How do you balance innovation and standardization in program development across different branches?

Program development is a complex and dynamic process that requires creativity, collaboration, and quality control. When you have multiple branches or teams working on different aspects of a program, you need to find a balance between innovation and standardization. How do you achieve this balance without compromising your program's goals, performance, and user satisfaction? Here are some tips to help you manage your program development across different branches.

1 Align your vision and values

The first step to balance innovation and standardization is to align your vision and values for your program. You need to have a clear and shared understanding of what your program aims to achieve, who your target audience is, and what principles and standards guide your program development. This will help you create a common framework and language for your program, and foster a sense of ownership and accountability among your branches.

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Ted Vanderlaan

Innovator, entrepreneur, educator, leader
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I'm not sure this is a step by step process. Let's go with it because that's the construct we have. One thing I have found helpful is to have innovation and standardization teams separate. Innovators think very differently, and often they need people who are thinking about how to apply standards on the team so that the innovators don't go too far afield. As noted above, it's important that everybody is aligned with the mission, vision, and values of the organization. Innovators will tend to push the boundaries and you want them to do that. In fact, they will often see the mission and the vision of the organization as opportunities, where the folks that are working on standards and protocols will see them like the four corners of a document.

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2 Communicate and coordinate

The second step to balance innovation and standardization is to communicate and coordinate effectively and frequently among your branches. You need to establish regular and transparent channels of communication, such as meetings, newsletters, forums, or dashboards, to share updates, feedback, challenges, and best practices. You also need to coordinate your workflows, timelines, and deliverables, to ensure consistency and quality across your program. Communication and coordination will help you avoid duplication, confusion, and conflict, and leverage the strengths and diversity of your branches.

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Ted Vanderlaan

Innovator, entrepreneur, educator, leader
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Methods of communication between the teams with some guiding oversight from leadership is one place and organization can be very creative. The traditional "let's have a meeting" can be a bottleneck to progress. Thinking about other creative ways to keep people, engaged and projects moving forward would likely be a task for the innovations team. There are many very efficient and effective software tools, which can do just that.

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3 Encourage and support innovation

The third step to balance innovation and standardization is to encourage and support innovation among your branches. You need to create a culture and environment that values creativity, experimentation, and learning. You can do this by providing your branches with the resources, tools, and autonomy they need to explore new ideas, test new solutions, and adapt to changing needs and contexts. You can also recognize and reward innovation, by celebrating successes, learning from failures, and sharing stories and lessons.

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Ted Vanderlaan

Innovator, entrepreneur, educator, leader
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The culture of creativity and acknowledgment of innovation is key! This can be frightening for certain types of managers who are not able to "let go of control". If the culture of creativity and innovation starts at the top, that's wonderful. It doesn't have to start at the top. I often say you can lead from wherever you are in an organization.

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4 Establish and maintain standards

The fourth step to balance innovation and standardization is to establish and maintain standards for your program. You need to have a set of criteria and guidelines that define the quality, functionality, and usability of your program. You can do this by using best practices, benchmarks, and user feedback to inform your standards. You also need to monitor and evaluate your program's performance, by using metrics, indicators, and data to measure your impact, outcomes, and user satisfaction. You also need to enforce and update your standards, by ensuring compliance, conducting audits, and making improvements.

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5 Integrate and harmonize

The fifth step to balance innovation and standardization is to integrate and harmonize your program across your branches. You need to have a process and system that allows you to combine, align, and synchronize your program's components, features, and functions. You can do this by using common platforms, formats, and protocols to facilitate interoperability, compatibility, and scalability. You can also use feedback loops, reviews, and testing to ensure quality, reliability, and security. Integration and harmonization will help you create a cohesive and seamless program that delivers value to your users.

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6 Learn and grow

The sixth and final step to balance innovation and standardization is to learn and grow from your program development experience. You need to have a mindset and practice that enables you to reflect, analyze, and improve your program's design, development, and delivery. You can do this by collecting and using data, insights, and feedback to identify gaps, opportunities, and trends. You can also engage in continuous learning and development, by seeking new knowledge, skills, and perspectives, and applying them to your program. Learning and growing will help you enhance your program's relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you balance innovation and standardization in program development across different branches?

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1 Align your vision and values

2 Communicate and coordinate

3 Encourage and support innovation

4 Establish and maintain standards

5 Integrate and harmonize

6 Learn and grow

7 Here’s what else to consider

Program Development

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