Fresh Thinking Labs
Fresh Thinking Labs the international open source movement for workplace innovation is your pathway to the best workplace practices and latest thinking from across Europe and beyond.
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We began in 1997 because there were too few spaces where enterprises, employers’ organisations, trade unions, policymakers, professional bodies and researchers could come together, both to explore the future of work and organisations and to address the persistent “long tail” of those not making use of workplace practices that engage and develop the full talent and creativity of employees at all levels.
Since our foundation we have created a series of joint initiatives and projects involving diverse stakeholders, held regular pro bono events to share evidence and good practice, and has been a persistent advocate for national government and EU policies to promote better ways of working.
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Research and Evidence
Two things are clear.
Firstly there is a vast and growing body of evidence to show that workplace innovation practices which empower employees to make day-to-day-decisions, challenge established practices, contribute ideas and be heard at the most senior levels of an organisation lead to better business results as well as enhanced workforce health and engagement.
Secondly it is equally clear that most businesses are either unaware of this evidence, or that they are unable or unwilling to act on it. Successive surveys demonstrate a substantial gap between research evidence of “what works” and common workplace practice.
We work with diverse stakeholders to:
- Undertake high quality research into leading practice and emerging challenges relating to work and organisations. Current and Past Projects
- Build bridges between research and practice through publications, events and the creation of the EUWIN Knowledge Bank as the leading European source of case studies, articles and other learning resources on workplace innovation.
We have also established Workplace Innovation Limited as a consultancy arm to help companies and public sector organisations create new and better ways of working which build on a vast body of research.
Explore the site to learn more about our surprising range of activities.
Public sector innovation in troubled times: Dramatic Innovation in Irish regional agencies
We were asked to help build more effective mechanisms for employee engagement in three of the regional agencies that manage and deliver vocational education and training in Ireland, preparing the organisations and their staff for the significant changes that lie ahead. In each case the Dramatic Innovation project centred on three principal stages:
- An initial visit to each agency during which the project team led confidential discussions with staff and managers at all levels to identify current issues and opportunities for change. A short report was prepared within a week of each visit highlighting the key findings, challenges and achievements, and this was distributed to all staff.
- A one-day Change Conference centred on forum theatre and interactive group discussions. With the active participation of a representative group of staff and managers, each event identified between 25 and 40 specific actions capable of improving the performance of the VEC and the quality of working life of its employees.
- The establishment of a partnership working group to take these ideas forward, representing and reporting to staff at every level and in each part of the VEC. Facilitation of the initial meetings of each group by our team ensured an effective modus operandi and tangible outcomes.
Knowledge Bank
EUWIN’s Knowledge bank, created by UK WON, is a rich resource for practitioners and researchers alike, including articles, case studies and practical guides.
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Workplace Innovation is an international company that bridges the gap between research and practice, spreading more productive and better ways of working across the UK and Europe.
We are the originators of The Fifth Element, an evidence based approach to workplace innovation and how it can transform your organisation.
Forthcoming Events
Latest News and Events
"We’ve reached a tipping point in the future of jobs 2020. The digital skills gap is asking for the development of a growth mindset!" Presented at our event Industry 4.0, digitalisation and the people-centred workplace (http://www.workplaceinnovation.eu/announcements/industry-4-0-digitalisation-and-the-people-centred-workplace). Is your company ready for the future? Learn more about our programmes (http://www.workplaceinnovation.eu/LWIP), download our brochure (http://www.workplaceinnovation.eu/PDF/WIE-Leading-Workplace-Innovation.pdf) or contact us (http://www.workplaceinnovation.eu/contact-us) to find out more...
The event, Industry 4.0, digitalisation and the people-centred workplace, brought an amazing international group of companies and experts together to explore how successful organisations are engaging employees in digital transformation. The key takeaway was that technological innovation and innovation in work processes need to go hand in hand: “Digitalising a bad process doesn’t make it a better process.” Participants agreed that if companies allowed machines to be in control, it would result in expensive failure. But digital technologies can be designed and deployed to enhance operator information and decision making, creating optimal synergies with human skills and ingenuity. Event hosts Booth Welsh (https://boothwelsh.co.uk/), a leading provider of integrated engineering services, have been through a remarkable transformation themselves as part of our Scottish Enterprise Workplace Innovation Engagement Programme (http://www.workplaceinnovatio..
The event 'The Journey towards Self-Directed Teamworking' was hosted by Cornerstone (https://www.cornerstone.org.uk/) and CEO Edel Harris, Strategy Implementation Leader Mairi Martin and several members of their frontline teams presented one of the best examples of the journey towards self-managed teamworking that we’ve heard in 25 years! Participants from five other companies on similar journeys took part in this latest Fresh Thinking Labs (freshthinkinglabs.com) event, gaining unique insights into organisational transformation. Cornerstone has developed an ambitious new Strategic Plan for 2017-2020 called ‘Local Cornerstone’, designed to position Cornerstone for continued success and a sustainable future. Creating this new model of care focusses on the introduction of self-organised teams, together with a flattened hierarchy. The journey has involved building trust and empowerment, as well as the devolution of responsibility and local decision making. Polici..
Participants from the Workplace Innovation Engagement Programme wowed Portuguese companies with their stories of transformation at the Fresh Thinking Labs Masterclass hosted by the Instituto Portugues de Business Process Management in Lisbon last week. Aimee Doole and John Richardson (Booth Welsh), and Robert Heron (East Coast Oil & Gas), spoke passionately about how the programme has created high levels of staff engagement in idea generation, improvement initiatives and innovation. They talked about how the Workplace Diagnostic (http://www.workplaceinnovation.eu/LWIP-The-Workplace-Innovation-Diagnostic) had brought home the nature and scale of the challenge to their senior teams, and how it had focused attention on the introduction of new working practices in specific areas of each business. Workshops held throughout the 10 month programme inspired participants with leading examples from across Europe, and action learning provided valuable peer-to-peer opportunitie..
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Registered in Ireland and the UK
Tel: +44 (0)115 933 8321