Tag Archives: teamwork

Top 10 Human-Centered Change & Innovation Articles of February 2023

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Top 10 Human-Centered Change & Innovation Articles of February 2023Drum roll please…

At the beginning of each month, we will profile the ten articles from the previous month that generated the most traffic to Human-Centered Change & Innovation. Did your favorite make the cut?

But enough delay, here are February’s ten most popular innovation posts:

  1. Latest Innovation Management Research Revealed — by Braden Kelley

  2. Apple Watch Must Die (At least temporarily, because it’s proven bad for innovation) — by Braden Kelley

  3. Unlock Hundreds of Ideas by Doing This One Thing (Inspired by Hollywood) — by Robyn Bolton

  4. Using Limits to Become Limitless — by Rachel Audige

  5. Kickstarting Change and Innovation in Uncertain Times — by Janet Sernack

  6. Five Challenges All Teams Face — by David Burkus

  7. A Guide to Harnessing the Power of Foresight (Unlock Your Company’s Full Potential) — by Teresa Spangler

  8. Creating Great Change, Transformation and Innovation Teams — by Stefan Lindegaard

  9. The Ultimate Guide to the Phase-Gate Process — by Dainora Jociute

  10. Delivering Innovation (How the History of Mail Order Can Help Us Manage Innovation at Scale) — by John Bessant

BONUS – Here are five more strong articles published in January that continue to resonate with people:

If you’re not familiar with Human-Centered Change & Innovation, we publish 4-7 new articles every week built around innovation and transformation insights from our roster of contributing authors and ad hoc submissions from community members. Get the articles right in your Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin feeds too!

Have something to contribute?

Human-Centered Change & Innovation is open to contributions from any and all innovation and transformation professionals out there (practitioners, professors, researchers, consultants, authors, etc.) who have valuable human-centered change and innovation insights to share with everyone for the greater good. If you’d like to contribute, please contact me.

P.S. Here are our Top 40 Innovation Bloggers lists from the last three years:

Subscribe to Human-Centered Change & Innovation WeeklySign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.

Five Keys to Team Collaboration Success

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Five Keys to Team Collaboration Success

GUEST POST from David Burkus

As the world grows increasingly more complex, so will its challenges—both globally and for any given organization. To solve bigger and more complex problems, you need a bigger and more complex team. And to do that, you will need to foster collaboration in the workplace. But the enhanced need for collaboration brings a paradox.

According to a recent study summarized in Harvard Business Review, team success requires teams to be larger, more diverse, more virtual and more specialized. But those same four characteristics make it hard for teams to get anything done. Increased diversity, in and of itself, can bring more and better ideas—but it can also bring more friction as people fight for their own ideas or more stagnation as people decide to work in their own way and not collaborate with people who work differently.

Larger teams need more collaboration, but their very size and composition makes it harder. In this article, we’ll outline 5 ways to foster collaboration on teams—no matter how large or diverse those teams are.

1. Make Priorities Clear

The first way to foster collaboration on teams is to make priorities clear. For many employees, it’s surprisingly unclear exactly what the key tasks and objectives are. Especially for those working on matrixed teams, it can become really difficult to decide how best to spend their time each day. They need clarity, and especially need clarity to know who they need to connect with in order to achieve those key objectives. When new tasks come in or when changes are required, that’s when it’s most important to help the whole team refocus by outlining how priorities have been reordered (or stay focused by explaining that they haven’t). Beyond helping individuals know their own priorities, making them clear helps teammates know what each other are focused on in order to better offer them help.

2. Hold Huddles

The second way to foster collaboration on teams is to hold huddles. Huddles refers to the regular cycle of coordination meetings on your team—or starting that regular cycle if you’re not. Huddles aren’t long, agenda-driven meetings where everyone delivers slide deck laden monologues. Instead, they’re quick but frequent meetings where teammates take turns stating what they’ve completed, where they’re focused now, and where they need help. In some cases, huddles don’t even need to be a synchronous meeting (especially if you’re team already has too many meetings). The important thing for collaboration is that everyone on the team is aware of what others are working on and kept updated on any changes that have happened since the last time they huddled. They know how their work fits into the larger team objectives, and they know where they can best assist their teammate’s work.

3. Set If-Then Plans

The third way to foster collaboration on teams is to set “if-then” plans. When planning out a project, and perhaps towards the end of each huddle, it’s worthwhile to look at any possible roadblocks and derailers and determine what changes need to happen if those roadblocks appear. In other words, if this happens then we agree to that pivot. (“If we need to cut the marketing budget, then we’ll focus less on advertisements and more on direct response.”) “If-then” plans can even help individuals plan out their work. After a huddle, they’ll know what each teammate is working on so they can determine what they can start now and what needs to wait until another teammate completes a task. (“If I get the final numbers from Sarah, then I can start working on the slide deck for the report.”) “If-then” plans keep people informed and ready to act when planned for or unplanned or events happen, and that keeps them collaborating.

4. Write Teammate Manuals

The fourth way to foster collaboration on teams is to write teammate manuals. A teammate manual or “manual of me” happens when teammates reflect on themselves, their work preferences, and their strengths and weaknesses and then report those out to the team. The simplest way is by answering four, fill-in-the-blank questions: I’m at my best when _____, I’m at my worst when _____, You can count on me to _____, I need you too. Once someone shares those answers, her teammates immediately know her strengths and weaknesses and also some of her preferred tasks. That makes it easier to collaborate with her and makes it easier to know when to ask for help—and when to offer it. And when new employees join a team, teammate manuals ensure they get connected to and collaborating with their new teammates quickly.

5. Find Free Times

The fifth way to foster collaboration on teams is to find free times. It may sound counterintuitive, but for fostering collaboration some of the best time spent is time not working at all. It could be sharing a meal, grabbing a coffee, or a longer more elaborate off-site. But when teams spend time together that’s not work-related, they have broader conversations and start to self-disclose about other areas of their life. That helps them build “uncommon commonalities” that make them feel better connected to each other in the long-term (and gives them reasons to stay in touch with each other more often). Long-term, uncommon commonalities turn into work friendships—and being friends with even just one person on the team increases connection and collaboration to the whole team.

Looking at this complete list, the first three actions seem much more tactical and the last two seem much more cordial. That may make it tempting to start with the “hard” skills practices to foster collaboration. But it turns out the softer, more empathetic activities actually increase collaboration more. Because the “soft” skills practices help teammates better understand how each other works—and that helps everyone know how to support each other to do their best work ever.

Image credit: Unsplash

Originally published at https://davidburkus.com on February 13, 2023.

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Creating Great Change, Transformation and Innovation Teams

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Creating Great Change, Transformation and Innovation Teams

GUEST POST from Stefan Lindegaard

Teams and organizations need to be agile, resilient and able to effectively navigate change and transformation to stay ahead in today’s fast-paced business environment.

Thus, the above question is one I often ponder upon and discuss in my network and circles. I would like to start a conversation here to better identify the key elements to make a team great for adapting to change, managing transformation and driving innovation.

So, this is like a discussion starter. Feel free to engage and follow-up with your ideas and perspectives in the comments!

What are the key benefits for you and your team(s)?

I am working on these three key benefits that a team should strive for as they develop through the building blocks I propose in this context.

1. Improved ability to embrace change and innovation!

Teams need to develop the skills and mindset needed to quickly and effectively respond to new situations, changes, and opportunities, leading to a more agile and adaptive teams and organization.

2. Stronger team cohesion and communication!

By focusing on psychological safety, emotional intelligence, resilience and internal communication around change and transformation, participants can get insights into creating an even more supportive work environment that encourages open communication and collaboration, leading to stronger relationships, a circle of us and a more positive work culture.

3. Continuous growth and development!

When teams and the team-members step outside their comfort zones, foster a culture of continuous learning, and develop a growth mindset this can lead to ongoing personal and professional growth for all team members.

The Building Blocks to Apply for Stronger Teams

Here, I share a range of topics that teams can work more specifically with in order to get better at adapting to changes, managing transformation and driving innovation.

Maybe you can suggest others like this or let me know what you think is really relevant here or not so at all?

1. Adaptability and Agility: The ability to be flexible and responsive in a fast-paced environment, adapting to change and embracing new opportunities.

2. Fostering Psychological Safety: Creating a supportive work environment that encourages open communication, experimentation, and learning.

3. Developing a Growth Mindset as a Team: Cultivating a curious, learning-oriented approach to challenges and opportunities, fostering a team environment that values personal and professional growth.

4. Internal Communication Around Changes and Transformation: Clear and effective communication of vision, strategy, and goals to team members and stakeholders to help them understand and navigate changes and transformations.

5. Collaboration Capabilities: Enhancing the ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders, partners, and other teams, both within and outside the organization, to achieve common goals.

6. Emotional Intelligence (EI): Recognizing, understanding, and managing emotions to effectively navigate social interactions and build positive relationships.

7. Resilience: Bouncing back from challenges, maintaining positivity, and adapting to adversity through proactive approaches.

8. Strategic Vision: Aligning goals and vision with the organization’s future, anticipating future trends and challenges, and thinking systematically about goals, resources, and challenges.

9. Expanding One’s Comfort Zone: Encouraging personal and professional growth by embracing new challenges and taking calculated risks while continuously learning and developing.

10. Continuous Learning: Fostering a culture of continuous learning, growth, and development.

11. Stakeholder Engagement: Identifying and effectively engaging with internal stakeholders to ensure their support for successful implementation.

12. Data-Driven Decision Making: Making informed decisions by identifying, analyzing, and utilizing relevant data and insights from within the organization.

13. The Circle of Us: Identifying and focusing on the people elements and interpersonal interactions that need to be address to a higher degree to build stronger teams.

14. Empowerment: Many team leaders struggle with empowerment as in giving this to their own teams. Among several reasons for this, two might stand out. 1) They are unsure what they are allowed to do for their own leaders and 2) they don’t know how to increase the level of empowerment for their team members.

15. The “being too busy” Challenge: Everyone is so busy today. This can lead to a focus on the “wrong” things which in particular can have a negative impact in the mid and long-term range. A key issue here is to understand if and how being too busy impacts you in negative ways and then how to address this.

I believe these capabilities and mindset indicators help teams and employees develop and improve in areas critical to their success and growth, allowing them to be more effective and confident in their roles. This is highly needed for change, transformation and innovation.

Please be sure and share your reactions and additions in the comments.

Image Credit: Pexels

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Five Challenges All Teams Face

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Five Challenges All Teams Face

GUEST POST from David Burkus

Teams face a lot of different challenges. Leading a team involves leading through many challenges. You’re given performance objectives. You map out a plan of execution with your team. But pretty quickly, you will run into challenges—both seen and unseen. And while most of these challenges are unique to the work being done and the team doing that work, some challenges are universal for teams.

These challenges all teams face are less about the work and more about teamwork and collaboration. That’s what makes them so common. But because they’re so common, they can be anticipated—and overcome.

In this article, we’ll outline five challenges all teams face and offer some insight on how to overcome them.

1. Finding Direction

The first challenge all teams face is finding direction. Most teams in most organizations don’t get to decide what specifically they get to work on—it comes with their collective job descriptions. However, they still get to make decisions as a team about what the priorities around all their tasks are, and sometimes even who is going to do which task. This is the initial challenge of finding direction. But keeping direction in a changing environment can be just as challenging as well. Priorities often need to change or be rearranged. New tasks are assigned. New changes in the environment happen. And that could mean slight shifts in the direction need to be made.

As a leader, one of the easiest ways to find and keep direction is through a regular “huddle” or weekly meeting. In that meeting, give the team a chance to review what they’re focused on, what they’ve completed, what potential roadblocks they face, and who needs assistance. These weekly meetings help review the large-scale direction and provide space to make any small-scale shifts in direction as well.

2. Improving Communication

The second challenge all teams face is improving communication. Communication is the lifeblood of any relationship, including the relationships on your team. The challenge of improving communication arises because everyone has slightly different communication preferences. Some people prefer to talk in person, some on the phone, some in email. Some people write short, quick emails, others write five paragraph essays. These differences in communication preferences can lead to a lot of miscommunications as well. Many conflicts on a team happen because one person assumed their preferences were shared by everyone else, and they were not.

As a leader, taking the time to have conversations about communication preferences can go a long way toward improving communication. Outline the communication tools the team has available and discuss when the team would prefer to use each one, for what type of communication, and any best practices the team can think of for that tool. Ideally, this leads to a set of group norms around communication and communication tools. Those norms can be revised from time to time but should be done so collectively. Otherwise, everyone goes back to their typical preferences.

3. Building Trust

The third challenge all teams face is building trust. Trust is a core component of teamwork. We need to trust the competency of our teammates—that they’re going to do what they say they’re going to do. But we also need to trust the character of those teammates—we need to know we can admit failures or request help without being demeaned or ostracized. Teams need a climate of trust so that they can safely disagree with each other and engage in task-focused conflict that ensures the best ideas rise to the top.

Research suggests that trust builds through a reciprocal process. So as a leader, the way to build trust on a team is to step out and signal you trust them. The most powerful way to do this is to be vulnerable. Leaders need to share certain vulnerabilities they have. They need to be willing to admit they don’t have all the answers all of the time, and that they need help from the team as well. Lead with vulnerability and teammates will follow, which over time will lead the team into greater levels of trust.

4. Keeping Diversity

The fourth challenge all teams face is keeping diversity. To be fair, many teams still struggle with finding enough diversity, but most leaders and team recognize that diversity on a team is a worthy goal. That creates a new challenge, keeping diversity. Ideally, diverse teams are formed because people with diverse backgrounds bring a diverse set of experience and perspectives to the team. However, as the team works together over time, they start to share the same experiences and perspectives. Eventually, if a team works together long enough, their ideas and opinions will start to become really similar. They may still look like a diverse team, but they act like a monoculture.

As a leader, this means rotating the roster of your team more often than it might seem necessary. It means being comfortable with the idea that people leaving the team can be a net positive as new members, and new perspectives join. It could also mean looking for small scale additions to diversity such as inviting members of different teams into group discussions or encouraging the team to seek out new cross-functional colleagues or new sources of ideas and inspiration.

5. Maintaining Motivation

The fifth challenge all teams is maintaining motivation. Staying motivated as a team, especially when the work gets difficult is a huge challenge for any team. Motivation and engagement happen when the work people are asked to do challenges them just enough to engage their full skillset—but not so much that it seems impossible. It also requires those challenges to be connected to a broader mission or purpose. People want to do work that matters—and teams want to know why their team matters.

As a leader, this requires looking at motivation both individually and teamwide. Individually, pay attention to the task-load of each member of the team. Ensure that they’re being challenged, but not overwhelmed. This may require moving some assignments around to different people on the team. Teamwide, make sure the team understands how its mission and objectives fit into the larger purpose of the organization. Be ready to draw a clear and connecting line between the work the team is asked to do, and the way that work serves a bigger purpose. Perhaps the best way to convey this purpose is by answering the question “Who is served by the work that we do?” and then building in reminders around that “who.”

These five challenges are ones every team faces eventually. But they aren’t the only challenges teams face. However, teams that proactively work to overcome these challenges work together better—and are better able to overcome those new, specific challenges. All teams face these challenges, but the answers to these challenges are how any team can start to do its best work ever.

Image credit: Pexels

Originally published at https://davidburkus.com on January 23, 2023.

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Top 10 Human-Centered Change & Innovation Articles of January 2023

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Top 10 Human-Centered Change & Innovation Articles of January 2023Drum roll please…

At the beginning of each month, we will profile the ten articles from the previous month that generated the most traffic to Human-Centered Change & Innovation. Did your favorite make the cut?

But enough delay, here are January’s ten most popular innovation posts:

  1. Top 40 Innovation Bloggers of 2022 — Curated by Braden Kelley

  2. Back to Basics: The Innovation Alphabet — by Robyn Bolton

  3. 99.7% of Innovation Processes Miss These 3 Essential Steps — by Robyn Bolton

  4. Top 100 Innovation and Transformation Articles of 2022 — Curated by Braden Kelley

  5. Ten Ways to Make Time for Innovation — by Nick Jain

  6. Agility is the 2023 Success Factor — by Soren Kaplan

  7. Five Questions All Leaders Should Always Be Asking — by David Burkus

  8. 23 Ways in 2023 to Create Amazing Experiences — by Shep Hyken

  9. Startups Must Be Where Their Customers Are — by Steve Blank

  10. Will CHATgpt make us more or less innovative? — by Pete Foley

BONUS – Here are five more strong articles published in December that continue to resonate with people:

If you’re not familiar with Human-Centered Change & Innovation, we publish 4-7 new articles every week built around innovation and transformation insights from our roster of contributing authors and ad hoc submissions from community members. Get the articles right in your Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin feeds too!

Have something to contribute?

Human-Centered Change & Innovation is open to contributions from any and all innovation and transformation professionals out there (practitioners, professors, researchers, consultants, authors, etc.) who have valuable human-centered change and innovation insights to share with everyone for the greater good. If you’d like to contribute, please contact me.

P.S. Here are our Top 40 Innovation Bloggers lists from the last three years:

Subscribe to Human-Centered Change & Innovation WeeklySign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.

Building the Right Team for Your Digital Transformation Journey

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Building the Right Team for Your Digital Transformation Journey

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Digital transformation has become one of the most critical processes for businesses aiming to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced and interconnected world. However, embarking on this transformative journey is not just about implementing cutting-edge technologies; it also demands assembling the right team of individuals who can effectively navigate this shifting landscape. In this article, we will explore two case studies that highlight the importance of building the right team for a successful digital transformation.

Case Study 1: XYZ Corporation

XYZ Corporation, a mid-sized manufacturing company, recognized the need to adapt to emerging technologies and streamline their processes to enhance efficiency and customer experience. They understood that embracing a digital transformation journey required both technological investments and a competent team to drive the change.

To assemble the right team, XYZ Corporation initiated a rigorous process of identifying the skill sets and expertise required for their transformation goals. They formed a dedicated transformation team, consisting of internal employees with a deep understanding of the company’s operations, as well as external experts in digital technologies and change management. This blended team brought a mix of experience and fresh perspectives, allowing for a holistic approach to digital transformation.

The team’s first task was to conduct an in-depth analysis of the existing processes and systems within the organization. By collaborating with various departments and stakeholders, they identified pain points, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement. Using this invaluable information, the team developed a comprehensive roadmap that outlined the steps necessary for successful digital adoption.

Additionally, as part of their team-building strategy, XYZ Corporation invested in upskilling and training programs for their employees. This not only ensured that the workforce remained relevant and adaptable in the digital era but also fostered a culture of continuous learning and growth. By involving their employees in the transformation process and providing them with the necessary tools, XYZ Corporation created a sense of ownership and commitment among its team members.

The result of XYZ Corporation’s holistic team approach was a successful digital transformation. They experienced significant improvements in operational efficiency, enhanced customer satisfaction, and increased market share. Building the right team enabled them to leverage technology effectively, adapt to market demands, and emerge as a digital leader in their industry.

Case Study 2: ABC Bank

Digital transformation is not limited to the manufacturing sector; even traditional industries, such as banking, are undergoing rapid changes. ABC Bank, a well-established financial institution, recognized the need to modernize their operations, adopt digital banking solutions, and deliver a seamless customer experience.

To build the right team, ABC Bank acknowledged the importance of a diverse skill set that encompassed both banking expertise and digital technology knowledge. They formed core teams that consisted of professionals from diverse backgrounds, including banking, technology, design, and customer experience. By combining their cumulative strengths, ABC Bank was able to effectively align their organizational goals with their digital transformation strategy.

One of the major challenges faced by ABC Bank was cultural resistance to change. To address this, the team focused on change management and communication strategies. They fostered a culture of collaboration and transparency, ensuring that employees at all levels felt involved and informed throughout the transformation process. By addressing concerns and emphasizing the benefits of digitalization, they successfully minimized resistance and gained widespread acceptance.

ABC Bank also recognized the significance of partnerships with fintech companies to enhance their digital capabilities. Collaborating with external organizations that possessed expertise in cutting-edge technologies enabled them to accelerate their digital transformation journey. This partnership approach allowed ABC Bank to overcome resource constraints and stay at the forefront of technological innovation.

The outcome of ABC Bank’s team-building efforts was a successful digital transformation that elevated their customer experience and positioned them as a progressive financial institution. By assembling the right team, ABC Bank effectively bridged the gap between traditional banking practices and digital advancements, becoming a customer-centric organization focused on delivering convenient and personalized services.

Conclusion

These case studies highlight the significance of building the right team for a successful digital transformation journey. Assembling a team with a diverse skill set, fostering a culture of collaboration and learning, and leveraging external partnerships can drive effective change within organizations. It is crucial to understand that digital transformation is not solely a technological process, but one that relies on the capabilities, adaptability, and expertise of the team members involved. By investing in the right talent and creating an environment conducive to change, businesses can navigate the complexities of digital transformation and emerge as leaders in their respective industries.

Bottom line: Understanding trends is not quite the same thing as understanding the future, but trends are a component of futurology. Trend hunters use a formal approach to achieve their outcomes, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to be their own futurist and trend hunter.

Image credit: Unsplash

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