•For innovation to be successful, the existing teams and the innovation team must figure out how to work together
•As the innovation team works to birth the new, existing teams should keep working like they know to do
Generally, businesses seeking innovation subscribe to the thinking that it needs a separate innovation team, tasked with the job of making innovation happen.
This thinking can cause conflict between teams because the innovation team may think the existing teams that manage the day-to-day operations of the business are stuck in their old ways, while the existing teams could think that the innovation team is naïve with ideas that are not practical.
This tension affects the innovation process. This is the tension between the status quo and the new.
However, for innovation to be successful, the existing teams and the innovation team must figure out how to work together; no team can pull it off in isolation.
The existing teams need new ideas and strategies for the business to keep growing and the innovation team needs good technical support from the existing teams.
This relationship can work, but skill is required to manage it. Here are three tips to help you. Respect the Status Quo: In your attempt to implement innovation, don’t forget that day-to-day business operations must continue. Sometimes, excessive disruption of the status quo backfires.
So, as the innovation team works to birth the new, existing teams should keep working like they know to do.
The two teams can work in parallel. Currently, the status quo is solid ground. Stand on it as you work on the new.
Don’t abruptly end the old before the new emerges. Assign Appropriate Tasks: To manage the tension between teams, don’t assign innovation tasks to existing teams or day-to-day tasks to the innovation team.
It is important for the teams to maintain their paths. The mindset required to run day-to-day business operations is different from that needed for innovation. You don’t have to destabilize the organization to birth the new.
Existing teams lose their steam when suddenly thrown int the innovation waters and innovation teams normally struggle with day-to-day business operations.
Identify Points of Support: Despite the possible tension, the innovation team and existing teams have meeting points – these are points of support.
In the process of birthing innovation, the innovation team would need the help of existing teams in some areas while existing teams would need the help of the innovation team at some points as well.
These cross-support functions prove that innovation is everyone’s job. In the innovation process, every team has a role and every role is vital.
If the existing and innovation teams don’t perform their supporting roles, innovation is unlikely.
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