Unleashing Botswana’s Innovation Culture…
As Robert Tucker noted, “Innovation is everyone’s business.” If we are to unpack this a little bit more, it simply says that in order for an innovation system to be successful, all of its members must be enabled to participate in whichever way they would desire. Over the years, I have come to realise that whilst we value the need to innovate and understand the potential impact that could have on our business, our customers, and our broader stakeholders, as organisations there are a few things that we still need to get right. In writing this piece, I thought to leave you with at least some key pointers on what you need to consider as you start your innovation journey. Building a culture of innovation, like any other pursuit, is not an event; it is a journey that one must make with deliberate focus and intent.
Upon reflection over the years passed and lessons learned I do sincerely believe that as leaders, if we acknowledge the need to inspire, to organise, to synergise, to empower and to reward, we are well on our way to fostering the desired innovation culture.
Inspire – It takes but a second for a person to be struck by a moment of inspiration which starts something that changes the world. We all need inspiration and as business leaders we need to be sensitive to the very important role we hold in our businesses to provide an inspiring vision and lead in a manner that invites and celebrates innovation. The emphasis need be on providing opportunities and removing obstacles wherever they may be. Trust your people and give them the latitude to explore solutions to their most challenging needs.
Organize – In your organisations, it’s important to promote organized chaos. We tend to think of chaos in the negative, however, it is in these charged environments that some of the best ideas are born. As a business, the focus should therefore be on establishing guiding structures and create systems and processes that support innovation and idea management.
Synergise – Synergising is about pooling together resources, collaborating and fostering internal and external relationships to support the innovation process. It is in this collaborative environment that teams can fully leverage diversity by facilitating the cross-pollination of ideas and creating, as well as empowering cross functional teams.
Empower – I genuinely believe that the key to unlocking the potential of your teams is by creating an environment that encourages experimentation, where one is not afraid to fail as they know to take the lessons learnt to regroup and restart and ultimately succeed.
Reward – It is within our DNA to want to be recognised for our efforts and achievements. It is therefore important that we equip our businesses to be able to set value creating goals and targets and to measure progress/success rates. This is all done with a view to ensure that the organisation is able to recognise and reward both individual and collective contributions, celebrate success and ultimately make business fun!
Tshepo Tsheko is the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub (BDIH), formerly known as the Botswana Innovation Hub. Tshepo has been a very active member and contributor to Botswana’s innovation landscape. His substantive portfolio is Director of ICT, Marketing and Partnerships, a role he assumed after a three-year serving as the founding Programme Manager of the Botswana Innovation Hub’s hybrid tech incubator/accelerator, the First Steps Venture Centre (FSVC). In 2020 he co-authored the SmartBots Strategy, formerly known as Botswana’s Fourth Industrial Revolution Digital Transformation Strategy.
Tshepo’s experience spans three continents, with 15 years of professional working experience in the ICT sector gained from working for several global blue chip companies. Tshepo has been a Business Analyst at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in New Jersey, USA, Technical Consultant at Hewlett Packard in Chester, UK and Group IT Manager at Turnstar Holdings in Gaborone, Botswana. He has also worked as Systems Analyst and Senior Operations Associate – Technical Services at Bristol-Myers Squibb in the US and UK respectively.
