What do you do if your project team lacks an innovative culture?

La primera pregunta que me haría es: cómo estoy favoreciendo que la gente se atreva a innovar? La gente (los humanos en general) tenemos miedo al cambio. Así está programado nuestro cerebro. Y aun más, estamos programados para mantenernos en la zona de confort (eso es lo que hace que el cerebro no use tanta energía). Partiendo de esto, revisaría a que le tiene miedo la gente cuando se les pide "innovar" y no lo hacen? Es un tema de cultura? (Muchas empresas piden innovación pero penalizan a quienes se atreven a retar) O es un tema de procesos / cargas que no facilitan que un empleado se atreva a salir de su zona de confort?. Muchas empresas quieren que sus equipos piensen a futuro, y al mismo tiempo tengan perfecto el presente.

Definitivamente es un punto de inicio no negociable. Evaluar la cultura de la empresa, habla de los comportamientos y conversaciones que se tienen.

Sometimes managing projects means jumping from one team to another or building a team from scratch - and time is never in your favor. So before "lecturing" team members on the benefits of innovation, you should instead start by: - observing team dynamics; - encouraging open communication & experimentation; - demonstrating innovative thinking yourself.

Promova a conscientiza??o sobre a importancia da inova??o: Compartilhe com a equipe exemplos de como a inova??o pode trazer benefícios para o projeto, a empresa e os colaboradores. Mostre como a inova??o pode impulsionar o sucesso e a competitividade. Estabele?a um ambiente propício à inova??o: Crie um ambiente de trabalho que estimule a criatividade e a experimenta??o. Encoraje os membros da equipe a compartilharem ideias, assumirem riscos e pensarem fora da caixa. Incentive a colabora??o e a diversidade de pensamento: Promova a colabora??o entre os membros da equipe, incentivando a troca de ideias e perspectivas diferentes. Valorize a diversidade de pensamento e experiências para impulsionar a inova??o.

La falta de una cultura de innovación en una empresa puede tener consecuencias muy significativas. ?? La empresa puede volverse menos competitiva al no adaptarse a los cambios del mercado ni aprovechar nuevas oportunidades. ?? Esto puede llevar a una disminución en la satisfacción del cliente y en la lealtad, ya que los productos y servicios se estancan. ?? Además, los empleados pueden sentirse desmotivados y poco valorados, lo que puede aumentar la rotación del personal y reducir la productividad. ???? Finalmente, la falta de innovación puede limitar el crecimiento y la rentabilidad a largo plazo. ????

En mi experiencia con equipos, es el punto de partida de la alineación y el camino al éxito. Ya que es lo que los mantiene unidos.

I identified a lack of innovation in my team. To address this, I set a clear vision for innovation, defining it as openness to change and continuous improvement. I communicated this vision, aligning it with our project goals, and encouraged everyone to share their ideas. Over time, the team’s mindset shifted, becoming more open to new ideas and risk-taking. This experience highlighted the importance of a clear vision in fostering an innovative culture. In summary, clear communication of an innovation vision, promoting open dialogue, and aligning it with project goals can nurture an innovative team culture

As a leader, taking risks and being willing to fail publicly can greatly encourage innovation within your team. When you show that failure is part of the process, it reduces fear of making mistakes and fosters a safe space for creative thinking. Speaking last in brainstorming sessions allows your team to share their ideas without being influenced by your authority. Your suggestions carry significant weight, and by holding back initially, you enable your team to feel more confident and willing to contribute. This not only brings a wider range of ideas to the table but also builds a culture of trust and collaboration. Embracing risk and allowing others to lead the conversation drives innovation and sets the stage for greater success.

Here are a few bullets I think may help: 1 - Nurture courage to explore the unknown AND provide a psychologically safe environment. 2 - Provide pointers to how to calculate risk and risk mitigation. Then encourage the team to take risks in light of these learnings. 3 - Put a process in place for the team to share how they took a risk, what worked and what didn't with other teams. This will encourage everyone to learn from the risks taken in the organization while giving an opportunity to teams to display their vulnerabilities, which will create a stronger organization in the long term.

Did you know that a whopping 84% of executives believe a culture of risk-taking is critical to business success [Source: PWC Global Innovation Survey 2023]? That's right, playing it safe can leave you playing catch-up. Encourage your team to brainstorm bold ideas, even if they seem a little "out there" at first. Remember, some of the biggest tech breakthroughs started as crazy concepts (think: the first personal computer or the internet itself!).

Psychological safety in foundational for encouraging risks, it takes simple things like openness, trust and listening and to reassess frequently

To foster innovation in a team hesitant to take risks, we initiated “Innovation Fridays”. Team members dedicated this day to work on innovative projects of their choice. Despite initial resistance, celebrating small victories and learning from failures led to the team embracing this culture of experimentation. This resulted in remarkable innovations and a resilient team unafraid of taking risks. In essence, promoting an innovative culture involves creating a safe environment for calculated risks and viewing failures as learning opportunities. This approach helps overcome fear of failure and encourages creative problem-solving.

Aun en pleno siglo XXI nos encontramos a muchas empresas que tienen la barrera de proporcionar herramientas, esto incrementa los desafíos de las personas para lograr las funciones clave de su puesto.

Imagine trying to code on a typewriter. Not exactly a recipe for groundbreaking software, is it? Equip your team with the latest collaboration tools, project management platforms, and design thinking resources. These resources can streamline communication, spark inspiration, and help them translate ideas into reality.

In a project I was involved in, we faced a similar challenge. The team was competent but lacked an innovative culture. We decided to provide them with the necessary tools and resources. We introduced training sessions on emerging technologies and allocated time for brainstorming. We also implemented a collaboration platform for idea sharing. This not only enabled innovation but also signaled our commitment to their creative efforts. The result was a significant boost in the team’s innovative capabilities, leading to the successful completion of the project. Remember, fostering an innovative culture requires patience, the right tools, and a supportive environment.

Equipping your team with the right tools and resources, along with the time and space to explore new ideas, is a crucial enabler of innovation. This tangible investment demonstrates your commitment and empowers the team to turn their creative visions into reality.

Como Dise?adora, creo firmemente en que la creatividad, es una de las habilidades que mas se busca en el mercado corporativo, pero también es la que más se critica, por eso es importante premiar a los creadores del futuro.

Let's face it, recognition is a powerful motivator. Don't wait for a Nobel Prize to acknowledge your team's innovative spirit. Publicly recognize and reward creative thinking, even if the ideas are still in the early stages. This will send a clear message that out-of-the-box thinking is valued, not just the status quo.

In a team lacking innovation, we introduced a reward system for creativity. Innovative ideas were recognized in meetings, providing a platform for the creators and inspiring others. We offered professional growth opportunities like leading projects or attending conferences. This approach significantly increased innovative ideas and shifted our team culture. Consistent recognition and rewarding of creativity reinforced its value and encouraged out-of-the-box thinking, underlining the importance of fostering an innovative culture within a team.

Innovation is rarely a one-shot deal. Encourage your team to embrace a culture of iteration – testing, refining, and improving upon ideas. Rapid prototyping tools and user feedback sessions can be invaluable in this process. Remember, the most successful innovations often go through multiple revisions before hitting the big time.

Innovation thrives in the right environment, much like a seed in fertile soil. To foster this culture, start by helping your team understand the profound impact of their work on customers' lives, even if indirect. Connect the dots clearly. Then, ask the team how they can enhance this impact. Focus on transformation opportunities in three areas: process, mindset, and technology. Identify these opportunities and collaborate with the team to capitalize on them. Encourage idea generation, prioritize high-value suggestions, and support the team by removing obstacles. Watch the magic happen as innovation flourishes.

Innovation is an ongoing journey, not a destination. It thrives on open communication, exploration of emerging trends, and the transformation of insights into action. It is cultivated through a culture that embraces experimentation, rewards creative thinking and encourages calculated risk-taking. It is a continuous evolution, demanding unwavering commitment and the audacity to challenge the norm. True innovators are those who dare to step outside their comfort zones, who view setbacks as opportunities for growth, and who relentlessly pursue progress, fueled by an unyielding passion for a better tomorrow.

I had the opportunity to setup and run an intrapreneurial innovation incubator - an incubator inside an enterprise and of the many things that we implemented establishing an ecosystem with diverse entities like academia, industry, experts etc worked like a charm in stimulating a culture that was steeped in innovation

So what? What is an innovative culture? How do I know when I see it? And what do I expect to happen if I have one? If I'm an engineer subject to being part of some unsatisfactory expectations of culture, what do I do? And how do we know I've done it? And what do customers care anyway? Culture is an output, not an input. Customers tell you how innovative you need to be by spending their money with you or elsewhere. All you have to do is find out what they want and decide if you want to do it. When companies are very profitable and share the rewards, staff are happier. Is that what you mean by culture?