Discovery and Delivery Skills for School Operations
As the School Operations Administrator at Duval Charter School at Southside, part of the Charter Schools USA network, I interact closely with a core team consisting of the school principal, assistant principal, dean of students, and front office assistants. In my role, I oversee critical operational functions like finance, human resources, facilities, and compliance to ensure the school runs smoothly. To assess the level of innovation present in our team and where we can improve, I will examine when and where we need discovery skills (associating, questioning, observing, networking, and experimenting) versus delivery skills (analyzing, planning, detail orientation, implementing, and self-discipline), using the framework from Dyer et al. (2011).
Why, When, and Where Discovery and Delivery Skills are Needed
As a business leader or manager, how do you balance the need for innovation (discovery skills) and execution (delivery skills) within your organization or team?
As a business leader or manager, striking the right balance between innovation (discovery skills) and execution (delivery skills) within your organization or team is crucial for long-term success and growth. Discovery skills like questioning, observing, networking, and experimenting are essential for generating new ideas, identifying opportunities, and driving innovation (Dyer et al., 2011). These skills help organizations challenge the status quo, uncover customer pain points, and develop innovative solutions to address unmet needs or create new markets. Discovery skills are precious during the ideation and early development stages of new products, services, or business models, as well as during times of disruption or when pivoting strategies. They are needed throughout the organization, but especially in roles focused on research, innovation, marketing, and strategic planning (Dyer et al., 2011).
However, while discovery skills fuel innovation, delivery skills are equally vital for executing and bringing those ideas to life. Skills such as planning, organizing, and project management ensure concepts are transformed into tangible offerings that can be successfully launched and delivered to customers. Delivery skills become increasingly important as ideas progress from conception to implementation and commercialization, ensuring efficient operations, quality control, and adherence to deadlines and budgets. These skills are needed across various functions like product development, manufacturing, operations, logistics, sales, and customer service, particularly in project management, process optimization, quality control, and supply chain roles (Omar et al.,2020).
By understanding when and where both discovery and delivery skills are needed, organizations can allocate resources effectively, foster a culture that values both skill sets, and maintain a balanced approach to innovation and execution. This balance is critical for sustained success in today’s rapidly changing business landscape, enabling organizations to stay ahead of the competition while also delivering high-quality products and services to customers (Dyer et al., 2011)
The Need for Balance Between Discovery and Delivery
While both skill sets are necessary, an overemphasis on delivery at the expense of discovery can hinder innovation. Dyer et al. (2011) warn that “the fastest way for an organization to die is to stop executing” (p. 185). However, they also caution against being overly execution-focused, stating that “successful innovation as a team or company requires both the ability to generate novel ideas and the ability to execute those ideas” (p. 188). An imbalance in either direction can be detrimental.
To assess where my team currently stands, I completed the “How Innovative Is Your Organization or Team?” survey from pages 177-178 of The Innovator’s DNA (Dyer et al., 2011). Our total score was 32, which falls in the moderate to low range for exhibiting an innovative team DNA based on the scoring criteria.
We scored relatively well on delivery-related questions. Our organization or team has adopted the approach of frequently trying out new ways in search of new inventions, and people in our organization or team are fearless in taking risks and failing because of management support.
This analysis proves that my team has the advantage in implementation and concept, taking risks and taking new approaches. However, its weakness may be generating novel ideas using techniques that provide different details in doubt and observations. An excess of mere delivery with no balanced discovery hampers the overall inventive capacity of a people. Therefore, both elements should be emphasized to have a robust society.
Dyer et al. (2011) highlight the importance of “pairing and maintaining a balance between discovery and delivery skills in any team and organization” (p. 183) to produce “stronger innovation synergies as discovery- and delivery-driven folks interact well enough to learn from and support each other” (p. 192). A multipronged approach of hiring discovery talents, implementing processes that prompt discovery behaviours, and fostering a culture that democratizes innovation across roles can help restore this balance.
Critical Takeaways for Enhancing Innovation
Evaluating my team’s innovation DNA using the framework and survey from Dyer et al. (2011) provided valuable insights into areas where we can improve our innovative capabilities. While we demonstrate strengths in delivery-oriented skills like planning, implementation, and embracing experimentation, there are opportunities to enhance our discovery skills for generating novel ideas. We should focus on three key areas to create a more balanced and innovative team.
First, the recruitment criteria must be robust: people who can think in many ways: associating, questioning, observing, networking, and experimenting. By assessing the possession of these competencies primarily as part of the selection process, we can find persons who can ignite curiosity and pursue new ideas(Omar et al.,2020). Second, we need to support initiatives that will speed up execution and create methods that will push to seek discoveries, such as challenging assumptions, watching end users, networking across functions, and having a time slot dedicated to the exercises.
Ultimately, we should work to build an organizational culture that democratizes innovation amongst distinguished positions of all levels and roles. Such pertains to the underlining the importance of using everybody’s creative potential to start new initiatives, critically evaluate the old norms, and take on challenges with people’s inclination to make subsequent errors arising from the pursuit of the set objectives. Our heightened accessibility and delivery experience will be compounded with innate investigative elan about success through hiring, processes, and culture; thus, we can maximize the team’s innovation. Thus, the right strategy will power us forward to sustainable growth by addressing the root causes of the problems, not just by improving processes but by thinking outside the box. My group can bring out more innovative powers by applying a balanced strategy combining delivery skills with search complementarities. On the other hand, with time, we can develop our execution capabilities while simultaneously mastering emerging capabilities that help us stay ahead of the curve, produce novel projects, think of fresh and engaging ideas and customize our programs according to the ever-changing education landscape.
Conclusion
In summary, this assessment has illuminated areas for improvement and provided a roadmap for creating a more innovative, ambidextrous team poised to drive sustainable growth by continuously improving existing operations and developing creative, disruptive solutions. By fostering a culture of questioning, observing, networking, and disciplined experimentation, complemented by rigorous planning and execution, we can achieve the dynamic equilibrium Dyer et al. (2011) advocated – unlocking our total innovative capacity as a high-performing team.
References
Dyer, J., Gregersen, H. B., & Christensen, C. M. (2011). The innovator’s DNA: Mastering the five skills of disruptive innovators. Harvard Business Review Press.https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13010088
Omar, M. K., Zahar, F. N., & Rashid, A. M. (2020). Knowledge, skills, and attitudes are predictors of teachers’ competency in Malaysian TVET institutions. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(3), 95-104.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121008
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