IntroductionInnovating Is Collaborating
The CFO of a unicorn EdTech company recently shared a story with us. He explained that while his organization kept going during the COVID‐19 pandemic, he noticed something surprising: Individual productivity actually went up, yet when it came to strategizing and solving complex problems as a team, it was clear that something was missing. Team productivity had gone down.
It was difficult for groups to find the time to come together for complex problem‐solving. A general lack of alignment caused re‐work, delayed schedules, among other things, and set teams back. Teams also struggled to build consensus and confidence.
They of course tried adding more tools to the toolbox, but that didn't completely fix things. Seeing this negative impact, the immediate answer was to go back to the office.
We hear this from our customers all the time. Go back to the office. Go back to the water cooler. That font of innovation that seems to create ideas—or at least that's what we think because that one time we had that great idea there, the one that transformed our company. But was it really like that? Or was it just a place for people to talk and gossip?
When it comes to innovation, we can do better. We must.
It's no secret that organizations today struggle to harness the power of innovation. Evidence suggests that CEOs want a more cutting‐edge culture and ...
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