Why Innovation Matters Now More than Ever Karen

Why Innovation Matters Now More than Ever Karen Thoreson, Alliance for Innovation for Arizona League of Cities and Towns

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Lessons From the Past ü Cutback Management? • Across the Board Cuts • Freezing the Workforce ü Or Strategic Management? • Predict the Decline • Focus on Core Mission • Educate the Public • Long Term Savings, Not One Time

Opportunity in Crisis for Elected Officials • Improve the Organization • Resize or Restructure • Develop New Partnerships • Focus on Community Priorities • Proactive, Not Reactive • Embrace the Future’s Possibilities

So What Have We Seen? 3 Strategies: 1. Hunker Down 2. All Expenditures are Equal – Lower Tide, Lower All Boats 3. Transformation – “What If, ” Not “Why Me”

Who Copes Best in Hard Times? • • Strong Management Capacity Targeted and Flexible Spending Choices Revenue Diversity Have a Long Term Financial Plan Maintain Adequate Reserves Fees for Service Reflecting Cost of Delivery Educated Stakeholders Adaptive but Resolute Organization

Promoting Constructive Change ü Cut Quickly, Avoid Delay ü Long Term View ü Core Mission, Highest Priorities ü Innovation and Continuous Improvement ü Manage Revenues, Not Just Expenditures ü Organizational Design and Processes ü Employee Stewardship ü Embrace Inevitability, Stick With It ü Communicate with Stakeholders

Reassess Community Priorities Re-engineer Organization Fix Structural Deficits (personnel) Advance Technological Solutions Increase Revenues Partnerships Management Flexibility and Transparency Resilient Responses

Delray Beach, FL – Annual Citizens Roundtable Jefferson County, CO – Service Prioritization Downers Grove, IL– “Community Priority Setting” Virginia Beach, VA – Citizens Select Major Themes Reassess Community Priorities

Cape Coral , FL- Lean Government Bayside, WI– “Automated Trash Service” Olathe, KS – Innovation Teams Prince William County, MD – Driving to Success Re-engineer Organization

Dublin, OH – Healthy by Choice Washtenaw County, MI – Decade of Hard Choices Palo Alto, CA – The Cost of Contracts Fix Structural Deficits

Westerville, OH– “Mobile Apps” Southlake, TX – Electronic Consent Agenda Palm Bay, FL – LODIS – the DNA solution NYC, NY – Human Services On-line Durham, NC - com. NET King County, WA – E-city Gov Advance Technological Solutions

Charlottesville, VA – By Decreasing Costs - CPM Hickory, NC– Operation, No Vacancy Leesburg, VA – Liabilities into Assets Sarasota County, FL – Local Economic Stimulus Increase Revenues

High Springs, FL – Growing Local: a win - win Morgan Hill, CA – 22 million LB Carbon Diet Manassas, VA – Week of Hope Olathe, KS – Innovations Campus Partnerships

South Jordan, UT – Real Customer Service Fort Collins, CO – Budgeting for Outcomes Las Vegas, NV – Citizen Survey – Fundamental Service Review Management Flexibility and Transparency

Six Qualities Linked to Innovation 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Leadership Creativity Internal Collaboration External Partnerships Community Connections Results Focused “I’m happy to give you innovative thinking. What are the guidelines? ”

Innovation: #1 Key Qualities Leadership: • Elected Officials • At the Top • In the Middle • Organization-wide • Unselfish - Shares: • Credit and Recognition • Level 5 leaders • Looks to the Next • Generation to Sustain

Innovation: #2 Key Qualities Creativity • • Unleashing the potential Not Satisfied with Status Quo Look for ideas elsewhere Working on Multiple Fronts Allows for Failure Constantly Revising and Changing Breakthrough and Incremental

Innovation: #3 Key Qualities Internal Collaboration • Unusual • Non-Hierarchal Teams • Diverse teams • Disrespect the Silos • Staff are Supported & Heard • Members Want to Be There

Innovation: #4 Key Qualities External Partnerships • Public, Private, NGO • Not Quid Pro-Quo • Know How to Disagree • Are Willing to Trust and Take Risk • Understanding Value From New Perspectives • Deep Level of Cross-fertilization

Innovation: #5 Key Qualities Community Connections • Real connection, Not Lip Service • Deep Sustained Involvement • Public: Not “me-centric” • Looking for Long –term Value

Innovation: #6 Key Qualities Results Focused • If You Count It, It Will Change • Useful and serves need • Sustained Impact, Not Flash in the Pan • Knowing Who Benefits

Fostering Innovation If you create the qualities, will innovation come? • No, Innovation is never automatic • Yes, Will generate the ideas and foster the spirit that supports innovation • Support with a culture of innovation • Consider what has worked and not worked in your organization • Consider the straddler (and the stragglers) • Set the bar high. Invite all to determine how to get over it.

Thank You Karen Thoreson, kthoreson@transformgov. org www. transformgov. org