience understands the message you
are communicating.
• Rephrasing a question can make it clearer to understand.
• Allow time for people to think before responding.
• Take into account the language and literacy skills of the audience to ensure
they understand the whole message.
• Consider cultural aspects; in some cultures it is insulting for people to say
‘no’ and so they would rather tell you they understand.
• Actively listen.
• Consider body language – non-verbal communication accounts for up to 70
per cent of meaning in spoken interactions.

Written communication

• Use straightforward, simple language.

• Order information logically.
• Give context.
• Anticipate readers’ questions.
• Invite readers to reflect.
• State and exemplify key points.
• Address potential objections.
• Provide alternative explanations.
• Summarise key point at the end.

Example

Using appropriate media and language

Greta is the team leader of a diverse group of people working within a manufacturing
organisation. She is preparing to explain a new process that the teams will need
to implement. She considers that many in her team do not speak English as a first
language. Greta adopts the following communication strategies:
• Uses simple/plain language.
• Avoids jargon and overly technical language.
• Chunks information and deliver small bits of information at a time.
• Uses pictures, diagram and other visuals.
• Ensures messages are delivered in a space where she can be clearly heard.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 63

 Support and guide colleagues to promote innovation | Topic 3

3C Challenge and test ideas with the team

and others
Team members feel ownership of a process when they use skills to challenge
and test ideas.
Challenging and testing ideas should be done after sufficient opportunity has been given
to the presentation of ideas and before final decisions are made.
You may decide to arrange a meeting where team members can pitch ideas and other
members ask questions. A follow-up meeting can be held after everyone has had a chance
to consider the idea. At this second meeting, the idea can be discussed, thoughtfully
challenged and tested. Following this process ensures that innovative ideas aren’t quickly
dismissed without proper consideration.
A team can come up with new ideas at any time. In innovative practice, new ideas must
be captured so they can be evaluated and reflected upon. Developing ways to note and
explore these ideas helps a team remain consistently innovative.
These mechanisms include:
• regular staff meetings or innovation sessions
• suggestion boxes or other avenues to lodge ideas
• special competitions and games that encourage team members to work creatively
and innovatively.

Challenge ideas
For some, having an idea challenged by a work colleague can be a negative
experience.
Challenge should be seen as a way of turning an idea into reality. Challenging and testing
are not about arguing, or about winning or losing; they are about ideas.
Individual team members will have their own ways of thinking. People who develop ideas
easily might enjoy brainstorming activities and interacting with others. Others may
think better on their own and find it hard to come up with ideas under pressure.
The team as a whole needs to make allowances for different interaction styles to ensure
everyone is able to participate. To do this, set up activities or sessions that include a
range of different strategies for collecting ideas, such as small group activities, one-on-
one activities as well as verbal and written tasks.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 65

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Activities to test and challenge ideas need to allow time to explore things in detail. The
information around the idea needs to be checked that it is reliable and trustworthy, and
tested for its practicality or appropriateness as a solution.
Strategies to use with a team to challenge and test ideas can involve one or more of the
following:

Soliciting other perspectives

Get a 360-degree perspective on an idea to see if it is sustainable. Seek a wide

range of feedback to examine different perspectives.

Taking opposing sides

This may involve setting up a debate between team members or engaging in a

‘believing and doubting’ conversation with yourself. This involves questioning
assumptions that are made. It is like a debate where each side has to justify its
reasoning.

A pros and cons investigation

Based on the premise that no idea is all good or all bad, this is a great way to
find out what is good and what is bad about an idea. This can also be used as a
way of comparing competing ideas.

A SWOT analysis

This is a matrix used for identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities

and threats associated with the internal and external environment. Strengths
and weaknesses are internal to the organisation and define what the
organisation is good at and where help is required. Opportunities and threats
are external to the organisation and although the organisation cannot control
them, they may influence the situation.

66 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Support and guide colleagues to promote innovation | Topic 3

Example

SWOT analysis
The following is an example of a SWOT analysis for the introduction of a new product.
The analysis provides information in terms of change requirements.

Strengths • Strong team with experience in managing new products

• Sales team with the appropriate knowledge and experience
• Good supplier networks
• Technological resources
• Up-to-date set of processes

Weaknesses • Limited budget for marketing activities

• Technological resources that need replacing in 12 months
• Warehouse concern about additional workload and space
required

Opportunities • Growth in existing number of clients

• Access to new markets
• Increased uptake of social media (use for promotional
activities)

Threats • Pending changes in consumer legislation that may affect

e-commerce activity
• Possibility of competitor getting to market first, affecting sales
volumes

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 67

 Support and guide colleagues to promote innovation | Topic 3

Summary
• Demonstrating appropriate behaviours is vital in supporting innovation.
• To support innovation, you need to encourage participation, treat people equally
and not rush to judge them or their ideas.
• Innovative ideas are more likely to succeed if a team is allowed dedicated time to
challenge and test the ideas.
• Knowledge and ideas should be communicated proactively and openly to others.
• Ideas need to be explored and challenged in a collaborative environment.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 69

Topic 4 | Evaluate innovation
ideas and promotion
4A Review innovation and share successful examples
4B Reflect on implemented innovation ideas
4C Seek and respond to feedback for discussion
4D Discuss the challenges of being innovative
4E Document feedback for improvements in promoting innovation

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 73

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

4A Review innovation and share successful

examples
Evaluating ideas involves identifying what successful innovation looks like.
In topic 1, innovation was defined as a new way of doing things to solve a problem. The
way things are done may have changed in your organisation or team, but has it been
effective and successful?
Here are some criteria to identify what successful innovation looks like.

Was the idea new and For an idea to be innovative, it’s not a case of trying something that
original? may have failed before.

Was the idea An innovative solution needs to be put into practice for it to
implemented as be successful. If it can’t be implemented or there are issues in
planned? implementing it, then it is not a successful innovation for your
workplace.

Did it address a real Innovations need to provide a solution to an actual problem. Identify
challenge? the problem the innovation aimed to address and consider whether
the innovation has resolved that problem.

Does it add value to the The team needs to benefit from the innovation for it to be viable and
team? considered a success. This may be evident in time or money saved,
increased morale and/or productivity. This criteria that will need to
be monitored and measured to determine success.

Establish criteria
Benchmarks are criteria that can be used to evaluate the innovation’s successes.
A review process will determine whether a change process is working properly to achieve
its objectives. Improvements need to be monitored to determine if there is benefit and
the initial problems have been rectified.
Measure of improvements may fit under one or more of these categories:

Financial Have the implemented improvements and innovation resulted in financial

gains for the organisation, such as increased revenue or decreased costs?

Productivity Has the innovation increased productivity in the team or in their output?

Individual and Has the innovation improved individual performance and overall
organisational organisational performance?
performance

74 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Evaluate innovation ideas and promotion | Topic 4

Data as evidence
To support your evaluation, you need evidence of improvements.
You can collect the data through review of documentation and figures, or interviews
with and questionnaire responses from staff or other stakeholders, such as customers
and suppliers.
Look for valid data and information that is:
• accurate (calculated correctly)
• current (related to the period of time you are investigating)
• reliable (from a reliable source, such as an internal sales figures from the
marketing department).
This will ensure you get a clearer picture of the success of the innovation. If the data
you use is poor quality, it will be difficult to identify, compare and report on actual
performance. Examples of data you might collect include timesheets, maintenance
reports, WHS incident reports, waste reports, stocktake reports, customer feedback,
budget reports and system user reports.

Example

Approaching work problems differently

When Jenni started a new job at a marketing company, she found that her team was
overwhelmed with work and looking to her to reduce their workload. Jenni listened
to her team and then spoke to the other teams who assigned work to them, and
discovered they had to find a way of becoming more efficient.
Jenni could see that the team was being held back by processes that failed when
workload increased. It was a clear example of the ‘we’ve always done it this way’
thinking that was holding the team back.
Jenni held a meeting with her team to ask for ideas on how they could approach
the workload differently. One team member suggested pairing a copywriter with a
designer so they could work more collaboratively and efficiently, instead of all the
copy hitting the designers at once and creating a bottleneck. The copywriter could
schedule and prioritise the work for the designer and better communicate what was
needed, so there would be fewer rounds of corrections and work was likely to be
completed faster. Other team members were very receptive to trying this idea and
Jenni gave them permission to try it.
Within a week, the team was starting to make a dent in their workload, the team
members felt they had more control over their work, and morale had improved.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 75

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Share examples of successful innovation

Announcing an innovation’s success and promoting the results sends a message
that the organisation acknowledges the effort and congratulates all who
participated.
When sharing the outcomes of an innovation, emphasise the activity and its outcomes
as much as the individuals who carried it out. If a particular team member has achieved
outstanding success, a special reward may be appropriate. If outcomes are due to team
efforts, acknowledge the whole team rather than individual efforts.
Sharing examples of successful innovation in the workplace has the following benefits:
• It shows the benefits and the improvements that result from innovation.
• It increases morale by celebrating the success of the staff involved.
• It establishes a benchmark of success for others to follow.
• It demonstrates that the work environment encourages innovation.
• It stimulates innovative and creative thinking in others.
All stakeholders need to be informed of any potential changes that will affect their
job roles. This includes staff who are affected by the change and/or are involved in the
implementation and management of the change within the organisation. These may be
the team members, staff from other departments or senior management.
The way the information is shared might include a presentation or a written outline.

Electronic Email, messenger apps, webinar, podcast, video-conferencing session

Non-electronic Demonstration of the new way of doing things, speaking to a group

meeting, in a poster, signage or flow chart

Written Email, business report, board paper, internal staff newsletter

76 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Evaluate innovation ideas and promotion | Topic 4

4B Reflect on implemented innovation ideas

Reflection allows you to consider the decisions made, how they were
implemented and what did and didn’t work.
Reflection is essential for continuous improvement, but first you need to gather all the
facts to ensure you are considering the whole picture.

Take time to debrief

A debriefing session provides everyone with a chance to discuss what went well
and what could be improved.
Team members have the opportunity to give feedback about a project, including their
views of how it went and how it affected them.
Team leaders have the opportunity to delve into any issues that have arisen and to learn
about the causes of the issues and what effect they had on individuals and the team.
Debriefing is generally a formalised process that takes place as a separate and scheduled
activity, whereas feedback is more informal and occurs naturally as part of general
collaborative work. Both have a place, but the more formal debriefing process ensures
every team member is given equal opportunity and a structure to provide their thoughts
and reflections, as well as to air concerns and achieve closure.
Debriefing can be verbal or written. Usually there are set questions so the information
from the responses can be used in meaningful ways. This structure helps team leaders
to measure satisfaction and outcomes over different time periods and to compare team
outcomes.

The aims of debriefing are:

• to determine what problems arose and how these might be prevented in future
• to identify areas for improvement
• to identify and quantify successes, and give recognition to team members for a job well
done
• to reinforce ideas and reach decisions
• to identify team and individual strengths and weaknesses
• to inform the planning of further development activities for individuals and the group.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 79

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Effective debriefing
Here are some strategies for ways to carry out effective debriefing.

Have whole-group meetings

└ This is a democratic approach, but some people may not feel comfortable sharing
their thoughts in an open forum.

Conduct one-on-one meetings

└ This approach that allows for greater self-disclosure, but it can create barriers to
communication if it is not managed well.

Use evaluation forms

└ These can generate useful information, but can also generate too much or too little
information, depending on how questions are framed and how team members
respond to them.

Arrange meetings with external debriefers

└ This is an objective approach, but it can make the process less friendly and more
clinical.

Solicit narrative-style reflections from individuals

└ This approach allows for greater creativity and personal preferences, but makes it
harder to compare responses.

Reflect on activities
Reflections can be based on personal performance, team performance or both.
Reflection activities need to be managed carefully – you want team members to be
honest and open about their experiences, but you do not want them to focus on the
performance of other team members. Each person must take personal responsibility to
ensure the atmosphere remains positive and helpful. Positive statements about the way
others worked or contributed are appropriate. Pointing the finger at someone who did
not pull their weight or achieve outcomes is not.
All team members should participate in debriefing and reflection activities, regardless of
their role; they should also encourage and support others during the process.

80 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Evaluate innovation ideas and promotion | Topic 4

Examples of reflective questions

• What was your experience (your thoughts, feelings, reactions, level of control, overall
satisfaction)?
• What did you learn about the work, yourself and others in the team or organisation?
• How could things be improved next time?
• How can you review, analyse and measure your performance against standards or
benchmarks?

Example

Reflection provides valuable insight

The Greenside Shire Council by-laws team has been holding regular meetings for six
weeks to come up with ideas for streamlining the way it processes parking-permit
applications.
Several ideas have been adopted and the changes implemented. Team members are
now engaged in debriefing sessions where they reflect on the experience. In the first
part of the session, they rate their overall learning and satisfaction on a Likert scale.
The Likert scale was invented by organisational psychologist Rensis Likert. It is used
to measure how people feel about an experience or product. It uses a scale or rating
where the person indicates the extent to which something was achieved or their
feelings of satisfaction.
Once the team members’ rating data is collated, it provides a useful record for the
team and others. The results will also form the basis for future innovation in the team.
In the second part of the session, team members reflect on how they feel about the
change process and what they have learnt. This is done in a guided one-on-one
conversation with the human resources officer. Below are some of their responses.

Learning ‘I have learnt a great deal about the organisation and that some
people in it have great organisational skills we can tap into.’

Feelings ‘I feel much happier at work knowing I can accomplish so much

more in a day.’

Environment ‘The idea of having music playing in the background is a great

one and it has a positive effect on everyone’s mood.’

Self-knowledge ‘I realised it doesn’t matter how much we improve this area, this
is not the kind of work I will ever really enjoy. It has been good
to see there are other teams and places I can work in at the
council.’

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 81

 Evaluate innovation ideas and promotion | Topic 4

4C Seek and respond to feedback for

discussion
Feedback is a mechanism used to gather information.
As a result of feedback, people perform better, feel better about themselves and are
encouraged to try new things. Feedback can be used to point out errors, mistakes,
problems and inadequacies.
In innovative teamwork, feedback can help enlighten and highlight the team’s movement
towards reaching its goals, and often helps identify barriers and roadblocks along
the way.

Where to get feedback

Feedback can come from inside and outside the team, from another part of the
organisation, from management or from clients, community groups and other
stakeholders.
It is good practice to seek feedback from a range of key stakeholders in order to gather a
variety of opinions from a range of experiences.

Feedback can be sought from the following stakeholders:

• the team
• customers or clients
• customer service team
• managers and supervisors
• other departments whose work aligns or is affected by the team
• human resources team members
• WHS team members
• consultants
• subject matter experts.

It is important to ensure the person asked to provide the feedback is qualified to do so.
For example, there is little point in asking a customer whether they like the fact that you
invested in a faster printer, but they can comment on the speed of your service.
Feedback may be given without being asked for, such as when a customer complains
about the service they received. In this case it would be good to follow up with the
customer and ask further questions or find other ways to ensure the person provides the
right kind of information.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 83

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

How to gather feedback

Methods of seeking and responding to feedback can be formal or informal.
Utilising multiple sources of feedback provides a more balanced view.

Focus groups

Focus groups are used to consult with groups of stakeholders. They are often
the most efficient method for obtaining information from large groups. When
facilitating focus groups, prepare questions to promote discussion in the areas
that feedback is required. The facilitator, or a note-taker, is responsible for
taking notes throughout the discussion to capture the feedback.

Surveys

Surveys are an excellent tool for obtaining feedback from large groups of
stakeholders, particularly when they are situated across a number of locations.
Surveys typically involve preparing a questionnaire for respondents to
complete.

Interviews

Formal interviews are very similar to focus groups except that they are
conducted one-on-one. As with focus groups, it is important to prepare a set of
questions to obtain feedback in the areas required.

Team meeting

Facilitating a meeting with team members provides an opportunity for ideas,

issues and experiences to be discussed in an open forum. During the meeting,
solutions and lessons learnt can be identified and actions put in place to
correct any problems with processes.

84 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Evaluate innovation ideas and promotion | Topic 4

Informal discussions

Informal methods of gathering feedback can include the following:

• holding ad-hoc conversations with team members, customers and other
stakeholders
• requesting feedback during formal meetings and events
• asking stakeholders to respond to an email, asking for their feedback
• following up complaints and feedback with a telephone call, email or text
message.

Observations

This is a remote or real-time observation in which outsiders stay in the

background to passively observe and take notes on their observations of
aspects of a project.
Active observation is when some participants focus on a task and other
members of the team observe; at the completion of the observation, the two
groups interact as internal/external observers.

Example

Gathering stakeholder feedback

The Greenside Shire Council by-laws team decides to collect feedback on its
innovation project from a range of stakeholders, including customers, management
and other teams. For people in the organisation, the team holds informal guided
conversations, based on the following topics:
• Have you noticed any changes in the way the team is operating?
• Do you have any comments about the team’s work output?
• Do you feel working with the team is easier or harder since the changes have been
made?

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 85

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

How to use feedback

Feedback can be used immediately or stored for future use.
The feedback needs to be organised in such a way that it can be shared and used for
discussion. A summary feedback report might be sent via email, or a presentation to a
group may be required. Whatever the method chosen for collecting feedback, sharing the
feedback with others is an opportunity to clarify where things worked.
Feedback might be used:
• immediately, to correct mistakes and improve ways of carrying out tasks, which
would be important if the feedback related to a WHS issue where safety of staff
needed to be addressed
• short-term, to allow time for others to respond to further discussion and debate,
challenging ideas and moving a project forward or changing the direction/focus
of a program
• longer-term, for setting new goals, benchmarks and standards, designing future
programs and projects and creating new activities.

Respond to feedback
You should welcome any feedback and respond with respect and courtesy –
regardless of whether the information is positive or negative.
When you receive feedback, try to understand clearly what the other person is telling
you. Assess the information on its merits to determine its validity and use your wisdom
to determine whether it can help you to improve in the areas suggested.
You may have to share the feedback with others in a report or by giving a verbal
presentation with a summary of your reflections.
Although you don’t need to take on board and agree with every piece of feedback you
receive, you do need to consider its merits in an analytical and unemotional way.

Follow these guidelines when responding to feedback:

• Ask open and closed questions to better understand the feedback.

• Clarify the action steps you need to take to make improvements based on the feedback
received.
• Show that you value the comments and points of view given to you.
• Stay humble and be open to change.
• Do not be defensive on behalf of your team or take negative feedback as a personal attack.
• Acknowledge what’s been said, even if you don’t immediately agree.
• Ask for positive suggestions on how to address feedback that is negative.

86 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Evaluate innovation ideas and promotion | Topic 4

Example

Sample employee feedback form

Please complete the following Yes Somewhat No Comments
in relation to your current
role in the workplace.

1. Do you feel the new process has

made your job easier?
2. Were you provided with sufficient
support, such as training and
information to follow the new
process?
3. Were you given an opportunity to
contribute to the development of
the new process?
4. Are there opportunities to
develop and apply new ideas to
this process?
5. Do you feel that you are listened
to and things are being done
to improve the success of the
workplace?

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 87

 Evaluate innovation ideas and promotion | Topic 4

4D Discuss the challenges of being innovative

When implementing innovative processes, investigate challenges and what

causes them.
The implementation of a new idea or initiative has meant an investment of time and
money. There may have been some challenges arising from the innovation process or
from the people involved. Identifying the challenges can mean there is an opportunity to
improve the new initiatives or the way the organisation views innovation.
The challenges of being innovative may relate to resource constraints within the
organisation, time pressures and competing demands on personnel, or the culture of the
organisation. It may mean that staff feel under pressure to come up with new ways of
working or feel they weren’t consulted enough during the implementation of new ways
of working. Challenges will occur as a result of the external environment in which the
business operates, such as changes to the industry, an increase or decrease in demand for
a product or service, changes in customer behaviours or increased competition within
the market.

Identify challenges and reviewing risks

Risk is defined as any potential threat to the organisation achieving its goals.
In this case, risk is identifying the potential threats that arose during the
implementation of the innovation.
In identifying and dealing with challenges, open communication is essential. This means
everyone has the chance to offer their opinion without fear of hiding mistakes or making
suggestions that affect other people in the team.
The process of discussing innovation involves reviewing the risks that arose as a result of
the innovation and developing ways to responsibly manage these. If this does not occur,
risks can continue and become barriers or even roadblocks to successful ongoing change
or improvements.
When discussing the challenges and risks, consider the following:
• Arrange discussion sessions with key stakeholders, such as the team members,
managers and any other consultants or experts in the area.
• Review any documents related to the innovation or change, such as policies,
procedures, work processes and feedback.
• Discuss both positive and negative impacts of the innovation on the organisation.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 89

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

• Discuss if the risk is too high and the consequences too damaging. If so,
determine ways to avoid the risk, such as looking for alternative processes.
• Develop a contingency plan as a way of managing the negative consequences or
impacts.
To manage the challenges that have been identified, there may be suggestions to limit the
risk or make sure failures are not repeated. This may include actions such as arranging
for training or team-building exercises to improve collaboration and trust within
the team.
• Actions arising from discussions may also involve:
• regularly monitoring and evaluating systems and processes
• monitoring the external operating environment for the business
• continuing to encourage innovative thinking among staff to identify ways to
improve performance
• continuing to capture, assess and implement innovative ideas.

Example

Challenges that arise from innovation

Big Cattle Meat Supplies sells meat to small butchers and supermarkets.
Management has asked the administration team to come up with a way to sell their
products direct to homes. The team decides they need to set up an online store,
but one of the challenges is that no-one on the team knows how to do this. Another
challenge is financial – the team does not have a large enough budget to pay
someone outside the organisation to set up the online store. One of the staff could
be sent for training to learn how to do it, but that would create other challenges: how
would that person’s work get done while they were not in the office? These challenges
are potential risks to the project’s success.

90 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

4E Document feedback for improvements in

promoting innovation
Once you’ve implemented the innovation, document all of the activities so you
have a record. Documenting feedback and debriefing ensures you capture not
only your reflections but the input of others.
You may be required to provide a report for your manager on your role and the team in
implementing the innovation or you may need to capture the improvements that have
resulted.
If you used feedback forms or surveys, you should summarise these and include the
forms and surveys as appendices. Minutes of meetings where the innovation has been
discussed could also be used to document the feedback you have received.
For a more formal report, here are some questions that might be helpful to ensure you
fully capture the innovation process you followed:
• Identifying the problem
− What was the problem that needed to be solved?
− How were ideas generated to solve the problem?
− What was your role in choosing the idea to solve the problem?
− What was the innovative idea?
• Implementing the initiative
− How was the idea implemented?
− Who was involved in the implementation?
• Measuring success
− What was your criteria for measuring the success of the innovation?
− Was the innovation successful? Why or why not?
• Learning lessons
− What would you have done differently?
− What feedback did you receive from stakeholders?
− What were the challenges of being innovative?
− What changes will you make to how you promote innovation to your team
in future?

92 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting

 Evaluate innovation ideas and promotion | Topic 4

Example

Documenting feedback
One of Joel’s objectives for the year was to promote innovation within his team.
Joel has worked actively on this throughout the year and has a number of examples
to discuss with his manager during his performance appraisal. Joel has collected
feedback from team members and stakeholders, minutes from meetings and financial
data, along with his own reflections, to discuss with his manager. Joel is prepared to
talk about his successes, but he has also documented the lessons he has learnt and
where he thinks he can improve in future. His manager is impressed with the work he
has done to prepare for his appraisal.

Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting 93

 BSBSTR401 | Promote innovation in team environments

Summary
• Criteria needs to be established for what makes a successful innovation.
• Sharing innovation successes fosters a positive work environment and sets a
benchmark for others.
• Individuals and teams need to give themselves opportunities to debrief and
reflect on innovation processes and their outcomes.
• Feedback is important in order to ensure innovation is working in the best
interests of common goals and stakeholder interests.
• Identifying risks and meeting challenges are important parts of innovative
practice.
• Feedback needs to be documented so lessons are learnt and changes
implemented in future activities.

94 Unit Release 1 (Aspire version 1.1) © Aspire Training & Consulting