Some innovators work best alone. Give them solitude and they'll thrive. But how do you build an innovation team?
In most cases, innovation and collaboration go hand in hand. Individuals work together to bat around ideas, polish them and stage experiments.
The challenge for leaders is assembling a top-flight innovation team. Ideally, each member brings certain qualities — both technical prowess as well as soft skills such as knowing how to listen and learn from others.
"Leaders know what they need functionally from their team," said Lorraine Marchand, author of "The Innovation Mindset." "But what's more important than technical skills is how well they work together" in terms of adaptability and a willingness to share the spotlight.
To build an innovation team, pick people who share a common goal and keep their egos in check. How do you find the right mix of personalities to produce breakthrough innovation?
Seek Crossover Thinkers For Your Innovation Team
To innovate, it helps to assemble a innovation team in which each person has specific, complementary expertise. But they also need to show interest in others' expertise.
"You want team members who are curious about other people's jobs and how they work," said Marchand, a Philadelphia-based innovation consultant.
When she picks individuals to join teams, she asks them to identify a problem they sought to solve. Top candidates "don't just stay in their lane" but tackle problems by understanding others' perspectives and welcoming their ideas and opinions.
Assess Body Language
The best innovators are open books. They're expressive and lively contributors to group brainstorming sessions.
During meetings, they listen with rapt attention and make friendly eye contact with colleagues. They don't seem distracted or look down at their phones while others are speaking.
"It's people enjoying the experience of interacting with others, having fun and laughing," Marchand said. "It's an explosion of noise."
Innovation Team: Recruit Credit Sharers
Innovations often flow from seamless collaboration. Teammates take ideas and run with them, resulting in better prototypes thanks to group input.
"That's more likely if each person speaks in terms of 'we' and not 'I'," Marchand said. "When asked about their role on the team, they talk about who else is involved" in increasing the team's innovative output rather than hype their own contribution.
Look For Sharp Questioners
The most successful innovation teams see possibilities instead of fighting off participants' attempts to prove they're smarter than everyone else in the room. When choosing your team, look for people who pose questions such as, "Would it make sense to try ... ?" or "Is it worth exploring ... ?"
Run A Motivation Check For The Innovation Team
Ideally, everyone on your innovation team yearns to accomplish an important, overriding goal. Their primary motivation transcends personal gain or petty one-upmanship.
"It's the idea of an elevated purpose," said Peter Ziebelman, co-author with Mike Maples Jr. of "Pattern Breakers." "They should all believe in the same insight and purpose, like helping address climate change, and not have ulterior motives."
Accept Disorder
If you're the kind of leader who prefers highly structured, regimented behavior, you may want to lighten up when managing your innovation team. Innovation thrives on free-flowing, disorderly interaction.
"There will be some chaos on your team," said Ziebelman, a lecturer in management at Stanford Graduate School of Business. "They need to thrive in chaos and not treat it like a bug" that needs fixing.
Break The Mold With The Innovation Team
Leaders often seek to surround themselves with people in their image. They're hesitant to recruit individuals who don't fit the mold.
"But misfits can be your best team members," Ziebelman said. "Different temperaments and personalities" can strengthen the group's character and produce bolder and more valuable breakthroughs.
