35 - Innovation in the Navy: how the Air Arm does it




Sydney Business Insights show

Summary: Bringing innovation to a place where rules, hierarchy and tradition are deeply ingrained in the very fabric of the institution can be difficult. How does an organisation overcome this obstacle? We talk to Commodore Chris Smallhorn, about how the Navy is creating a culture of innovative behaviour. The Royal Australian Navy and our country is entering into a period of unprecedented Naval ship building over the coming decades. However part of the Navy has been in a focused re-capitalisation for some years. By December this year the RAN’s Fleet Air Arm will have replaced all of its aircraft across four Squadrons. Such change requires innovative behaviours to ensure the capital investment meets our nation’s military needs to the best and fullest extent possible. The Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Time Barrett, has set his Navy on a course of building innovation at the core of business. Commodore Chris Smallhorn is the Commander of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Australian Navy and has taken this strategic direction and is at the forefront of creating a culture of innovative behaviour. CDRE Smallhorn’s innovative behaviours directive seeks to implement the Chief of Navy’s vision in Naval Aviation and the ideas employed may well be suitable for your business or complex endeavour. You can subscribe to this podcast on Soundcloud, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Libsyn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow us online on Flipboard (flip.it/jdwqTP), Twitter, or sbi.sydney.edu.au. For show notes and links for this episode visit sbi.sydney.edu.au/podcasts