Richard Wilson: Enabling wisdom will drive innovation

Australian engagement specialists working in the field of social innovation, public and social policy and social enterprise were treated to a masterclass in ‘changing the way we govern’ with Richard Wilson, as part of the Social Innovator Dialogues this week.
 
In a series of interviews with the Centre for Social Impact, Richard Wilson outlines how digital technology enables innovation – not necessarily by being the active ingredient in the change, but by enabling wiser decision making in the approach to change.

How digital technology makes innovation happen

Richard Wilson differentiates clearly between the roles of social innovation and technology or social media – often fused as being one in the same. He talks about how digital technology enables social innovation and open up institutional thinking, and create the space in people’s lives to innovate and participate in civil society.

Digital technology enables the opportunity to find time, and opens up the possibility of distilling and translating information to make sense and make wise, effective decisions. It is these decisions, he points out, that makes meaningful impact.  

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What we should be doing to make change and impact

Richard believes that what society should be trying to do right now is to create wiser, more intelligent, more reflective people and institutions.  He outlines that with people being time-starved and institutions subjected to constantly mediated scrutiny, it is harder than ever to find the time and space to find wisdom and solve problems that need solving.

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Innovation in Australia

Richard Wilson also gave Australia a call to action: to innovate and communicate about its innovations.

He speaks about the unique position Australia is currently in an impressive position to really innovate, and that there is a responsibility to do so. He also talks about the potential for connection in Australia – that although the land is vast, the population is relatively small, which enables change to happen quickly.

He points out that Australia has got a lot going for it, he says: prosperity, a sunny disposition, and tightly woven and interconnected relationships that make innovation possible.

“Keep doing what you’re doing, be more ambitious, but most importantly tell people about it,” he says. “For far far too long people in Australia have been looking to other countries like the UK and the States for learning. Keep learning, but remember you have as much to teach – in fact probably more to teach us.”

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The Social Innovator Dialogues is an initiative of CSI, ASIX and TACSI. The program continues for one week with talks from Jonty Olliff-Cooper, Tarik Yousef and Jocelyne Bourgon as part of the February Festival: ‘Changing the Way We Govern’.

To register, visit the CSI events page.