crafting innovative teams

Building TeamsMelissa Green, Steve Green

CEO, Chief Digital OfficerWirestream, LLC

Level: Beginner

Kick-Off & IntroductionsUnderstanding who we all are, our goals,

and what an innovative team is. #enablingideas

Melissa Green CEO & President, Wirestream, LLC

Steve GreenChief Digital Officer, Wirestream, LLC

Agenda for the Day | 8-Hour Workshop

• 8:00-8:55am: Kick Off & Introductions• 9:00-9:55 am: Building the Team Roles• 10:00-10:55 am: Creating Trust & Collaboration• 11:00-11:55 am: Understanding the Human Element• 12:00-1:00 pm: Lunch• 1:00-1:55 pm: Curating Thought, Ideas & Free-

Speech• 2:00-2:55 pm: Conflict Resolution for the Greater

Good• 3:00-4:00 pm: Overview, Q&A, Wrap-Up

01

What is an innovative team?

An innovative team is an aggregation of individuals working together, driving collaboration and success through unique and original problem solving while breaking through the barriers of traditional project “management” to achieve great results.

02

Can innovation be crafted?

Absolutely. Through the purposeful selection of team members, engaging discussion, practical application of processes and transparent communication innovation will inherently develop.

03

Why are innovative teams important?

Every project will have its struggle. Only those teams who are willing to work together and think of solutions outside of the norm will drive success with positive results.

Introduce YourselfNameRole

Biggest Team-Based ChallengeWhy You’re Here Today

Rules for the Day | Considerations for Success

• Be respectful.• Be interactive.• Think outside of your own boxes.• Focus on what you can take-away.• Relax.• Commit.

General structure: 15 minutes discussion, 25 minutes activity, 15 minutes retrospective, 5 minute break.

#enablingideas

Game – 10 MinutesGet to Know Each Other

Building the Team RolesDeveloping roles to support each other and foster creativity and collaboration. #enablingideas

What are the typical team roles?

Project ManagerDeveloperQuality AssuranceBusiness LeadProduct OwnerEtc.

There are negative connotations with each of these titles that can derail innovation.

01

What if we think about their “roles”?

CoordinatorShaperImplementerTeamworkerSpecialistFinisher

Titles can be barriers to innovation within teams. Thinking about the roles a person plays can change the game.

02

Project Roles | Not Just Titles

Plant Creative, innovative, unorthodox. Solves difficult problems.

Ignores incidentals. Too preoccupied to communicate effectively.

Resource Investigator

Extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative. Explores opportunities. Develops contacts.

Over-optimistic. Loses interest once initial enthusiasm has passed.

Coordinator

Mature, confident, a good chairperson. Clarifies goals, promotes decision-making, delegates well.

Can be seen as manipulative. Offloads personal work.

Shaper Challenging, dynamic, thrives on pressure. Has the drive and courage to overcome obstacles.

Prone to provocation. Offends people’s feelings.

Monitor Evaluator Sober, strategic and discerning.

Sees all options. Judges accurately.Lacks drive and ability to inspire others.


Teamworker

Cooperative, mild, perceptive and diplomatic. Listens, builds, averts friction.

Indecisive in crunch situations.

Implementer

Disciplined, reliable, conservative and efficient. Turns ideas into practical actions.

Somewhat inflexible. Slow to respond to new possibilities.

CompleterFinisher

Painstaking, conscientious, anxious. Searches out errors and omissions. Polishes and perfects.

Inclined to worry unduly. Reluctant to delegate.

Specialist Single-minded, self-starting, dedicated. Provides knowledge and skills in rare supply.

Contributes only on a narrow front. Dwells on technicalities.


Thinking Roles Social Action Roles

Plant: A creative ideas person who typically looks at the big picture and/or comes up with new approaches

Monitor Evaluator: A person of objective outlook who weighs potential courses of action carefully and strategically

Specialist: A technical type who will tend to focus narrowly but knows his or her field is uncommon

Coordinator: A facilitative type who is good at getting the best out of all team members rather than advancing his or her own agenda

Resource Investigator: An explorer who thrives on picking up new ideas and making contacts outside the team

Teamworker: A person who naturally fosters team spirit and supports team goodwill

Shaper: A person who likes to direct the action and thrives on pressure

Implementer: Someone who excels at turning proposals into action plans and systems

Completer – Finisher: A person who pays a lot of attention to detail and quality control, and who gets things done

One of each, at a minimum, is required for a successful innovative team.

Define Your Team Roles – 25 Minutes

1) Take 5 minutes and self-identify your role.2) Round table your self-identification.

3) Independently identify who you believe fills each role.4) Collectively determine the individual roles within your

groups.

24:00 Remaining23:00 Remaining22:00 Remaining21:00 Remaining20:00 Remaining19:00 Remaining18:00 Remaining17:00 Remaining16:00 Remaining14:00 Remaining15:00 Remaining13:00 Remaining12:00 Remaining11:00 Remaining10:00 Remaining9:00 Remaining8:00 Remaining7:00 Remaining5:00 Remaining6:00 Remaining4:00 Remaining3:00 Remaining2:00 Remaining1:00 RemainingTime is up!25:00 Remaining

Part 1 | Retrospective Questions

• How difficult was it to box people into specific roles without using their title as base?

• What challenges did you face individually?• What challenges did you face collectively?• What difficulties will you face when applying this

to old and new team members, respectively?

#enablingideas

BREAK – 5 Minutes

Creating Trust & CollaborationBuilding trust for positive collaboration

amongst the whole team. #enablingideas

01Why is trust important for an innovative environment?

When team members cannot trust one another they do to feel safe to speak freely; including providing ideas and thoughts that are unique and original.

02How does collaboration foster innovation?

The phrase “two is better than one” should come to mind. When one unique idea comes forth it grows and changes with collaborative discussion and vetting from many different perspectives.

03How does setting expectations drive results?

Imagine finding solutions for an undefined situation – what are you solving for? By setting common goals and setting expectations the team is of one mind, building upon a common goal without unwittingly fighting against each other.

Practical Approaches | Trust, Collaboration, Expectations

• Use direct and open communication practices.• Support your claims/needs with facts.• Understand roles & responsibilities in decision-

making.• Set expectations up-front; do not leave a vague

impression (requirements, project plans, etc.)• Constantly ensure your team is working toward

the same goal based on those expectations.

Practical Approaches | Trust, Collaboration, Expectations

• Give each other results based metrics against the project, needs within the projects and deliverables within the project.

• Ask for each other’s opinions and recommendations where possible.

• Assign a decision maker early.• Don’t start with “no” – listen, analyze, then

determine.

On The Road – 25 Minutes

1)Read your assignment.2)Establish the goal.

3)Work through and design the plan.4)Work together to achieve the goal defined.



• How did your team struggle in achieving the goal?

• What were tactics you took for quick resolution?• What decisions were easy to make and why?• What will you take away from this to apply in real

world trust and collaboration building?

Understanding the Human ElementLearning to balance work vs play,

professionalism vs camaraderie and how to empathy can help your team succeed. #enablingideas

What is the ideal balance of professional vs personal interaction?

Really there is none but too much of either can be detrimental to team cohesiveness. To lead a team, or be a part of a team, you have to understand that relationships build trust.

01

How important is it to get to know your colleagues?

Understanding what drives them and makes them happy helps you work better with them. It allows you to assign/manage responsibilities that are balanced with their capabilities and needs.

02

Why is empathy important in day-to-day team work?

Every individual’s circumstances are unique. Including your own. An empathetic team is a healthy team. It encourages people to step in and step up during the hardest of times. It fosters innovation where it is most needed.

03

Practical Approaches | Understanding the Human Element

• Take time for team building – both formal and informal.

• Ensure a sense of balance is provided (equal responsibility, presence of team leadership).

• Encourage fun.• Negate/kill fractions (clique mentality).• Praise loudly, criticize effectively.• Support each other professionally and personally.• Engage in personality exams.

Practical Approaches | Understanding the Human Element

• Don’t forget about their dog.• Be wary of digital communications.• Bad news doesn’t get better with age.• Start with good morning. End with see you

tomorrow.• Reward easily.

Survival – 25 Minutes

1)Read your assignment.2)Establish the list.

3)Work together to achieve the goal defined.



• Was it difficult for everyone to understand personal choices?

• Was there consensus about collective items?• Did you struggle with coming up with too much

or too little?

#enablingideas

Lunch – 1 HourResume at 1:00pm

Curating Thoughts, Ideas & Free-Speech Creating a safe environment for free-

speech, ideas and thoughts. #enablingideas

01When do unique and original ideas come about?

Ideas that are outside of the standard approach present themselves when a team is asked to identify them. Teams must be prepared to avoid “insanity” (doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.

02How do you balance executing new ideas in times of good and bad?

If ideas generated are constantly disregarded, over time, they will dissipate. Discouragement will become the general sentiment amongst the team. It is important to execute unique solutions at times of great challenge as well as in day to day project management.

03How do you overcome the naysayer?

Unfortunately every group typically has the “naysayer” – the individual who says it can’t be done (anything). When this occurs it is important to engage the individual in curating their own ideas; or, in some circumstances, remove them from the discussion.

Practical Approaches | Curating Thoughts, Ideas & Free-Speech

• Ask individuals to develop ideas independently of each other and round table.

• Leverage open discussion in general decision making (not just in crisis mode).

• Encourage and rely on informal innovation.• Avoid the negative, focus on the objective.• Build upon each other’s ideas (leverage

information and ideas from all perspectives).

Building Blocks – 25 Minutes

1)Read your assignment.2)Build your ideas from left and right.



Part 4| Retrospective

• How similar were the end results (from left versus from right)?

• What was your most significant challenge in this exercise?

• What impediments did you come up against?

Conflict Resolution for the Greater Good Dealing with, managing against and

planning for conflict. #enablingideas

When does conflict most naturally arise?

During times of challenge. Individuals begin to feel overwhelmed, overworked and overanalyzed. This leads to inner team conflict more often than any other time.

01

What is the biggest challenge in overcoming conflict?

Typically two sentiments interfere with conflict resolution: fear and guilt. More often than not individuals are fearful in engaging in conflict and team leaders struggle with eliminating individuals who are part of the conflict.

02

When does conflict become an impediment?

When it cannot be resolved and progress becomes stalled. Either resulting from individuals who cannot work together or from misdirection.

03

Practical Approaches | Conflict Resolution

• Attempt to resolve the personality conflicts early.• Work through roles & responsibilities to avoid

conflict.• When conflict must be addressed design

impartial ways to analyze the situation and act accordingly.

• Understand that a “Greater Good” approach may be required.

• Be open and honest when mediating and talking through the resolution with the team to avoid more conflict.

Bull's-eye – 25 Minutes

1)Read your assignment.2)Create opportunities for resolution.



Part 5 | Retrospective

• Did separating out the impacts of the resolution help foster new ideas for resolution?

• Did engaging as a team help support the objective?

#enablingideas

BREAK – 5 Minutes

Overview, Q&A, Wrap-UpRecapping the Day

#enablingideas

Recapping the Day | Q&A Session

• Of the day’s activities and approaches, what do you believe will be the most effective for you and your team?

• What don’t you think will work?• What challenges do you still have?• Open Q&A

Recapping the Day | Contact

• Twitter: @melissagreenws | @stephenpgreen• Email: [email protected] |

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Crafting Innovative TeamsDeveloping and building a team culture that leads to success, collaboration and innovation.

Presented by: Melissa Green, Steve Green | Wirestream

#enablingideas

crafting innovative teams

Leadership & Management