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Hey there, innovation champions!
Picture this: It’s December, I’m sitting in a living room with eleven other people, launching what we think will be a small local community action group. Our stretch goal? 50 members.
Fast forward just three months, and we’re suddenly 220+ members strong, with multiple teams, projects, and a communication stream that one member aptly described as “a firehose.”
Sound familiar to any startup founders out there?
But here’s where it gets interesting. Unlike most modern organizations, we have the luxury of being able to call an in-person meeting and actually make it happen fairly easily. For distributed teams across different time zones and geographies, that’s simply not an option.
So what happens to innovation when you can’t all be in the same room together? Does creativity suffer? Do breakthrough ideas become harder to find?
After experiencing this rapid growth and working with tech and marketing teams across the globe for years, I’ve discovered something surprising: Distance doesn’t have to diminish innovation. In fact, with the right approach, distributed teams can actually out-innovate their in-office counterparts.
Let me show you how, using my Create the Impossible™ framework.
Play Hard: Building Trust Across Distances
The foundation of innovation in distributed teams isn’t fancy technology – it’s trust. Without the organic trust-building that happens naturally in physical spaces, we need to be intentional about creating psychological safety across distances.
One of the most powerful moments in my community group came during a simple phone call with a leadership team member. We were discussing a challenging situation, and because we had established deep trust, she felt completely comfortable challenging my perspective and offering wildly different approaches.
That conversation sparked an innovative solution neither of us would have discovered alone.
So how do you build this kind of trust in distributed teams?
First, create intentional spaces for connection before diving into content. In my distributed client workshops, I always start with connection activities that might seem “inefficient” but actually lay the groundwork for innovation.
One simple activity I love is “Rose, Thorn, Bud” – each team member shares something beautiful in their life right now (rose), a challenge they’re facing (thorn), and something they’re looking forward to (bud).
These moments of human connection create the psychological safety necessary for people to share their wildest ideas without fear of judgment.
When people feel safe to take risks without fear of embarrassment or rejection, creativity flourishes – regardless of physical location.
Make Crap: Embracing Digital Imperfection
The second element of my Create the Impossible™ framework is “Make Crap” – giving ourselves permission to create imperfect first drafts rather than waiting for perfection.
This becomes even more crucial in distributed environments, where the temptation to only share polished work is stronger. Without the casual “Hey, what do you think of this?” moments that happen naturally in offices, distributed teams need to intentionally create spaces for sharing work-in-progress.
In my community action group, even though we don’t have a dedicated digital channel specifically for half-baked ideas, we’ve cultivated an environment where people feel comfortable saying, “This is just a thought, but what if we…?” This willingness to share incomplete thinking has been vital to our rapid growth and problem-solving.
For tech teams, this might look like:
- Creating a dedicated digital space where unfinished ideas are welcomed
- Starting meetings with an explicit invitation to share “terrible first attempts”
- Using collaborative tools to collectively iterate on ideas together
Remember: Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It emerges from collision and iteration. And in distributed teams, we need to create intentional spaces for those collisions to happen.
Learn Fast: Creating Feedback Loops Across Time Zones
The final element of the Create the Impossible™ framework is “Learn Fast” – turning every experience, especially “failures,” into learning opportunities.
This becomes both more challenging and more critical in distributed teams. Without real-time feedback, learning cycles can slow down dramatically.
In my rapidly growing community group, we’re still developing many of these processes, but we’re already seeing the value of documenting our journey and decisions. This documentation isn’t just about record-keeping – it’s a learning tool that allows us to reflect on what’s working and what needs adjustment.
For distributed teams, implementing effective feedback loops might include:
- Simple Reflection Questions: After meetings or project milestones, consider posing questions like: What worked well? What could be improved? What will we try next time?
- Regular Learning Reviews: Schedule dedicated time to reflect on what your team is learning, separate from project status updates.
- Accessible Documentation: Make your team’s processes, decisions, and learnings available in shared spaces where everyone can access and build upon them.
These practices help ensure that insights don’t get lost across time zones and that teams can learn collectively despite physical separation.
The Innovation Anywhere Playbook
Now, let’s put this all together into a practical playbook for fostering innovation in distributed teams:
1] Leverage Technology Thoughtfully
Be strategic about creating different spaces for different types of interaction:
- Synchronous video for emotional connection and complex problem-solving
- Asynchronous channels for reflection and idea development
- Shared documents for collaborative exploration
2] Create “Collisionable Hours”
Innovation often emerges from unexpected collisions between ideas and people. In distributed teams, we need to intentionally create these opportunities:
- Designate specific times when team members across time zones can connect
- Create virtual spaces where informal conversation is encouraged
- Pair people from different functions for regular “collision conversations”
3] Establish Clear Communication Norms
Without the context of physical space, distributed teams need explicit norms:
- Which channel is appropriate for which type of communication?
- What response times are expected for different types of messages?
- How should people signal when they’re in “deep work” mode versus available for collaboration?
4] Maintain Open Communication
Foster an environment where ideas can flow freely:
- Implement an open-door policy for sharing thoughts and suggestions
- Listen attentively to team members’ input and provide constructive feedback
- Celebrate and share creative successes to motivate the team
Remember: The goal isn’t to recreate the office experience online. It’s to leverage the unique advantages of distributed work to create something even better.
The Power of Distributed Creativity
What I find most fascinating about distributed innovation is that, when done right, it can actually unlock creative potential that might remain dormant in traditional settings.
Without the conformity pressure that often exists in physical spaces, distributed team members may feel more freedom to express unconventional ideas. The nurse working from her home office might feel empowered to challenge the CEO’s perspective in a virtual meeting in ways she might not in a boardroom.
The asynchronous nature of distributed work also allows for deeper reflection. Rather than being put on the spot to respond immediately to an idea, team members can sit with concepts, process them fully, and return with more thoughtful contributions.
And the diversity inherent in distributed teams – not just cultural diversity, but diversity of environments and contexts – can spark connections that wouldn’t emerge when everyone is sharing the same physical space.
Your Distributed Innovation Challenge
Here’s your challenge for this week: Identify one small way to enhance innovation across your distributed team.
Maybe it’s creating a dedicated space for half-baked ideas. Perhaps it’s implementing a “no slides” rule for one meeting to encourage more authentic communication. Or it could be as simple as starting your next virtual gathering with a human connection moment before diving into the agenda.
Whatever you choose, remember that innovation isn’t about location—it’s about creating the conditions where creativity can flourish.
Stay curious, stay playful, and keep creating the impossible—no matter where your team members happen to be!
I’d love to hear from you. What’s one strategy you’ve used to foster innovation across distributed teams? Click here to share your story!
Senior Leaders: Ready to transform your distributed team’s innovation potential? Book a complimentary Innovation Strategy Session and let’s explore how the Create the Impossible™ framework can revolutionize your team’s approach to creativity and problem-solving.
