How can you manage cross-disciplinary innovation projects more effectively?

Managing cross-disciplinary innovation projects effectively demands a holistic and human-centered approach. Drawing inspiration from the Toyota methods, I prioritize building a collaborative culture that emphasizes long-term relationships and mutual growth among coworkers. This involves actively listening to diverse perspectives, fostering an environment where every team member feels valued and heard. By integrating principles like continuous improvement (Kaizen) and respect for people, I ensure that the project's objectives align with the team's growth and development. Emphasizing transparency and open communication, I work towards creating a sense of shared purpose and collective responsibility.

Uma grande dificuldade que as empresas enfrentam ao lançar um produto ou solução é responder a seguinte pergunta: Por que estou criando esta solução? As inovações baseadas em melhorias que impactem os clientes das soluções já trabalhadas pela empresa, os insights sobre as principais dores geralmente vêm das áreas comuns. Por isso, é importante compreender os problemas dos clientes já identificados hoje, a fim de definir de forma mais clara quais dores devem ser priorizadas para realmente mudar o curso da organização. Quando temos os KPIs já mapeados pelas áreas e lideranças desde o início, conseguimos medir com muito mais efetividade o sucesso do projeto e o impacto do trabalho da área de inovação antes e depois do início do trabalho.

Defining the problem and the goal is a crucial step in any cross-disciplinary innovation project. By defining the problem and the goal using tools like problem statements, personas, and value propositions, you create a solid foundation for your cross-disciplinary innovation project. This clarity not only guides the team but also enhances communication, making it easier to secure support and resources throughout the project lifecycle.

Through my experience, incorporating these 3 principles after one has been able to successfully recruit diverse team members to set the stage. (1) The importance of diversity and inclusion is realized by fostering a culture of openness where various perspectives are valued. (2) Establish clear communication channels and encourage an inclusive decision-making process. Ensure everyone feels heard and understood, promoting a sense of belonging. (3) Finally, implement training on unconscious biases and cultural awareness to cultivate a more inclusive environment. Regularly assess team dynamics, addressing any challenges promptly. Teams can leverage a broad range of insights, leading to more innovative and successful outcomes.

First, precisely articulate the manner in which addressing this issue aligns with the overarching goals and mission of the organization. Secondly, clearly define how each team member's contributions play a pivotal role in achieving the team's objectives. Thereby establishing appropriate expectations, responsibilities, and accountability to ensure seamless alignment.

Embarking on a cross-disciplinary innovation project demands a crystal-clear comprehension of the problem and goal at hand. Prioritize alignment, set expectations, and establish a measurable progress framework. Tools like problem statements, personas, and value propositions prove invaluable in succinctly defining the project's essence. This clarity not only guides your team effectively but also serves as a foundation for concise communication, ensuring everyone involved is on the same page, fostering a collaborative and goal-oriented atmosphere throughout the innovation endeavor.

Managing cross-disciplinary innovation projects is a fascinating and complex endeavor, akin to conducting an orchestra where each musician plays a different instrument. My experience in steering such projects has taught me that the key to effectiveness lies in harmonizing diverse talents and perspectives towards a unified goal. First and foremost, it’s essential to establish a clear, shared vision and objectives. This creates a common ground where all team members, regardless of their disciplinary backgrounds, understand the 'why' and 'what' of the project. Effective project management tools and methodologies also play a significant role. Utilizing agile methods, for instance, can help in managing tasks and timelines more flexibly.

Critical to start with Why. The Why gives you direction, enables collaboration through understanding, and allows for focus right from the starting line

Burst the myth When individuals from similar backgrounds are placed into a unilateral group, they are likely to become collectively blind, biased and bereft of lateral thinking. Innovation in such isolated scenarios can suffer skewed outcomes. It can engender risk from being too frugal to complacent to futile. Contrarian view is to have a shared vision of value creation through innovation that has to precede, invariably, in finding indigenous and inventive solutions to pressing problems. It's here where cross-disciplinary innovation comes to play. A great vision is not to get lost in making cookie cutter products inside silos - but to engage in a collaborative and concurrent process through cross-disciplinary innovation as a constant.

O que eu vejo em muitas empresas é a inovação como ideia e, inclusive, premiam as melhores ideias como iniciativas de inovação. É claro que a inovação nasce de uma ideia porém a inovação é muito mais dedicação e perseverança do que apenas ter uma ideia. O foco na resolução de um problema (uma dor!) é apenas a ignição de um processo inovador.

The Manhattan Project exemplifies both the power and peril of converging disciplines. Integrating expertise across science and engineering fueled breakthroughs in nuclear technology. But this overspecialization also divorced work from humanistic oversight. Technological progress absent ethics risks calamity. Ensure cross-disciplinary efforts remain grounded in human needs and moral considerations, not detached ambition. Ensure a diversity of perspectives challenges assumptions. Complex systems shaped solely by narrow disciplines enable myopic pursuits unrestrained by wisdom. Blend technical ingenuity with philosophical vigilance that questions “can we?” versus just “how?”.

Diverse teams of interdisciplinary skills offer a rich tapestry of perspectives, but inclusivity is essential to ensure their full potential. By fostering open communication, empathy, and respect for diverse viewpoints, leaders can create a collaborative environment where innovation flourishes. It is important to note that diversity and inclusivity are not just about having a mix of people from different backgrounds - they are also about creating an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and heard, a place where non-consensus ideas are given the required room to breath. This means being mindful of unconscious biases and ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute.

Innovation is more about diversity than engineering. To do good innovation you need good ideas, which cannot come from a place where everyone thinks the same. When you have a good idea, and only then, will need good engineering.

For complex problem-solving that requires different perspectives, diversity is of utmost importance. Deep expertise is good for getting into the discussion but widening the horizon helps in grasping more than just the expert's perception. Specially when it's about to design and build products that are targeted at the entire spectrum of an audience, the different characteristics in age, gender, societal origins, etc. are important input data for the design process. Talking to interest groups (representing majorities AND minorities) and systemizing their stakes into personas helps to raise the efficiency in the design and build process.

Brilliant people can apply their skills to problem solving… pull together a team with a diverse background and a common goal and they will deliver innovation.

If you have 10 mechanical engineers of the same race and age, an 11th won't add as much of a difference. A new perspective requires a new point of view. This often comes from people who are significantly different than you.

Diversity of thought is a key enabler of creative solutions, and is important to avoid groupthink scenarios. To facilitate ongoing progress and reduce conflict, you need to emphasize humility and respect to ensure alternative points of view don’t hinder collaboration.

Make sure everyone feels they have an important role to play in the process. To do so, the first step will be to create active listening and bonding between this diverse team. For this, use as many ice-breakers and team building exercises as necessary in order to build trust between each other.

A parte da ideação (que é o início da inovação!) é extremamente importante e, por isso, quanto mais misturados são os expertises, as, formações acadêmicas, os pensamentos, as experiências e dores de vida, os olhares, as crenças, as raças, as sexualidades, ou seja, tudo que nos engloba, seres humanos, é importante! E isso dá ainda mais robustez à equipe e ao que está sendo proposto para inovar.

Voltar menos vezes à estaca zero, pode ser o seu maior diferencial competitivo de sucesso. Incluir o máximo de pessoas e com os mais diversos perfis na construção dos projetos, proporciona a possibilidade de ter múltiplas visões sobre as potencialidades de sua solução, reduzindo significativamente seus pontos cegos. Esses pontos cegos, que podem, em um estalar de dedos, pôr fim ao seu projeto. Além disso, a chance de um produto já nascer atendendo às necessidades de muitos países, ou seja, a sua solução nascer global quando envolve o máximo de diversidade na co-criação, é infinitamente maior.

For the first time, I tend to disagree with several of the input provided around here. Most focus on processes, methodologies, repeatability. However, in my personal experience, I believe that the keyword to focus on here is "cross-disciplinary". I had to build, coordinate, and ensure the delivery of several cross-disciplinary projects and the key drivers for success are: 1. different disciplines speak different languages (technical and relational), have different goals, use different mental and practical processes - to encircle all with a single one is just impossible; 2. it is fundamental to understand the differences, try to find common grounds and win-win scenarios for the group 3. be ready to build a flexible plan, and adapt to change

The Agile methodology extends beyond Scrum or product-centric approaches and necessitates adaptability to manage uncertainty effectively.

This step reinforces the need for a clear understanding (and communication) of The Why. You need to know where you’re going, what success looks like, and what resources you have in order to get there What you don’t need is the exact steps to get there. That will come later

Flexibilität und Iteration sind zentral für das Management interdisziplinärer Innovationsprojekte. Ein adaptiver Ansatz ermöglicht es dem Team, auf unvorhergesehene Herausforderungen und Veränderungen in der Projektumgebung zu reagieren. Durch die Einführung kurzer Entwicklungszyklen, wie sie in agilen Methoden praktiziert werden, können Ideen schnell getestet und angepasst werden. Dies fördert eine Kultur des Experimentierens, in der auch Fehlschläge als Lernchancen gesehen werden.

In today's fast-paced world, efficiency in the deployment process is key, to stay contestable in a highly dynamic market environment. Issuing new products fast can be accompanied by the consideration of feedbacks out of open-beta phases. Refining the first versions of a product upon the received feedback will not only be well-perceived by the user base it also accelerates the further development of product increments and makes it sticky for the users as it appeal to their curiosity.

No importa la metodología que usemos. Lo importante es comprender que la disciplina siempre termina superando al talento. Y si para crear un ambiente propicio, usamos metodología ágiles, seremos capaces de hacer más de forma inteligente.

As I started with "Design Thinking" approach, I keep on applying that to product management with agile methodology. I will also evaluate approach and methodology with the team regularly, update them if it is necessary.

Se não adotarmos mindset e metodologias ágeis, os projetos de inovação ficarão cada vez mais difíceis de gerenciar e de, principalmente, encerrar. Toda inovação tem que se predispor ao erro e, por isso, haverá falhas que precisarão de ajustes e correções de rumo.

Effective communication is the linchpin of success in cross-disciplinary innovation projects. Bridging diverse disciplines requires transcending jargon and preferences, opting for a common language. Leveraging tools like visual thinking, storytelling, and prototyping becomes instrumental in breaking down barriers and fostering understanding. These methods serve as universal translators, ensuring that ideas, insights, and information flow seamlessly across disciplines. In the intricate dance of cross-disciplinary collaboration, clear and engaging communication not only mitigates challenges but becomes the catalyst for innovative breakthroughs.

Taking it further than tools, using a common system is crucial. Something that is designed to cover innovation from end to end. Something that is visible, trainable, repeatable and reliable. Engage a cross functional team in the system with well defined roles.

Las conversaciones son todo. En los proyectos de innovación, debemos lograr que nuestros equipos se despojen de sus tecnisimos y entre en un mismo ambiente, donde prima la humanidad, para que así podamos lograr un entendimiento estratégico que provoque verdaderos resultados.

Definitely it is very important to use same languages and tools. This makes team communication and collaboration easy. It is better to define tools and languages at the beginning of the project.

Create a melting pot! Adoption of relevant tools to enable execution of cross-disciplinary innovation is a key element in bringing together the stakeholders on a common ground, into a melting pot like environment, with a common language that is easy to understand. Design Thinking is one such alternative that would help both qualitative and quantitative parameters run through empiricism for measurable impact of innovation outcomes. It is a non-linear, iterative process which seeks to understand users, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative solutions. The method consists of 5 phases—Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test and is most useful when you want to tackle problems that are ill-defined or unknown.

Effectively managing cross-disciplinary innovation projects demands proactive risk mitigation. Given the inherent uncertainty and diversity, anticipating potential conflicts is key. Employing robust strategies like risk management plans and contingency plans enables a preemptive approach. Additionally, having conflict resolution techniques at your disposal ensures timely intervention. By addressing challenges head-on, these proactive measures contribute to the project's overall success, fostering a collaborative and resilient environment that navigates the intricacies of cross-disciplinary innovation seamlessly.

Meine persönliche Erfahrung bei Innovationsprojekten ist, dass alle Beteiligten Unsicherheit verspüren. Gleichzeitig entstehen dabei Risiken für das Projekt, wenn Teammitglieder kein Safe-Space erfahren. Um Risiken in Projektteams zu minimieren, habe ich folgende 3 Tipps: 1. Als Führungskraft hinter dem Projekt sollte man den Raum bieten, darüber zu sprechen. Es ist in Ordnung, dass niemand weiß, was am Ende rauskommen wird und ob es erfolgreich wird. Dieses Gefühl muss man im Kollektiv zulassen. 2. Wenn Unsicherheit im Spiel ist, kann Stress entstehen. Dieser kann für rauen Umgang miteinander führen, wenn Dinge nicht so laufen, wie man will - unabhängige Mediatoren können helfen. 3. Impulse von erfahrenen Startup-Gründern motivieren!

Expectancy determines outcomes. Counterfactual thinking and counterproductive actions do not make us stay relevant to common interests. Energies are wasted without achieving material purposes. Risk of bias to love or hate solutions can be averted through foundations of good relationships, healthy interactions and interpersonal connections over a common interest. Intensive conversations enable positive spirit to learn mutually in terms of personal leadership traits and how they add value to get inspired. Rhetoric and responsiveness incite different schools of thought. Interdependent learning with clear expectancy helps bond people. People love to know about people who love to bring change. It's infectious and a force multiplier.

É crucial compartilhar sucessos e aprendizados, pois somente dessa forma saberemos o que devemos: Parar de fazer Continuar fazendo Começar a fazer Sem essa clareza sobre o que está funcionando e o que precisamos repensar no projeto, não teremos uma visão nítida de quão próximos estamos dos objetivos traçados. Além disso, não podemos nunca esquecer a importância da motivação da equipe ao fazer parte de toda a evolução da empresa.

Celebrating the achievements of your project can boost your team's motivation. You can recognize their hard work by organizing a team outing or providing some form of recognition. It's also essential to take a moment to reflect on the project's accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned. This will help you identify areas for improvement for future projects. You can encourage your team to share their thoughts, experiences, and feedback regularly. This can help foster a sense of community and collaboration within the team. Consider publicizing your success to a wider audience. You can do this by writing a blog post, issuing a press release, or presenting at industry conferences.

In my innovation journey, I've realized the importance of cutting through the noise. People often tell you what you shouldn't do, but like Airbnb's mantra 'Build something 100 people love, not something 1 million people kind of like'. I've learned to trust my instincts more and focus on what truly matters.

Myth Creation is the #1 most important element of a cross-disciplinary innovation project. The second greatest myth narrative is about financial returns. The greatest is that of the change the innovation will create in the world. It is up to leaders to craft the myth (yes, they can even believe in it themselves!). A powerful myth will align diverse teams much more strongly than a project plan. I’ve met several Master Myth Makers during my time. The common skillset is their ability to take a big idea, wrap it in a story, and then shape the collective change-making energy of the team to bring that myth to life!

Create repeatable process so everyone can understand: - where are we on our journey? Customer discovery, building fort prototype? - What are the mindset and skills I need to show today, in this stage of the process process :like diverging (brainstorming) or converging thinking (prioritizing) - What is my time commitment ? Early one only 20% could work , later full time might be needed

Collaboration is essential for project success involving individuals with diverse skills and expertise. Collaborative efforts can boost creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills. To ensure effective collaboration, it is important to encourage interaction, communication, and cooperation among team members. Establishing best practices early on in the project timeline can help achieve this. For example, you can hold regular team meetings, assign clear roles and responsibilities, establish clear communication channels, and provide feedback and support to team members. Following these practices helps to guide the team and ensure the successful completion of the project within the expected timeline and budget.

Managing cross-disciplinary innovation projects effectively requires a combination of effective communication, collaboration, and project management skills. Here are some strategies to help you manage these projects effectively: 1. Form a strong and diverse team: Build a team with members from different disciplines and backgrounds to encourage diverse perspectives and approaches. Make sure team members have complementary skills and expertise. 2. Foster a supportive and inclusive team culture: Create an environment where team members feel supported, valued, and included. Encourage diverse perspectives and foster a culture of innovation and experimentation. Celebrate successes and actively address challenges or conflicts that may arise.