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DMV Innovation Steward Profile: Tiffani Brown

Great ideas aren't always submitted into the innovation funnel. The ideas exist but are not shared. The main culprit is not an unwillingness, but rather just not knowing how. So to remove that barrier, innovation stewards were added in each district and division to facilitate the submission of ideas. However, these innovation stewards may not be extremely well known.

To combat that, we've started doing profiles on these folks. Here's the latest - DMV Innovation Steward Tiffani Brown, who has been a steward for a little more than a year now.

What intrigued you about this role?
T.B.: "I love the idea of being a part of something that touches every part of our business. One of the best things about being a steward is the excitement and pride you feel about the place you work and the people you work with. I enjoy being a part of the movement that is helping move our department forward and to break the old 'way things have always been done' mold."

Are there common misperceptions you often hear that prove to hinder the process of submitting ideas?
T.B.: "I often hear one of two things: 1) I am just doing my job, I don't need recognition for it and 2) that's not a 'good enough' idea to share."

How would you answer those concerns?
T.B.: "I believe that even though it is a part of your job and something we do already, a platform like Innovate ITD cultivates an environment for knowledge sharing that everyone can benefit from. If you have a way of doing something in a district that makes your job safer, our co-workers in the other districts could see your idea and implement it as well, which can magnify that safety out to others (Times 7). I also believe that every idea and implementation is good enough because even small, incremental savings can really add up."

What have you found to be most rewarding about the position or the process?
T.B.: "It has been particularly rewarding to hear someone have so much pride in their ideas and to see the initiative people have taken in their own work to make a difference to them, their co-workers and the public."