Three Steps to Train Cross-Functional Teams to Generate Innovative Product Ideas
Do departments in your company successfully work together to continue to innovate and develop new products? Many companies set up temporary cross-departmental teams to promote cooperation during projects. There are a few secrets that can improve project success. Here we’ll introduce three key points to make innovation success team training work for you.
Develop Team Building Before Moving Forward
Before going further, bear in mind that team members working on these projects might not know each other. You’ll need to do team building before you work on team dynamics.
Although everyone wants to see fast results, it’s important to understand that it can take about half a year to document and present the project to others. This is because you’ll need to provide information such as the project’s objective, and you’ll need to brainstorm ideas and plan projects.
1. Finessing Team Selection and Motivating Team Members
Ask For What You Need
It’s common practice to inform department managers about projects, and you’ll need to ask managers for specific personnel. But, you must finesse your request. Avoid simply asking for any available worker. Instead, put your request in writing, and include guidelines for the skills and experience you want the project participants to have.
Find Ways to Motivate Your Team
After you’ve selected your team members, find ways to motivate them and enable them to build camaraderie. For example, organize parties at luxurious restaurants at the kick-off meeting stage or at key points in the project. This will enable the team members to engage in dialog with each other and exchange opinions with their managers.
2. Set up multiple teams to create a spirit of competition.
Show How To Generate Ideas
Use innovation success team training to teach techniques for generating new ideas -- a skill that’s necessary when developing new products. Also, use these trainings to give opportunities for the team members to learn about innovation. These are key initiatives for each team; although, of course, these opportunities alone will not provide them with enough time.
Keep Information Flowing Among Teams
You will then need to let each independent management group lead their own project. It’s also important to arrange interim progress meetings, so all teams can inform each other of their progress. Each team will then be able to learn from the efforts made by the other teams.
Allow Flexibility and Fun
Allow each team the flexibility to choose an appropriate format to present their work to the other teams. Don’t forget that it also pays to make this exercise enjoyable for each team.
3. Share Initiatives with Organization And Gain Organizational Support
Keep Operations Managers Informed
Provide timely interim reports about the project to the organization’s managers. Be sure to include all managers, even if they aren’t particularly related to the project. If they are stakeholders of the ideas being implemented, there is absolutely no harm in keeping them involved. Also complete progress reports for each team member, and share these reports with the member’s manager. Don’t rely on the team members to make their own reports.
Share Progress With the Organization
Don’t wait until it is time to implement your team’s product development ideas to share them with your organization. It might be too late if you’re hurriedly trying to seek the approval of the necessary people. Also, knowing that the organization fully supports them, your team will be less stressed and their work will be easier.
As a department running a cross-departmental project, you probably want to see fast results. But, team training for innovation success takes time. Make sure you follow processes like the ones outlined above. Good processes are likely to generate good results.
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