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Employee Learning Week (ELW) is a global campaign sponsored by the Association for Talent Development to highlight the important connection between learning and achieving organizational results. Each year, the Department of Human Resources (HR) celebrates ELW by recognizing and promoting employee learning across campus.

This year Human Resources is featuring several activities for ELW, including a daily focus on our campus core competencies. Established in 2019, the campus core competencies translate values into behaviors, and helps to align those behaviors with the campus culture and vision. HR invites you to learn more about our core competencies and begin discussions with your colleagues on how these competencies play a role in your own work and learning. We invited campus colleagues to illuminate each core competency in a series of commentaries featured through Employee Learning Week. 

Core Competency: Innovation

Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful. Adapting to change and engaging in continuous learning and critical thinking to promote the growth of the individual and the organization.

Commentary by Terri Fiez, PhD., Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation and Dean of the Institutes

Terri Fiez, PhD. oversees the $630+ million research enterprise at CU Boulder, including its 12 research institutes. The Research & Innovation Office (RIO) catalyzes and supports research operations, grows cross-disciplinary collaborations, cultivates research partnerships with other universities, and coordinates the cross-campus Innovation & Entrepreneurship initiative.

• What is one skill that someone could do on our campus to embody this competency? 
  • "Creativity!  It is so critical to a dynamic organization and breathes life into everything that we do.  A creative idea doesn’t have to be earth shattering and brainstorming is a great team sport.  My favorite way to think of solutions to challenges at CU Boulder is with a  group of people with different jobs and backgrounds.  Add to this the necessary ingredient of laughter and out comes a memorable, creative solution.  Try it!"

• What are the effects and outcomes when an organization truly embraces this competency? 
  • "It has a ripple effect.  Creativity is contagious (in a good way ).  When someone smiles at you, you naturally feel inclined to smile back.  When you smile, you feel happier and more relaxed.  Creativity has a similar affect.  A creative organization can take on any challenge, find new opportunities and build team camaraderie along the way."

Learn more about the Campus Core Competencies

To learn more about the campus core competencies, please visit the performance page of the Human Resources website. 

Key Behaviors of the Innovation Competency

• Develops useful ideas that are new, better, or unique.                                                               
• Introduces new ways of looking at problems.
• Can take a creative idea and put into practice.
• Embraces diverse perspectives to promote or nurture innovation.
• Fosters interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary work.
• Adapts to change.
• Promotes growth of the individual and the organization.
• Engages in continuous learning.
• Engages in critical thinking.
• Takes risks.

How to get involved

• Explore the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative
• Attend campus events focused on innovation
• Subscribe to the Research & Innovation Office eNews

The Department of Human Resources (HR) creates success through others as we all strive to achieve the goals and fulfill the mission of CU Boulder. HR contribute leadership, ideas, and services that allow each person – whether an individual contributor or manager; a member of the faculty or staff – to do what they do…better. Visit /hr to learn more about HR.