Comments on: Direct from the Innovation Prevention Department http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/ Learning and Educational Technology in Higher Education Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:45:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Tony Bates http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/comment-page-1/#comment-115 Tony Bates Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:10:25 +0000 http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/#comment-115 Hi, Mark I agree with you we should avoid the 'blame' game regarding innovation. The critical point you raise is that IT decisions are no longer (and have not been for some time) the sole responsibility of IT professionals, nor should they be. George Colony, the CEO of ForresterResearch, suggests that we should change the term IT to BT - Business Technology - because IT is now essential for the core work of an organization. This applies just as much to higher education institutions as it does to commercial organizations. Conoly also argues that as a result, all senior management need a basic understanding of technology, because of the way IT impacts on their work. I strongly recommend the short YouTube video of George Conoly at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJAxOnFkZAw&feature=related In the meantime, we need to give much more though to how we can help all university decision-makers become more IT literate, so that we get better decision-making and less blame, Best regards Tony Bates Hi, Mark
I agree with you we should avoid the ‘blame’ game regarding innovation. The critical point you raise is that IT decisions are no longer (and have not been for some time) the sole responsibility of IT professionals, nor should they be.
George Colony, the CEO of ForresterResearch, suggests that we should change the term IT to BT – Business Technology – because IT is now essential for the core work of an organization. This applies just as much to higher education institutions as it does to commercial organizations.
Conoly also argues that as a result, all senior management need a basic understanding of technology, because of the way IT impacts on their work.
I strongly recommend the short YouTube video of George Conoly at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJAxOnFkZAw&feature=related
In the meantime, we need to give much more though to how we can help all university decision-makers become more IT literate, so that we get better decision-making and less blame,

Best regards

Tony Bates

]]> By: Communication and Blame in HE « Enable http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Communication and Blame in HE « Enable Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:40:13 +0000 http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/#comment-111 [...] “Unfortunately it is very easy to blame IT for everything from global warming to the Melbourne traffic, particularly when educators are being challenged to use technology more and more in their practice. But it really is time we stopped the blame game. Universities more than ever need to work collegially to face some of the challenges of the next decade, if they don’t then they will fail miserably and a lot of people will be unhappy in the process.” http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/ [...] [...] “Unfortunately it is very easy to blame IT for everything from global warming to the Melbourne traffic, particularly when educators are being challenged to use technology more and more in their practice. But it really is time we stopped the blame game. Universities more than ever need to work collegially to face some of the challenges of the next decade, if they don’t then they will fail miserably and a lot of people will be unhappy in the process.” http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/ [...]

]]> By: The Innovation Prevention Department: Why? « The Weblog of (a) David Jones http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/comment-page-1/#comment-109 The Innovation Prevention Department: Why? « The Weblog of (a) David Jones Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:42:19 +0000 http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/#comment-109 [...] as he describes in this comment was suggesting that most organisations have one department that seems to hold back innovation. The [...] [...] as he describes in this comment was suggesting that most organisations have one department that seems to hold back innovation. The [...]

]]> By: Mark Smithers http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/comment-page-1/#comment-108 Mark Smithers Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:21:14 +0000 http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/#comment-108 Hi Nick, Thanks for your comment and the link to your blog post. It reminded about how I was informed by a member of staff that we needed interfaces to Google Wave for everything. This was back in June soon after it was demonstrated for the first time and long before it was available for preview. Now maybe we will, eventually but let's have a look at the thing first. Mark Hi Nick,

Thanks for your comment and the link to your blog post. It reminded about how I was informed by a member of staff that we needed interfaces to Google Wave for everything. This was back in June soon after it was demonstrated for the first time and long before it was available for preview. Now maybe we will, eventually but let’s have a look at the thing first.

Mark

]]> By: Mark Smithers http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/comment-page-1/#comment-106 Mark Smithers Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:33:39 +0000 http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/#comment-106 Hi James, Thank you for your reply and your clarification. I appreciate it. Context is difficult when one only has the twitter stream to view. It was made slightly more frustrating because my #ascilite09 tweets weren't showing in the stream. This was the first time I had come across the term "Innovation Prevention Department" and I guess my immediate perception was that it was a reference to IT organisations. This probably says a lot about my experience/perception of such organisations during my working life. I think it is true that, as you and Jon Trinder observe, the term can be applied to many different types of organisational units within tertiary institutions. I am convinced that the large size of some institutions restricts their ability to innovate and it may be that this is because there are more IPDs in larger organisations. Cheers Mark PS. I have made an edit to my post with a note about context. Hi James,
Thank you for your reply and your clarification. I appreciate it. Context is difficult when one only has the twitter stream to view. It was made slightly more frustrating because my #ascilite09 tweets weren’t showing in the stream.
This was the first time I had come across the term “Innovation Prevention Department” and I guess my immediate perception was that it was a reference to IT organisations. This probably says a lot about my experience/perception of such organisations during my working life. I think it is true that, as you and Jon Trinder observe, the term can be applied to many different types of organisational units within tertiary institutions. I am convinced that the large size of some institutions restricts their ability to innovate and it may be that this is because there are more IPDs in larger organisations.

Cheers

Mark

PS. I have made an edit to my post with a note about context.

]]> By: Nick Sharratt http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/comment-page-1/#comment-104 Nick Sharratt Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:57:20 +0000 http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/#comment-104 I certainly share your view on this. A similar experience led me to post this reflection some time ago: http://nicksharratt.blogspot.com/2009/10/innovation-prevention-or-proffesional.html I certainly share your view on this. A similar experience led me to post this reflection some time ago:

http://nicksharratt.blogspot.com/2009/10/innovation-prevention-or-proffesional.html

]]> By: Tweets that mention Direct from the Innovation Prevention Department | Mark Smithers -- Topsy.com http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/comment-page-1/#comment-103 Tweets that mention Direct from the Innovation Prevention Department | Mark Smithers -- Topsy.com Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:42:54 +0000 http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/#comment-103 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by James Clay, Joyce Seitzinger. Joyce Seitzinger said: RT @marksmithers Direct from Innovation Prevention Dept blog post http://bit.ly/4qfo92 <-- mark has good grasp of both sides #ascilite09 [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by James Clay, Joyce Seitzinger. Joyce Seitzinger said: RT @marksmithers Direct from Innovation Prevention Dept blog post http://bit.ly/4qfo92 <– mark has good grasp of both sides #ascilite09 [...]

]]> By: James Clay http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/comment-page-1/#comment-102 James Clay Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:41:50 +0000 http://www.masmithers.com/2009/12/09/direct-from-the-innovation-prevention-department/#comment-102 Hi Mark Context is everything. When I have the chance (and the bandwidth) I will be uploading the audio recording of my keynote and I hope you get the chance to listen to it to hear the context. When I spoke of Innovation Prevention Departments, notice the plural, I said every institution has one, it may be IT Services, it may be HR, Estates, Finance even the e-Learning Team. The term which originates from Jon Trinder (@jont) is not a unique reference to IT Services, it applies to any department within an organisation that is not willing to change policy or procedures or even more importantly provide a solution or solutions to enable innovation. For some though it will be IT Services and that was where I suspect the tweeting came from. Cheers James Clay Hi Mark

Context is everything.

When I have the chance (and the bandwidth) I will be uploading the audio recording of my keynote and I hope you get the chance to listen to it to hear the context.

When I spoke of Innovation Prevention Departments, notice the plural, I said every institution has one, it may be IT Services, it may be HR, Estates, Finance even the e-Learning Team.

The term which originates from Jon Trinder (@jont) is not a unique reference to IT Services, it applies to any department within an organisation that is not willing to change policy or procedures or even more importantly provide a solution or solutions to enable innovation.

For some though it will be IT Services and that was where I suspect the tweeting came from.

Cheers

James Clay

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