What do you do if your business innovation organization lacks a culture of collaboration and teamwork?

1 Assess the current situation

The first step is to understand the current state of collaboration and teamwork in your organization. You can use surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observation to gather feedback from your employees, managers, and partners. You can also use tools such as the Teamwork Canvas or the Collaboration Framework to map out the key elements of collaboration, such as goals, roles, norms, communication, trust, and conflict. This will help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your collaboration and teamwork practices, as well as the opportunities and challenges for improvement.

2 Define the desired outcome

The next step is to define the desired outcome of collaboration and teamwork in your organization. You can use vision statements, success criteria, or SMART goals to articulate what you want to achieve, why it matters, and how you will measure it. You can also use tools such as the Innovation Culture Canvas or the Team Charter to align your vision and goals with your values, principles, and behaviors. This will help you create a shared understanding and commitment among your collaborators and team members.

4 Evaluate the results

The fourth step is to evaluate the results of your collaboration and teamwork efforts. You can use metrics, indicators, or outcomes to track and measure the impact of your collaboration and teamwork on your innovation performance, such as customer satisfaction, employee engagement, revenue growth, or social value. You can also use tools such as the Team Performance Assessment or the Collaboration Audit to collect and analyze data, feedback, or learnings from your collaboration and teamwork experiences. This will help you celebrate your achievements, identify your gaps, and plan your next steps.

5 Learn and improve

The fifth step is to learn and improve from your collaboration and teamwork practices. You can use methods such as retrospectives, debriefs, or after-action reviews to reflect on your collaboration and teamwork processes, outcomes, and challenges. You can also use tools such as the Team Learning Loop or the Collaboration Cycle to capture and share your insights, lessons, or best practices with your collaborators and team members. This will help you build trust, respect, and continuous improvement in your collaboration and teamwork culture.

6 Inspire and influence

The sixth step is to inspire and influence others to embrace collaboration and teamwork in your organization. You can use stories, testimonials, or showcases to highlight your collaboration and teamwork successes, challenges, and learnings. You can also use tools such as the Innovation Story Canvas or the Team Storytelling Template to craft and communicate your collaboration and teamwork stories in a compelling and engaging way. This will help you spread your innovation culture, attract new collaborators and team members, and influence your organization's strategy and direction.

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?