Here's how you can foster a collaborative mindset among R&D professionals in the workplace.

Diversity is key to creativity. Creativity is key to effective R&D and Innovation approach. The more you include a variety of backgrounds and perspective, the more you will benefit. R&D managers tend to hire very skilled technical professionals, usually from STEM backgrounds. But one should consider adding designers or anthropologists to add a more humanistic view in every project. This will ensure that your solution is not only covering the technical aspects but also the need of the customers.

Foster Inclusive Teams: Encourage the formation of diverse teams that include members with different educational backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. For example, in an R&D project focused on developing a new medical device, combining the insights of engineers, biologists, and software developers can lead to more innovative and comprehensive solutions. Promote Diverse Thinking: Create opportunities for team members to share their unique viewpoints during brainstorming sessions. For instance, holding regular meetings where each team member shares their exclusive ideas and presents a unique perspective on a current challenge can lead to unexpected and breakthrough innovations.

Accept imperfections - face challenges with courage - pay attention to your thoughts and words. Focus on the work process. Accepting the flaws makes you have a more critical spirit and solve the challenges ahead with the comments you receive as well as your own thoughts. Be patient and resistant to failures and take responsibility for your words and actions. Focusing during the work process makes you find your strengths and weaknesses in work and you can identify your genius. For example, if you are strong and resourceful in executive tasks, spend more time on technical tasks to increase your mental efficiency and performance in those areas as well.

Encourage wild ideas. That is one of the key concepts of design thinking. This start with a very open environment where everyone's voice is heard. When you leverage on having everyone speaking up their minds, I will be able to profit from a broader set of ideas that can construct a more creative and collaborative environment, improving the quality of the work done. Brainstorming sessions, periodic meeting, idea sandboxes and other idea generation frameworks can be beneficial to the group.

Establish Regular Meetings: Schedule regular team meetings where all members are encouraged to share updates, ideas, and feedback. For example, a weekly video conference where team members discuss their progress on a new pharmaceutical compound ensures everyone is informed and aligned. Create a Safe Space for Feedback: Foster an environment where feedback is openly welcomed and constructively given. For instance, setting up an anonymous feedback system can help team members voice their concerns or suggestions without fear of criticism, leading to improved project outcomes.

Sharing goals can be considered as one of the steps of open communication. Given that everyone is aware of the main goal, the team will be able to row in the same direction. You have to establish more than one way to communicate these goals: Visual Communication, Verbal Reinforcement, Periodic Review are part of the communication strategy. Use as much tools as you can to communicate the goals - Different people understand messages differently, so it is important to use different channels while communicating the goals.

Align on Objectives: Clearly communicate the project goals to ensure all team members understand and are committed to them. For example, in a collaborative effort to develop a renewable energy solution, ensuring everyone knows the target milestones and the desired impact can unify the team's efforts. Track Progress Together: Use shared digital tools to monitor project milestones and celebrate achievements collectively. For example, utilizing project management software where all team members can update and look into progress keeps everyone informed and motivated towards the common goal.

Empower Individual Initiatives: Allow team members the freedom to pursue their ideas within the project's scope. For example, giving a researcher the autonomy to test a new hypothesis on a disease treatment can lead to significant breakthroughs that benefit the entire project. Recognize Individual Contributions: Acknowledge and reward personal achievements and innovations. For example, highlighting a team member's successful experiment in a group meeting not only boosts morale but also encourages others to take ownership and innovate.