Here's how you can cultivate innovation and creativity in your team for future success.

Product managers (especially the good ones) tend to rely on their well established gut feeling, adopting a more humble approach where end users and subject matter experts are part of the discussion is an important tool in the right hands

I believing stimulating people to have diverse thoughts and possible outcomes to solutions - in addition to having diversity in thoughts through diverse teams is one of the best ways to foster innovativeness and creativity. Creating an environment where the teams feels supported and protected to share ideas from different perspectives is a stepping stone to getting diverse ideas. Another important aspect is understanding individual motivations and driving teams towards their goals also helps create that diverse thought environment suitable for a diverse team

It is great to have a GRADUATE on rotation in the team to bring some new ideas. It is also helpful to explain your thinking as that can lead to more ideas. I also like to ROTATE work so teams members get a chance to learn about different products and bring new ideas.

From my experience diversity is crucial in teams for fostering innovation and creativity because it brings with it a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and ideas. When team members come from different backgrounds and have varied expertise, they can approach problems from unique angles and contribute novel solutions. This variety enhances problem-solving capabilities and drives more comprehensive and innovative outcomes. Diverse teams are more likely to challenge the status quo, leading to creative breakthroughs and avoiding groupthink. Additionally, an inclusive environment that values diversity can boost morale and engagement, encouraging team members to share their ideas freely and collaborate more effectively.

Encourage Brainstorming: Create a safe space for wild ideas. Example: Hold "crazy idea" sessions where no suggestion is too outlandish. Unicorns are most welcome! Celebrate Mistakes: Embrace failures as learning opportunities. Example: Have a “failure of the month” award to laugh and learn from slip-ups. Diversify Inspiration: Mix different perspectives. For example, Host cross-departmental lunches to spark fresh ideas. Reward Creativity: Recognize innovative thinking. Example: Give quirky awards like "Most Likely to Invent the Next Big Thing."

One can encourage non-formal ways like holding "Idea Jams" where team members brainstorm and pitch wild ideas. Outdoor activities like Walk and Talk sessions to discuss ideas in a not so formal setting, breaking away from the usual office setting. Encourage "Creative Times," where team members dedicate time to work on passion projects or learn something new, boosting their overall creativity and innovation mindset.

I like to use DATA to learn more about a product. Asking a question and trying to find the answer. What are you CURIOUS about? Is it the overlap of products, the length of time a product, the age of the customers using it? Also ask other people what they would like to know and see if you have the data to ANSWER the question. Sometimes it is fun to GUESS what you think the answer might be first and see if you are surprised and then think about why.

Encourage team members to ask questions and explore new ideas. Create an environment where curiosity is valued, and there are no "bad" questions. This can be done through: Regular brainstorming sessions, Open forums or suggestion boxes, Encouraging continuous learning and professional development.

In today’s fast-paced world, fostering curiosity within your team is essential. Curiosity drives innovation and creativity, ensuring your team adapts and grows. Here’s how you can do it: 1) Encourage Questions: Create an environment where questions are welcomed & explored. 2) Provide Diverse Learning Opportunities: Offer training, workshops, & courses that spark fresh ideas. 3) Celebrate Failure: View failure as a learning opportunity, fostering a safe space for experimentation. 4) Promote Cross-Functional Collaboration: Facilitate teamwork across departments for innovative ideas. 5) Lead by Example: Show your own curiosity & excitement about new ideas. Embed curiosity into your team’s culture to plant seeds for future success. ????

As a product manager you should be curios. I think product management is a job where you always ask yourself questions and try to find good or the best answers :) * What is going on in the market? * What do my competitors? * What do they better than me? * What do our customers think about our product or service? * Is there anything we should do better? * Do we have a USP? * What will happen in the future? * What are these selling numbers telling me? * Are their any opportunities I couldn't catch yet? * What should I do now, the next 3 month, year, 5 years? These and many other questions should always be in the mind of a product manager. And he/she should use data and intuition to find the best answers.

The article still leaves the question open on how to cultivate a safe environment. Some techniques explored by tech companies include Creative Fridays and hackathons. These initiatives encourage employees to invest time in projects of their choice, potentially beyond their regular duties, to benefit the company. Creative Fridays are intended as smaller, tactical sessions, whereas hackathons are strategic events aimed at addressing significant challenges and fostering breakthrough opportunities. For instance, Atlassian introduced "ShipIt Days," allowing employees 24 hours to innovate on company products, leading to numerous enhancements across their software tools.

A quick WITHDRAWAL is not a failure, not trying and not learning are the mistakes to be wary of. It is always good to try new things. Sometimes they might be TOO COMPLICATED, sometimes they might be TOO EARLY. Before you start think about what would be SUCCESS and when you should WITHDRAW so you don't have to make the decision at the time. And do CELEBRATE the successes twice as much to make up for the failures. As it is disheartening to fail however we might rationalise it so we need to enjoy the WINS.

A product manager should understand that it is OK to fail. Because every failure is also a new lesson. It is important to take time to reflect on a failure. Some call these sessions "Lessons Learned" sessions. In these sessions you can ask yourself what went wrong and why. Didn't we analyze the data enough? Did we have a wrong marketing or business plan? Was our execution not good enough? Was our sales force motivated enough to execute the strategy? Where did we fail, what could we do better next time? Reflection is very important at this time, so every product manager should take this time.

Cultivating a collaborative spirit isn't achieved by simply assigning teams to work together on a problem or implementing new collaborative tools. It evolves through deliberate team development strategies like creating a safe environment, recognizing individual contributions, and publicly acknowledging achievements. The strongest collaboration emerges when these efforts become ingrained in company culture. This cultural foundation empowers individuals to collaborate openly and creatively, knowing they have the full support of the organization. Here's how we can foster innovation and creativity within our team for sustained success.

"Team work makes dreams work"...one of the mottos I love most. I really believe in team work. I think if you have a great team 1+1 can be 5 :) Because if every team member use his own strengths for a team goal there will be a very good synergy and a very good synergy will lead to great results most times. Every quarter maybe you could plan a "Brainstorming" session, you can build a mentoring and coaching/reverse coaching system in your team where people can help and learn from each other. You can throw idea parties if you want where someone talks about an obstacle and the others tell about some possible solution options. You can plan a design thinking session where the works together on a common problem. Use creative thinking techniques.

In my experience, the creation of a community of BAs or QAs, etc., under the lead of a manager who is an expert in the specialty, enables team members to keep up to date with trends and align themselves with best practices.

Promote a culture of continuous learning and curiosity. Encourage team members to stay updated with industry trends, attend conferences, and participate in relevant communities.

In a VUCA world everything is changing rapidly and so should we. Life long learning isn't nice to have, it is a must have skill these days. Also self motivated learning and learning from different sources (face to face, e-learning, gamification etc) is very important for every product manager to keep on track. Willingness to learn new things is also very important. When someone in the teams learns something new he/she can talk about these new learnings during a team meeting. Give people to talk about different things they learned. And of course if you are a marketing manager for example or the director of the group you have to learn new things also and lead by example.

Innovation is the lifeblood of any successful product. In order for creativity to flourish, it is important to empower autonomy through intrinsic motivation. Micromanagement stifles creativity. By trusting your team with ownership and clear goals, you tap into their intrinsic desire. Intrinsic motivation goes beyond external rewards. When team members find their work inherently fulfilling, they're more likely to go the extra mile. Autonomy allows them to explore solutions, experiment with ideas, and take pride in their contributions. This freedom also fosters a psychologically safe space where innovative thinking thrives. Such empowered individuals become a driving force for innovation and creativity, leading product to future success.

As responded to another article, it is important to establish an innovation framework to systematically evaluate and nurture ideas. Think of feedback as the 'wind beneath your wings'; it helps ideas take flight. Encourage collaboration and cross-functional teamwork to blend diverse perspectives. Celebrate successes and learn from failures, ensuring every experience contributes to growth. Recognize and reward innovative efforts to motivate your team. Embedding these practices into your culture paves the way for sustained innovation and creativity, leading to greater success.