Innovation

Our contribution to our teams includes a history of bias. We each see the world through a unique lens filtered by a blend of past experiences and learning style. Often, innovation is hampered by bias. We believe we are considering every possible angle yet we’re limited by the boundaries of our own perspective. Alternate views are alien and cause discomfort if they don’t fit the tidy little universe we’ve created. What might happen if we turned it upside-down? Reflect on these two examples:

Doctors diagnose before they treat. Teachers assess learning needs before crafting lesson plans. Risk managers evaluate danger before implementing safety measures. Coaches scout defenses before designing offensive schemes. Action follows insight. Understanding what to do is a much different task than doing it. Unfortunately, many teams get stymied after the analysis. You can build a strategic plan with good intentions but you only frustrate the team if everyone is too busy to execute.

The most impactful innovations are rarely just the good ideas arising from workplace cultures that support creativity. They are the outcomes of diversity and collaboration that begin with a problem and end with a solution that improves the world. As simple as the recipe might be, it’s difficult to assemble and sustain a team of people who are capable of unselfish, integrative thinking. Why, for instance, would a group of world renowned physicians invite a team of engineers and designers to a strategy session? Even though the physician has never designed a device and the engineer has never performed a surgery, the integration of their talents might create a breakthrough in disease management. How might this apply to your industry?

Innovation is often the solution to the struggle between capacity and complexity. The challenges faced by teams get more complicated each day. The ability of the team to meet these demands is further stretched. The gap widens as time moves forward. Depleted teammates are encouraged to work smarter not harder. If you invest energy in designing a new way to approach a problem, you’ll be rewarded by the benefits of simplicity. This is the value proposition.

Make your list today. What should I stop doing? In a workplace of unprecedented complexity, running faster and working harder only grows the problem. There’s no good way to pack 15 lbs. of potatoes into a 10 lb. sack. It’s time to abandon something. Subtraction is useful math.

The crew that initially gathered around the table to design the new teamclock.com website was an unusual assortment of complementary talents. The team of creative minds combined a web designer, a marketing expert, a graphic artist, a social media guru and a business strategist. Divergent strengths and competing perspectives provided the fuel for innovation.

How did they do it? The follow-up survey suggested the team had knocked the cover off the ball. In six short months, every recommended action had been addressed and the business results were the buzz of the senior leadership team. Raising the bar to this level was, to many, a setup for disappointment. The industry’s track record predicted a growth ceiling.

The host and his panel had two essential traits in common. They came to play and they came to share. The Du Page Children’s Museum recently hosted an event, Creating a Culture of Innovation, featuring the co-founder of the Chicago Innovation Awards, Tom Kuczmarski. For over an hour, Tom led an exchange with a panel of recent award winners energizing a full house at North Central College with stories of exploration, failure, and discovery.

The CEO asked her team for fifteen minutes of their time to complete the Team Clock Online Assessment survey. She knew her team was strong but wanted to dig a little deeper into what opportunities might arise from pushing them to the next level. She wasn’t prepared, however, for the results when she pressed “submit” to download her summary report.

Welcome back to the Team Clock Blog where we invite readers to participate in an Ask/Apply/Act model:

Ask: raise a team challenge

Apply: share an example story

Act: discuss action steps for consideration