Writing Assignment-Business Writer
Innovation Leadership Evaluation
In this course, you have explored four main concepts:
• How contemporary leadership practices and models support innovation in the global
context.
• The personal skills and leadership practices that drive innovation and the creation of
innovative organizations.
• The models of innovation and change management leaders use to create a culture of
innovation.
• Communication strategies, including storytelling, that support culture change in
innovative organizations.
The last assignment for this course challenges you to integrate these concepts while focusing on
a particular idea for a change of process, procedure, or product in your current industry or sector,
or one which you aspire to in the future. You will build on the work you began in the Unit 4
assignment. You will integrate what you have learned from the course studies, discussions, your
individual research, and previous assignments to demonstrate your mastery of the course
competencies.
Assignment Instructions
For this assignment, you will write a 7-9 page paper which continues and concludes the work
you began in your Unit 4 assignment. You will continue to use the potential process, product,
service, or procedure for innovation you presented in your unit four paper. That idea may have
come from your current work, one you thought of in a past work environment, one from your
personal life, or one you have read about in the Wall Street Journal or other resource. The point
is to take an example of a potential innovation and continue to apply it to this assignment.
This assignment tasks you with synthesizing and applying what you have learned throughout the
course.
Your readings and other resources have introduced you to several models of innovation and
change management as well as the leader's role in the process. You have also researched
additional articles and Web sites for this assignment, including:
• Two articles or resources on design thinking.
• One additional resource on change management.
• One article focused on leading innovation in your current or future specialization,
industry, or sector.
Using all of these resources, you will develop your assignment as described below.
Analyze and apply the first four components of the design thinking process to your chosen
innovation. Recall you wrote about the first three in the paper in Unit 4; edit that section based
on the feedback you received, and then add the fourth component to your section on design
thinking for this assignment.
1. Empathize (learn about your audience). 2. Define (create a point of view based on needs). 3. Ideate (brainstorm ideas. Be wild). 4. Prototype (Build a representation of a minor idea to show others).
Develop a communication strategy including a story that you will use to overcome complacency
and create passion in the organization for the innovative change. Remember to include a visual
map for your story using the model you learned in the Stories that Move Mountains: Storytelling
and Visual Design for Persuasive Presentations book.
Evaluate three personal leadership skills and practices from your personal assessments in Units 1
and 2 that you will use to lead this innovative change process. Explain how you, as the leader,
would use storytelling to engage the audience (those in the organization you wish to influence)
and what skills you will need to further develop to be a successful leader of culture change in the
organization.
You will be evaluated on how well you communicate your insights and analysis. It is expected
that you will communicate in a manner that is professional and consistent with expectations for
members of the business professions. To aid you in doing this, follow these guidelines:
• Carefully organize your paper so there are three major headings devoted to each of the
following topics. You may want to use subheadings in the first section to ensure the
reader can find each of the four components of design thinking. Make sure that the reader
can easily find:
o A section that analyzes and applies the first four components of the design thinking
process to your chosen innovation.
o A section that develops a communication strategy including a story and visual story map
to influence and engage your audience.
o A section that evaluates three personal leadership skills and practices that you will
incorporate into your innovative change process.
• Optionally, graphs or diagrams may be included in appendices, if they are well-explained
and applicable.
• Each section of the paper must be supported using the course readings, and additional
scholarly resources or reputable industry publications may be used, if needed. Three to
four supporting resources are recommended.
Your assignment will be scored on the following objectives; see the scoring guide for details.
Once again, provide examples where it would be useful to your reader:
1. Analyze the relevance of key design thinking components to a chosen innovation. Specifically, you should apply the first four components of the design thinking process to
your chosen innovation.
2. Apply key components of design thinking process to a chosen innovation. This should be the first four components of the design thinking process.
3. Develop a communication strategy including a story map visual that you will use in this innovative process.
4. Evaluate three personal leadership skills and practices that you could incorporate into your innovative change process.
5. Communicate in a manner that is professional and consistent with expectations for members of the business professions.
Submission Requirements
• Written communication: Writing should be free of errors that detract from the overall
message.
• Paper length: 7-9 pages, excluding appendices, cover page, table of contents, and
references page.
• APA formatting: References and citations should follow APA style guidelines.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
Note: Your instructor may also use the Writing Feedback Tool to provide feedback on your
writing. In the tool, click on the linked resources for helpful writing information.
Resources
• Innovation Leadership Evaluation Scoring Guide.
• APA Style and Format.
• Capella Library.
• Capella Writing Center.
• Research Guide–MBA.
• Resource Guide | Transcript.
• Stories that Move Mountains: Storytelling and Visual Design for Persuasive
Presentations.
• Writing Feedback Tool.
Readings
From Stories that Move Mountains: Storytelling and Visual Design for Persuasive
Presentations, complete the following:
o Continue to review all chapters of this book to assist in developing your story
visual for the last assignment of the course.