{"id":248,"date":"2010-08-16T08:18:55","date_gmt":"2010-08-16T08:18:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leedscd.wordpress.com\/?p=248"},"modified":"2010-08-16T08:18:55","modified_gmt":"2010-08-16T08:18:55","slug":"who-are-the-innovators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/2010\/08\/16\/who-are-the-innovators\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Are the Innovators?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Recently I have been reflecting with <a href=\"http:\/\/imranali.name\">Imran Ali<\/a> about the nature of innovation in the city (of Leeds in this case)\u00a0and how it might be developed. \u00a0The assumption being that more and better innovation will be an unalloyed good in a fast changing, dynamic, complex yet very finite environment.<\/p>\n<p>Most of the discussion has focussed on some obvious innovation levers that we\u00a0believe\u00a0could yield some relatively quick and easy wins, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>encouraging more innovation across traditional boundaries of department or role<\/li>\n<li>seeking applications of technology for social innovation<\/li>\n<li>thinking as\u00a0idealists\u00a0rather than\u00a0realists\u00a0&#8211; exploring the art of the possible not just the pragmatic<\/li>\n<li>providing &#8216;investment ready&#8217; development programmes<\/li>\n<li>engaging non traditional sources of funding in the innovation process and so on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But the implicit assumption all of these approaches to innovation is of an innovative elite. \u00a0A creative class with the brains, the money (or access to it) and the networks to figure out how to make things significantly better for the rest of us. \u00a0Scientists, technologists, financiers, policy makers, politicians, environmentalists, campaigners, entrepreneurs (social <strong><span style=\"text-decoration:underline;\">and <\/span><\/strong>not so social) and academics are all encouraged, incentivised and trained to &#8216;unleash&#8217; their creativity and innovation.<\/p>\n<p>But how many in the city form part of that elite? \u00a0The hallowed few from whom progress is expected to emanate or who feel it is their duty to change the workings of the world. A few thousand perhaps in a city of 800 000. \u00a0I suspect it is less than 1% of those living in the city.<\/p>\n<p>I\u00a0believe\u00a0that innovation, creativity and change in pursuit of progress, are essential human qualities that will find means of expression. \u00a0Regardless.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How does the potential of &#8216;innovation&#8217; play out for the rest?<\/li>\n<li>How do the processes of creativity and change in search of progress manifest for them?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Well, I suspect there is another slug of the population who are deeply engaged in creativity and change in relation to developing their \u00a0practice, in the more or less explicit hope, that they may be able to join the elite. \u00a0Training, learning, networking and thinking of ways to get their hands on the innovation levers. \u00a0Would-be entrepreneurs, politicians, students, scientists and bureaucrats who are working their way upwards and onwards. \u00a0Some, of course will join the elite. But most, by definition, will not. \u00a0And they will join another group of potential innovators.<\/p>\n<p>These are the ones who do not wish to change the world\/city\/community. \u00a0Perhaps they have given up on the challenge. Perhaps they never engaged with it. \u00a0But the essential creative drive remains and will be expressed. \u00a0It may play out through personal lifestyle choices. \u00a0Living the environmental life perhaps, gardening, \u00a0reducing the golf handicap, pursuing cultural enlightenment, renovating houses\/cars etc. \u00a0Progress is defined in more or less personal terms. \u00a0It is perhaps the pursuit of happiness rather social change. \u00a0 Work becomes a job rather than a way to make a mark on the world. \u00a0Creative courage is reserved primarily for &#8216;out of hours&#8217; activities.<\/p>\n<p>And then there is another group who never really established a foothold in &#8216;the system&#8217;. \u00a0Those for whom a steady salary providing some level of &#8216;disposable&#8217; income was never really &#8216;on the cards&#8217;. \u00a0Vocational and professional routes for creative expression never opened up for them. \u00a0 From this group I suspect the systems demands not innovation and creativity but just passive compliance. \u00a0Do as your told, smarten up tour appearance, brush up your CV and look for a job. \u00a0Or at least pretend you are looking for a job. \u00a0But the drive to innovation will out. \u00a0Creativity will be expressed.<\/p>\n<p>So when we are looking to support innovation in the city where is the great untapped potential?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Does it lie in providing more and better support and training to the elite?<\/li>\n<li>Or should we try to mobilise middle England, Big Society style, to rally tot he cause?<\/li>\n<li>Or should we perhaps change the\u00a0terms\u00a0of engagement with those at the margins of the system? \u00a0To shift from a\u00a0coercive\u00a0approach\u00a0to a coaching one?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Anyone for &#8216;Innovation Coaches&#8217; in Leeds?<\/p>\n<div class=\"SPOSTARBUST-Related-Posts\"><ul class=\"entry-meta\"><li class=\"SPOSTARBUST-Related-Post\"><a title=\"City of Dreams\" href=\"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/2013\/01\/26\/city-of-dreams\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">City of Dreams<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"SPOSTARBUST-Related-Post\"><a title=\"An imaginary open letter: To those who would &#8216;engage&#8217; us&#8230;\" href=\"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/2012\/08\/09\/an-imaginary-open-letter-to-those-who-would-engage-us\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">An imaginary open letter: To those who would &#8216;engage&#8217; us&#8230;<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"SPOSTARBUST-Related-Post\"><a title=\"Patient Opinions on NHS Services in Leeds\" href=\"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/2012\/07\/07\/patient-opinions-on-nhs-services-in-leeds\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Patient Opinions on NHS Services in Leeds<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"SPOSTARBUST-Related-Post\"><a title=\"Some thoughts on Best City outcomes\" href=\"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/2012\/07\/05\/some-thoughts-on-best-city-outcomes\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Some thoughts on Best City outcomes<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"SPOSTARBUST-Related-Post\"><a title=\"Some Barriers to Engagement\" href=\"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/2012\/06\/13\/some-barriers-to-engagement\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Some Barriers to Engagement<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recently I have been reflecting with Imran Ali about the nature of innovation in the city (of Leeds in this case)\u00a0and how it might be developed. \u00a0The assumption being that more and better innovation will be an unalloyed good in a fast changing, dynamic, complex yet very finite environment. Most of the discussion has focussed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[19,23,38,91,93,109,115,118,149,174,177],"class_list":["post-248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-community-2","category-leadership","tag-aspirations","tag-big-society","tag-community-development","tag-government","tag-happiness","tag-innovation","tag-leadership","tag-leeds","tag-person-centred","tag-regeneration","tag-responsive","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}