Tag Archives: team dynamics

An Organizational, Leadership and Team Dynamics Perspective on Innovation Trends

GUEST POST from Stefan Lindegaard

I recently worked with a European client to map their innovation challenges and opportunities, particularly focusing on how they align with global trends in leadership and team dynamics.

As businesses face increasingly complex challenges, innovation – especially in how teams are structured and how leaders respond to change – has become a critical differentiator for long-term success.

Below are some key trends that we are exploring further in this context. We plan to narrow these down to 4-6. Which ones do you think are the most important to keep in mind? And why?

1. Leadership Agility and Adaptive Decision-Making

Leaders today must navigate complex, fast-moving environments. One key innovation trend in leadership is the ability to shift between strategic, operational, and entrepreneurial mindsets. This agility allows leaders to respond to uncertainty while driving innovation forward, particularly in ambiguous or volatile conditions. Adaptive leadership enables organizations to experiment with new ideas while managing operational excellence.

2. Innovation as a Team-Driven Process

The top-down approach to innovation is giving way to more team-driven processes. Leaders are increasingly leveraging cross-functional teams that work in agile frameworks to co-create solutions. This decentralization not only improves innovation speed but also empowers teams by giving them ownership over the innovation process. Teams are no longer just executing on leadership directives; they are actively shaping organizational innovation strategies.

3. Purpose-Driven Leadership and Team Motivation

In the context of innovation, aligning leadership and team efforts with a larger organizational purpose is proving to be a powerful motivator. Purpose-driven leadership focuses on innovation that not only drives profitability but also addresses broader societal and environmental challenges. Teams motivated by a sense of purpose are more engaged and creative, which fosters a culture of continuous innovation.

4. Remote and Hybrid Collaboration for Innovation

With the rise of hybrid work models, teams are innovating how they collaborate remotely. Leadership needs to ensure that innovation thrives in distributed teams by adopting digital collaboration tools, fostering a culture of open communication, and using technology to bridge physical distances. Effective remote collaboration also involves maintaining team cohesion and ensuring that all voices are heard, regardless of location.

5. Building a Culture of Psychological Safety

For innovation to thrive, leaders must cultivate an environment where team members feel safe to take risks and share unconventional ideas. Psychological safety is essential for fostering creativity within teams, especially when it comes to innovation. Leaders who encourage experimentation and tolerate failure as part of the innovation process tend to build more resilient and dynamic teams.

6. Data-Driven Leadership and Innovation

Leaders and teams are increasingly leveraging data to drive innovation decisions. Data analytics and AI-powered insights are being used to forecast market trends, optimize team performance, and identify areas for innovation. By building data-driven cultures, organizations can make informed decisions faster and enhance both team dynamics and leadership effectiveness.

7. Diversity and Inclusion as Innovation Catalysts

Diverse teams bring a wider range of perspectives to the innovation process, which enhances creativity and problem-solving. Inclusive leadership that emphasizes the importance of diversity in innovation efforts not only reflects societal values but also produces better business outcomes. Diversity in teams accelerates the generation of new ideas and encourages out-of-the-box thinking.

8. Sustainability as a Leadership Priority

Sustainability has emerged as a top priority for leaders, impacting how teams innovate. Organizations are now focusing on sustainable innovations that address environmental concerns while also driving business growth. Leadership that prioritizes sustainability tends to inspire teams to develop long-term solutions that benefit both the organization and society at large.

9. Collaboration with External Partners

Open innovation models, where companies collaborate with external partners, startups, and even competitors, are becoming increasingly popular. Leaders are building ecosystems of innovation that go beyond internal teams, involving external stakeholders to co-develop new solutions. This trend broadens the scope of innovation and helps organizations tap into a wider pool of ideas and expertise.

10. Learning and Development for Innovation Skills

For teams to remain innovative, continuous learning and upskilling are essential. Leaders are now focusing on creating environments where team members can constantly update their skills in areas like AI, digital tools, and design thinking. By embedding a learning culture into the team’s DNA, organizations ensure they remain competitive in the ever-evolving innovation landscape.

A key observation for us is that innovation today requires a holistic approach, one that integrates leadership vision with team dynamics to foster environments where creativity and agility can thrive.

By narrowing down to the most impactful trends, we can better equip organizations to innovate effectively in a world that demands both speed and sustainability.

A Roadmap for Corporate Innovation

Image Credits: Stefan Lindegaard, Pexels

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Empathy is a Vital Tool for Stronger Teams

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Empathy is a Vital Tool for Stronger Teams

GUEST POST from Stefan Lindegaard

In the fast pace of today’s organizations, it’s easy for teams to focus solely on tasks, deadlines, and results. However, truly high-performance teams – and their leaders – understand that their strength lies not just in productivity but in the relationships they build.

Empathy plays a crucial role in this process, enabling teams to build trust, foster open communication, and maintain resilience, even in challenging times.

This is why empathy is not just a “soft skill” – it’s a powerful leadership tool that can elevate team dynamics to new levels. Whether you’re navigating tough decisions, managing conflicts, or trying to boost morale, applying empathy can enhance collaboration and performance.

This card is designed to guide you in bringing more empathy into your team’s dynamics.

As part of our Team Dynamics Cards, it belongs to a comprehensive suite of leadership growth and team dynamics tools aiming to boost team collaboration, performance, and communication. We develop such tools and approaches to ignite team discussions, inspire self-reflection and guide actionable steps.

Check it out below and get in touch if you would like some guidance on how to work with this for your team(s).

Today’s Card: Empathy in Team Dynamics

Stefan Lindegaard Empathy Quote Category: Culture & Mindset

We delve into the significant role of empathy in fostering positive team dynamics. Empathy, the ability to understand and share others’ feelings, can foster a team environment characterized by collaboration, understanding, and productivity. It’s a crucial ingredient for managing individual roles, decision-making, performance under pressure, and the creation of shared values and goals.

Principles:

Promoting Understanding and Respect: Foster an environment where team members understand and respect each other’s perspectives and recognize each member’s unique contributions.
Empathy in Conflict Resolution: Use empathy to address and resolve conflicts, helping teams navigate disagreements in a respectful, satisfactory manner.
Fostering Psychological Safety through Empathy: Build a psychologically safe space where individuals comfortably express thoughts and emotions, assured of empathetic understanding.

Reflection Questions (10 mins):

Reflect on a situation where empathy within your team led to a significant positive outcome. What was the situation, and how did empathy play a role?
How would you rate the level of empathy within your current team? What impact does it have on your team’s dynamics?

Action Questions (30 mins):

Identify specific ways your team can foster understanding, respect, and empathy in day-to-day interactions. How can these actions lead to improved team dynamics?
Consider a recent or upcoming challenge your team is facing. How can empathy play a role in the decision-making process, conflict resolution, and maintaining morale under pressure?

Get in touch if you and your team would like to know more about our Team Dynamics Cards and how we can tailor this to your needs and interests. You can read more about our learning hub and community on https://www.stefanlindegaard.com

Image Credits: Pexels

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Taking Ownership with a Tool for Better Team Dynamics

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Taking Ownership With a Tool for Better Team Dynamics

GUEST POST from Stefan Lindegaard

Whether you’re a leader or team member seeking to foster empowerment, accountability, and overall team growth, this card is designed for you.

It’s part of our Team Dynamics Cards and thus our suite of leadership growth and team dynamics tools aiming to boost team collaboration, performance, and communication. We develop such tools and approaches to ignite team discussions, inspire self-reflection and guide actionable steps.

Get in touch if you and your team would like to know more about our Team Dynamics Cards and how we can tailor this to your needs and interests.

Today’s Card: Taking Ownership

Category: Empowerment & Accountability

Our exploration leads us to understand the importance of encouraging team members to fully embrace their roles and responsibilities. By setting precise expectations, endorsing self-reflection, and cultivating a culture of mutual accountability, we can empower team members and enhance their sense of responsibility in their daily tasks.

Principles:

Set Clear Expectations: Promote understanding of each team member’s roles, responsibilities, and the goals they are working towards.
Practice Self-Reflection: Advocate for team members to assess their own performance, identify areas for improvement, and set personal growth targets.
Hold Each Other Accountable: Foster an environment where team members support each other in achieving their goals and taking responsibility for their actions.

Reflection Questions:

1) Reflect on your current demonstration of ownership in your role and responsibilities within the team. Where do you see room for improvement?

2) Evaluate the level of accountability practiced within your team. How can this be amplified?

Action Questions:

1) What specific measures can each team member adopt to enhance ownership of their roles and responsibilities, and how can these actions be monitored and tracked?

2) How can your team cultivate a culture that supports and encourages individual and collective accountability? What concrete actions can be implemented to demonstrate this commitment?

If you find this card valuable and want to delve deeper, we’re offering a free test-deck of Team Dynamics Cards as well as a more complete set of tools around topics like high performance teams, team dynamics and leadership growth.

Simply like this post, and send me a message or comment expressing your interest. We can even tailor the deck to your team’s needs and preferences in a pilot project.

In return, we would appreciate your feedback on the concept and your experience using the cards and tool. Your insights will help us refine and improve our offerings for future users. Let’s collaborate to elevate your team’s dynamics and personal development of its members.

Image Credits: Pexels

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Overcoming Team Conflict

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Overcoming Team Conflict

GUEST POST from David Burkus

Conflict on a team is inevitable. On diverse teams, where individuals come from varying backgrounds and possess differing opinions, those opinions will clash often in the form of disagreements and conflicts. Understanding the types of team conflict that can arise in a team setting is crucial for effective management and resolution.

In this article, we will delve into the four types of team conflict: relationship conflict, task conflict, status conflict, and process conflict.

Each type of conflict has its unique characteristics, causes, and potential solutions. By understanding these conflicts, leaders can respond appropriately in the moment, setting the team up to harness the benefits of conflict rather than letting it become a destructive force.

1. Relationship Conflict

The first type of team conflict is relationship conflict. This is a type of conflict that arises from differing personalities, experiences, and identities. This type of conflict can undermine trust and belonging on the team, creating a negative atmosphere. It’s crucial for leaders to address relationship conflicts promptly and effectively to prevent them from escalating.

Resolving relationship conflict requires empathy and understanding. Private discussions between conflicting individuals can help identify triggers and allow for open communication. It’s important to focus on specific behaviors and their impact, rather than making accusations or assuming motives. By addressing the behavior rather than the person, leaders can help individuals understand how their actions affect the team and encourage them to adjust their behavior accordingly.

2. Task Conflict

The second type of team conflict is task conflict. This is a positive type of conflict that arises from differing opinions on how to complete tasks. This type of conflict can be harnessed to encourage discussion and find the best plan of action. It indicates that the team is leveraging diversity for better performance.

When dealing with task conflict, it’s important to avoid personal attacks and assumptions. Instead, leaders should encourage team members to ask intelligent questions about the assumptions behind ideas. By discussing different perspectives openly, the team can increase the chances of finding the best way to achieve tasks. This type of conflict, when managed properly, can lead to innovative solutions and improved team performance.

3. Status Conflict

The third type of team conflict is status conflict. This involves power struggles and hierarchy within the team. Unlike task conflict, status conflict has no positive outcome and can create a toxic work environment. It’s crucial for leaders to address status conflicts promptly and effectively to prevent them from escalating.

Status conflict is about people’s opinions of their position in an invisible hierarchy within the team. To address this type of conflict, leaders can create rituals and experiences that signal equality and discourage status games. It’s also important for leaders to lead by example and send the message that everyone’s opinion is valued equally, regardless of their position in the team.

4. Process Conflict

The final type of team conflict is process conflict. This conflict arises from disagreements about how tasks are delegated and the best process for achieving them. This type of conflict can be resolved by getting to know team members’ strengths and weaknesses and explaining decisions that may go against their preferences.

Process conflict can occur when there are differing opinions on who should do a task or when someone tries to avoid responsibility. By understanding team members’ strengths and weaknesses, leaders can delegate tasks more effectively and prevent process conflicts. It’s also important to explain decisions that may go against team members’ preferences to prevent process conflict from turning into status conflict.

As a leader, understanding the different types of team conflict is crucial for effective conflict management. By responding to each type of conflict in the moment and setting the team up to harness the benefits of conflict, leaders can foster a positive and productive work environment. Remember, conflict isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When managed properly, it can lead to team’s having their best ideas and individuals doing their best work ever.

Image credit: Pixabay

Originally published on DavidBurkus.com on October 23, 2023

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What Differentiates High Performing Teams

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What Differentiates High Performing Teams

GUEST POST from David Burkus

How do you build a high performing team?

If you think like most people, you will start with acquisition. You will start by thinking about how you can convince higher performing people to join the team. But the truth is that the so called “War For Talent” this acquisition mindset kicked off wasn’t worth the cost. It’s not that there’s no such thing as high performing individuals, it’s that high performance is highly dependent on team dynamics. Research from Boris Groysberg and others found that most of individual performance was actually explained by the team dynamics, company resources, and a few other factors outside of the individual’s control.

In other words, talent doesn’t make the team. The team makes the talent.

And when you examine the inner workings of high performing teams, you start to see just how powerful team dynamics truly are. High performing teams do just about everything differently.

And in this article, we’ll outline four specific behaviors high performing teams do differently, as well as the research that supports these behaviors, in order to help you transform the dynamics of your team.

Watch the full video or keep scrolling to read.

Bursty Communication

The first behavior that high performing teams do differently is that they communicate in bursts. You may think that successful teams are in constant communication with each other, or you may tell yourself that as you find yet another meeting added to your calendar. But research from Anita Williams Wooley and Christoph Reidl suggests that high performing teams have calendars marked by long periods of alone time. That’s not to say they don’t communicate, but rather they’ve mastered how to come together quickly, communicate necessary information, and then break apart in order to execute.

If you want to communicate in bursts, consider copying the format of the daily standup or “scrum” from the Agile software development method. In a scrum, team members circle up quickly and give status updates (What did I just complete? What am I focused on next? What’s blocking my progress) before adjourning to focus on work. It doesn’t have to be daily, but a regular burst of status updates that allows teammates to know what’s going on and how they can help would likely achieve everything a 2-hour weekly all-hands does and leaves a lot more time for real work to get done.

Respectful Conflict

The second behavior that high performing teams do differently is that they harness respectful conflict. Successful teams have just as much conflict as lower performing teams, but that conflict feels different—because it is different. A lack of conflict on a team is more often a liability than a strength. Lack of conflict is either a signal that there’s not original thinking on the team, or that there is but those teammates don’t feel psychologically safe enough to express their original thinking.

Respectful conflict means that high performing teams embrace these differences of opinion and debate them in a way that ensures the best solutions are found. Research from Charlan Namath found that teams who used respectful conflict when generating ideas created 25 percent more ideas and generated higher quality ideas as well. Think about that the next time your team must solve a problem. Anytime people actually “think outside the box,” there is going to be conflict. The difference is how leaders, and the whole team, respond to that conflict. You can frame competing ideas as something to push against, or as something that pushes the team to better solutions.

Authentic Connection

The third behavior high performing teams do differently is that they build authentic connections. They work toward a collective understanding that goes beyond knowing each other’s roles and responsibilities, and even beyond knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Instead, successful teams build connection with each other around non-work topics as well. Researcher Jessica Methot calls these connections “multiplex ties” after the multitude of contexts built between different people.

Building multiplex ties means you build commonalities with teammates about multiple facets of their lives. And Methot’s research suggests that the result is higher performance, longer tenure, greater social support, and a host of other benefits. In addition, her research suggests that building authentic connections isn’t about elaborate team-building rituals, instead, it’s about small talk. Those unstructured moments before and after meetings, or the evening after conferences or company events, those are the moments when people self-disclose the multiple facets of their lives and, in doing so, build multiplex ties.

Generous Appreciation

The last behavior that high performing teams do differently is that they offer generous appreciation. There is a constant clement of praise and appreciation running through their discussions—bursty or not. Research from Ron Friedman and his team suggests that individuals on high-performing teams were 44 percent more likely to compliment or give praise to their colleagues and show appreciation for the work their colleagues do on any given day. This is more than just offering a quick round of praise at the monthly meeting or putting compliments on either end of constructive criticism. Instead, generous appreciation comes from a genuine place of appreciating that one’s ability to perform is dependent on others, and that means every individual success is a team-wide win.

How do you build a culture of generous appreciation on your team? You model the way. You praise people regularly and randomly. You catch them doing something right and you praise it publicly. And you even publicly praise when you catch them praising each other as well. The more you praise the right behavior, the more of it you get.

Leading by Example

In fact, modeling the way as a leader is a constant throughout these four behaviors. Because bursty communication requires a team leader who will model the way by structuring (and reducing) meetings to allow for it. Likewise, when conflict arises, teams are looking to the team leader to model the way in responding respectfully. And teams that build authentic connections have leaders who model the way by being authentically interested in the lives of their people. You could say that high performing teams do things differently, because they have leaders who do things differently. And in doing so, those leaders help the team do their best work ever.

Image credit: Pixabay

Originally published at https://davidburkus.com on January 17, 2022

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Change Management Team Dynamics

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Change Management Team Dynamics

GUEST POST from Stefan Lindegaard

As the pace of change accelerates and becomes more encompassing, teams stand as the backbone of a successful organization. To stay ahead, teams must not only adapt to change but also leverage it to their advantage.

So, how do we harness change management to ensure our teams remain robust and agile through ongoing transformations and uncertainties?

By integrating team dynamics with change management, we aim to transform not only how teams operate but also how individuals perceive and engage with change.

That’s why I’m developing the Team Dynamics for Change Management Framework, and I invite your feedback and perspectives on it.

Understanding Change Management:

Change Management is the structured approach to transitioning teams or organizations from their current state to a desired future state. It’s about guiding and supporting individuals through this transition to realize lasting benefits. A significant part of this involves understanding people – their perceptions of change and how best to aid them through it.

Defining Team Dynamics:

Team dynamics are the behavioral and psychological forces at play within a group, profoundly influencing its direction and overall performance. These forces spring from individual personalities, relationships, roles, and the environment the team operates within. They mold the team’s interactions, communication patterns, collaborative efforts, and conflict resolutions.

Why a Framework for This Makes Sense

While numerous change management models cater to organizational or individual change, few focus directly on the unique behaviors and interactions within teams.

Given the pivotal role of teams, it’s essential to have an approach that marries the principles of change management with the realities of team dynamics.

Inspiration & Roots:

Two groundbreaking models serve as the foundational inspiration for this approach:

Kotter’s 8-Step Process for Leading Change: Developed by Harvard Business School Professor John Kotter, this model provides a step-by-step strategy for organizational change. Its emphasis on creating urgency, building a guiding coalition, and embedding new approaches makes it a revered guide in change management.

ADKAR Model: Introduced by Prosci, a global leader in change management solutions, this model emphasizes the individual’s journey through change. Its focus on Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement captures the stages of personal transition during organizational shifts.

Choosing these models as the foundation is due to their robust, time-tested strategies, which I believe can be tailored to address team dynamics specifically.

Change Curve

Eight (8) Elements for the Team Dynamics for Change Management Framework

1. Assessing Team Dynamics:

Objective: Understand the current state and behaviors within the team.

Rationale: Before any change management strategy can be effectively implemented, there’s a need to understand the present dynamics of the team. This sets the foundation for everything that follows.

2. Understanding Individual Aspirations (WIIFM):

Objective: Recognize and validate the personal drivers and motivations of each team member.

Rationale: Following the assessment of team dynamics, it’s critical to delve deeper into individual motivations. Understanding the “what’s in it for me?” for every team member will influence and enrich subsequent steps, ensuring changes resonate on a personal level.

3. Evaluating Team Change Readiness:

Objective: Gauge the team’s willingness and preparation for change, considering both collective and individual motivations.

Rationale: Once the team dynamics and individual aspirations are clear, it’s pivotal to measure the readiness for change, which will be greatly influenced by the alignment (or lack thereof) between team goals and personal drivers.

4. Formulating a Shared Vision:

Objective: Create a unified direction for the team that also respects individual aspirations.

Rationale: Armed with insights from previous steps, crafting a shared vision becomes more feasible and grounded. This vision will better reflect the aspirations of the team as a whole and its individual members.

5. Enhancing Communication & Collaboration:

Objective: Foster positive and efficient team interactions.

Rationale: With a clear vision in place, the focus can shift to enhancing the ways team members interact, ensuring that individual aspirations and the collective vision are continually in dialogue.

6. Implementing Change & Skill Development:

Objective: Facilitate the smooth adoption of new practices while building necessary skills.

Rationale: Changes can now be introduced and executed, backed by a well-understood team dynamic and vision, and supported by individual motivations.

7. Feedback & Continuous Improvement:

Objective: Monitor the impact of the changes and refine as necessary.

Rationale: As changes are implemented, it’s essential to keep the channels of feedback open. Here, the alignment between team goals and individual motivations will be rechecked and fine-tuned.

8. Celebrating Success & Expanding Impact:

Objective: Recognize achievements and share the team’s journey with a wider audience.

Rationale: Concluding with acknowledgment reinforces the importance of both the collective endeavor and individual contributions. Celebrations serve as reminders of the harmony between team goals and personal aspirations.

What’s in it for Teams:

A clearer path through organizational changes.
Enhanced trust, teamwork, and collaboration.
Fewer conflicts and more transparent communication channels.
Readiness for upcoming challenges.
Foster an environment where everyone thrives.
Provides individuals clarity on their roles, highlighting the unique value they bring to the organization, reducing uncertainty.

Help develop our framework? Get a free e-book!

I’m in the process of refining this framework and would greatly value your perspectives. If you have insights, feedback to offer or questions to ask, please get in touch. Let’s work together to redefine how teams adapt to change. I will soon turn this into a free e-book to share the learning.

Image Credit: Stefan Lindegaard, Unsplash

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Accountability and Empowerment in Team Dynamics

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Accountability and Empowerment in Team Dynamics

GUEST POST from Stefan Lindegaard

A winning mindset is crucial for team leaders and teams striving to achieve their goals. Empowerment and accountability are two key elements that contribute to a mindset of success in team dynamics.

When team members feel empowered to make decisions and take the initiative, they are more engaged and motivated to excel.

Coupled with accountability, which ensures team members are responsible for their actions and outcomes, these two elements form a powerful mindset that can unlock your team’s full potential.

The Value of Empowerment and Accountability:

Empowerment fosters an environment where team members are encouraged to use their unique skills and expertise to contribute to the team’s success. This sense of autonomy can boost creativity and innovation, as team members feel they have the freedom and support to explore new ideas and take calculated risks.

Accountability, on the other hand, establishes a culture where team members are held responsible for their actions and the results they produce. When team members are accountable for their work, they are more likely to take ownership of their tasks and strive for high-quality outcomes. By embracing a mindset of empowerment and accountability, teams can achieve a synergistic effect that leads to improved performance, collaboration, and overall success.

Action Suggestions for Team Leaders and Teams:

# 1 – Set Clear Expectations: Ensure that team members understand their roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations. This clarity will help them feel more confident in taking ownership of their work and being accountable for their outcomes.

# 2 – Cultivate a Growth Mindset and Psychological Safety: Encourage team members to view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning while fostering an environment where they feel safe to take risks, express opinions, and ask for help. This combination will help them embrace empowerment and accountability as essential aspects of their development.

# 3 – Encourage Open Communication and Feedback: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable discussing their successes and challenges openly. Encourage them to give and receive constructive feedback, helping each other grow and improve.

# 4 – Celebrate Success and Learn from Mistakes: Acknowledge and reward team members for their contributions and achievements. At the same time, use setbacks as learning opportunities to reinforce the importance of taking ownership and being accountable for their work.

Your team’s success is a direct reflection of the mindset you cultivate within it. As a team leader or member, you have the power to ignite the potential of your team by embracing a growth mindset, psychological safety, empowerment, and accountability.

Now is the time to challenge the status quo, defy mediocrity, and strive for excellence. Make the conscious choice to create a team culture that dares to empower, holds each other accountable, and thrives in the face of adversity. The success of your team lies in your hands.

Are you ready to unleash it?

Image Credit: Pixabay

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Why Small Teams Kick Ass

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Why Small Teams Kick Ass

GUEST POST from Mike Shipulski

When you want new thinking or rapid progress, create a small team.

When you have a small team, they manage the hand-offs on their own and help each other.

Small teams hold themselves accountable.

With small teams, one member’s problem becomes everyone’s problem in record time.

Small teams can’t work on more than one project at a time because it’s a small team.

And when a small team works on a single project, progress is rapid.

Small teams use their judgment because they have to.

The judgment of small teams is good because they use it often.

On small teams, team members are loyal to each other and set clear expectations.

Small teams coordinate and phase the work as needed.

With small teams, waiting is reduced because the team members see it immediately.

When something breaks, small teams fix it quickly because the breakage is apparent to all.

The tight connections of a small team are magic.

Small teams are fun.

Small teams are effective.

And small teams are powered by trust.

Image credit: Pixabay

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Announcing FREE Nine Innovation Roles Resources

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I have big news that I’m extremely excited to share with you today.

I’m proud to announce today that I’m setting The Nine Innovation Roles free.

What does that mean exactly?

It means that for the greater good, I am now providing all of the tools that you need to conduct a Nine Innovation Roles workshop or team meeting inside your organization to enhance the success of your innovation teams – for FREE.

Some people think I’m crazy to help people not hire me, but because of my collaborative and people-centric approach to innovation I would like to give everyone five free gifts:

The Nine Innovation Roles themselves

Downloadable Nine Innovation Roles presentation for team meetings or workshops

Downloadable Nine Innovation Roles Worksheet for gathering data on team makeup

Downloadable Nine Innovation Roles card deck design that I use with Fortune 500 clients

Nine Innovation Roles video for use in team meetings or workshops

The Nine Innovation Roles is one of the most requested workshop topics in the keynotes and masterclasses that I conduct for companies all around the world, and comes directly from my popular book Stoking Your Innovation Bonfire, that is being used by universities like Creighton and companies like Microsoft and AB Inbev to help establish a common language of innovation.

Here is an excerpt from my book that talks about The Nine Innovation Roles:

“Too often we treat people as commodities that are interchangeable and maintain the same characteristics and aptitudes. Of course, we know that people are not interchangeable, yet we continually pretend that they are anyway — to make life simpler for our reptile brain to comprehend. Deep down we know that people have different passions, skills, and potential, but even when it comes to innovation, we expect everybody to have good ideas.

I’m of the opinion that all people are creative, in their own way. That is not to say that all people are creative in the sense that every single person is good at creating lots of really great ideas, nor do they have to be. I believe instead that everyone has a dominant innovation role at which they excel, and that when properly identified and channeled, the organization stands to maximize its innovation capacity. I believe that all people excel at one of nine innovation roles, and that when organizations put the right people in the right innovation roles, that your innovation speed and capacity will increase.”

I hope you take the time to download and learn and utilize these FREE Nine Innovation Roles resources to improve the success of your innovation efforts and of the innovation teams in your organizations.

Keep innovating!

Get the Free Nine Innovation Roles Resources Now

Build a common language of innovation on your team

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The Nine Innovation Roles

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I’m seeing an increasing number of articles about innovation personalities and the like, and I’m a firm believer that it’s not personalities that matter so much when it comes to innovation, it’s the roles that we play in making innovation happen (or not). So, I would like to add my Nine Innovation Roles to the conversation.

The following is an excerpt from my book Stoking Your Innovation Bonfire:

Too often we treat people as commodities that are interchangeable and maintain the same characteristics and aptitudes. Of course, we know that people are not interchangeable, yet we continually pretend that they are anyway — to make life simpler for our reptile brain to comprehend. Deep down we know that people have different passions, skills, and potential, but even when it comes to innovation, we expect everybody to have good ideas.

Here are The Nine Innovation Roles:

1. Revolutionary

The Revolutionary is the person who is always eager to change things, to shake them up, and to share his or her opinion. These people tend to have a lot of great ideas and are not shy about sharing them. They are likely to contribute 80 to 90 percent of your ideas in open scenarios.

2. Conscript

The Conscript has a lot of great ideas but doesn’t willingly share them, either because such people don’t know anyone is looking for ideas, don’t know how to express their ideas, prefer to keep their head down and execute, or all three.

3. Connector

The Connector does just that. These people hear a Conscript say something interesting and put him together with a Revolutionary; The Connector listens to the Artist and knows exactly where to find the Troubleshooter that his idea needs.

4. Artist

The Artist doesn’t always come up with great ideas, but artists are really good at making them better.

5. Customer Champion

The Customer Champion may live on the edge of the organization. Not only does he have constant contact with the customer, but he also understands their needs, is familiar with their actions and behaviors, and is as close as you can get to interviewing a real customer about a nascent idea.

6. Troubleshooter

Every great idea has at least one or two major roadblocks to overcome before the idea is ready to be judged or before its magic can be made. This is where the Troubleshooter comes in. Troubleshooters love tough problems and often have the deep knowledge or expertise to help solve them.

7. Judge

The Judge is really good at determining what can be made profitably and what will be successful in the marketplace.

8. Magic Maker

The Magic Maker takes an idea and makes it real. These are the people who can picture how something is going to be made and line up the right resources to make it happen.

9. Evangelist

The Evangelist knows how to educate people on what the idea is and help them understand it. Evangelists are great people to help build support for an idea internally, and also to help educate customers on its value.

As you can see, creating and maintaining a healthy innovation portfolio requires that you develop the organizational capability of identifying what role each individual is best at playing in your organization. It should be obvious that a failure to involve and leverage all nine roles along the idea generation, idea evaluation, and idea commercialization path will lead to suboptimal results. To be truly successful, you must be able to bring in the right roles at the right times to make your promising ideas stronger on your way to making them successful. Most organizations focus too much energy on generating the ideas and not enough on developing their ideas or their people.

If you would prefer, here is a slide deck that I posted to slideshare.net:

The Nine Innovation Roles

View more presentations from Innovation Excellence

Action Items

Download the simple Nine Innovation Roles Worksheet from my FREE STUFF page and use it in your groups to help understand what innovation roles people tend towards and which ones are underrepresented.

Do you believe these are the roles that drive successful innovation? If not, why not.

Book a Nine Innovation Roles Group Diagnostic Workshop

This is just an excerpt. Please check out the whole book.

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Download the PDF version of the Nine Innovation Roles:

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