Inveresk Tramshed, Inveresk, Launceston, TAS

Recently there was a gathering of practitioners from TAFE Tasmania who were keen to explore the Innovate and Integrate research with me. A great venue was organised not far from the old seaport of Launceston at the Inveresk Tramshed, where we were able to continue the conversations about innovative practices.

A memorable question from one of the participants made me stop and think about innovation in a different way, he said: "if an innovative practice becomes embedded it's no longer innovative". In some ways that is so true, that the practice has become so much a part of the overall strategy for delivery of education that the practitioners no longer see it as innovative. To me that is the whole point - the success of the innovation itself. Obviously if everyone has accepted it and is currently using it (like emails, like LMS, like mobile phones) then it is indeed embedded.

The participants took some time to consider their responses to a number of questions from the research tools about some specific innovative practices. Each table focussed on something different - from .... to .....

Another pertinent issue was raised by Marcus Ragus who took the time to respond to some critical questions of leaders in writing. Marcus says:

*What major piece of advice would you give for those wishing to embed innovative practices?*

Look after their ‘special’ people and not just those that are politically
correct. Understand that there are innovators and creative people, not all
are both, appreciate all your creative and innovative people, don’t forget
them. They are often different and do not fit the mould of some ‘typical’
organisations, appreciate them don’t subjugate and/or belittle them for
behaving the way they do, give them freedom and most of all trust them.

Provide them with regular time for innovative practice that is outside their
normal time.

Allow them freedom to communicate without restriction with other innovators
and if that requires attendance at workshops or conferences that might be
interstate, well so be it.

Be proud of their achievements, and regularly inquire about their ideas and
achievements, that is because these people are often doing beyond the normal hours anyway, ....

A collation of the responses to the 4 Phase Strategy questions from the TAFE Tasmania participants are provided as an attachment below.