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Hey there, innovation champions!
Have you ever wondered why some teams consistently produce breakthrough ideas while others seem stuck in a cycle of “same old, same old”? The answer might surprise you – and it’s something I’ve been experiencing firsthand in a completely unexpected arena.
Over the past few months, I’ve found myself, quite unexpectedly, at the helm of what feels like a startup. What began as a local community action group with twelve founders in December has exploded to 175 members (and counting!) as I write this.
This rapid growth has presented us with some fascinating challenges. For our upcoming meeting, we’re expecting between 110 and 140 attendees – dramatically more than the 40 who overflowed the living room at our last gathering! As you can imagine, this brings a whole host of logistical questions:
- What do we do about a sound system?
- How do we present information visually?
- Do we continue having food as a community-building element?
- How do we streamline the check-in process?
- How do we make the experience safe for members while being inviting for newcomers?
What happened next offers powerful insights into why some teams innovate brilliantly while others remain stuck. And it all maps perfectly to my Create the Impossible™ framework:
1. Play Hard: Creating a Safe Space for Wild Ideas
When our leadership team of five met to tackle these challenges, I came in with strong opinions about certain elements – particularly about having food at the meeting. To me, “breaking bread” together is a fundamental way to build community bonds.
But here’s where the magic happened: we had intentionally created an environment where questioning the leader (me!) was not just allowed but encouraged. This perfectly embodies the “Play Hard” element of my framework – a safe space where wild ideas can emerge without fear of judgment.
Research backs this up: A study published in PLoS One found “psychological safety” – the belief that you won’t be punished for speaking up with ideas or concerns – has “a significant positive impact on employee innovative performance.”
When one team member strongly advocated against having food due to practical concerns – the church’s no-plastic policy, our tight cleanup window, and the challenge of getting people seated – I initially resisted. But in our safe, playful environment, I could hear her perspective without defensiveness.
2. Make Crap: Embracing Imperfect Solutions
The second element of my Create the Impossible™ framework is “Make Crap” – giving ourselves permission to explore imperfect solutions rather than seeking perfection from the start.
As we debated the food question, we tossed around several “crappy” initial ideas:
- What about a “no crumbly/no gooey foods” rule?
- Could we use biodegradable plates and utensils?
- Should we have a separate “snacking area”?
None of these solutions was perfect. But by giving ourselves permission to explore imperfect options, we opened the door to unexpected insights.
This approach is supported by research showing that teams that share and elaborate on information more openly produce more creative outcomes. According to another study in PLoS One, “the average creativity of team members is more positively related to team creativity when there is higher team information elaboration.”
3. Learn Fast: Finding Unexpected Opportunities
The third element of the framework – “Learn Fast” – is about recognizing patterns and opportunities in what emerges from our imperfect attempts.
As we explored the food dilemma, a surprising insight emerged: NOT having snacks at the meeting could actually encourage deeper connections by motivating people to go out for a meal afterward with new friends. What initially seemed like a compromise became an opportunity for even more meaningful community building!
This exemplifies how innovative teams operate – they don’t just solve problems; they discover opportunities within challenges. According to research from Gartner, teams with diverse perspectives perform better than non-diverse teams by 12%, precisely because they can see problems and solutions from multiple angles.
The Team Size Sweet Spot
Interestingly, our leadership team of five falls right into what research has identified as the ideal team size for innovation. Studies have found that teams become less effective when they consist of more than ten people, with the optimal size being between three and nine members.
This makes intuitive sense – large enough for diverse perspectives, but small enough for meaningful engagement from each member.
The Communication Multiplier
Perhaps the most powerful factor in our team’s innovation success has been our commitment to open, respectful communication. By creating an environment where different opinions could be voiced without fear, we developed solutions none of us would have created individually.
This aligns perfectly with research showing that companies with effective communication strategies outperform their competitors by 3.5 times.
In our case, effective communication meant:
- Truly listening to opposing viewpoints
- Being willing to change our minds when presented with compelling arguments
- Building on each other’s ideas rather than defending our own
- Focusing on the shared goal rather than personal preferences
The result? A meeting plan that none of us would have created alone, but that all of us are excited about implementing.
What This Means for Your Team
So what can you take from this to help your own team innovate more effectively? Here are three practical strategies based on my Create the Impossible™ framework:
- Create psychological safety: Make it explicitly clear that questioning ideas – even the leader’s ideas – is not just acceptable but encouraged. Ask yourself: Do people on my team feel safe sharing wild ideas or voicing concerns?
- Embrace imperfect solutions: Rather than seeking the perfect solution from the start, encourage a “make crap” mindset where multiple imperfect options can be explored. Remember: We need the crap to fertilize the good stuff!
- Look for opportunities in challenges: Train yourself and your team to ask, “What unexpected benefits might emerge from this apparent limitation?” This transforms problem-solving into opportunity-finding.
Remember: Teams that work well together are 50% more productive, according to Stanford University research. But that productivity isn’t just about efficiency – it’s about the innovative potential that emerges when diverse minds collaborate effectively.
I’d love to hear your experiences with team innovation. What factors have you found most important in creating an environment where breakthrough ideas can flourish? Hit reply and share your insights!
Stay curious, stay playful, and keep creating the impossible!
I’d love to hear from you. What’s one strategy you’ve used to foster innovation in your team? Click here to share your story!
Senior Leaders: Ready to transform your 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.
