Innovate or Perish: Managing the Enduring Technology Company in the Global Market

Team Function and Roles

The research into effective innovation teams published by Allan Fahden in 1993 in the book Innovation on Demand^[3] and the work done subsequently by Gene C. Mage of Soaring Oaks Consulting Inc., identifies the four basic approaches to innovation expressed by team members:

^[3] Fahden, Allan. Innovation on Demand (Minneapolis: The Illiterati, 1993).

1. The conceptual approach: Individuals who use a conceptual approach tend to generate lots of fresh ideas. These are the people who see things from a different angle. They are bubbling over with alternatives and want to explore the many avenues available before landing on a way to proceed.

2. The spontaneous approach: The spontaneous teammate may appear to be flighty and inconsistent, bouncing from topic to topic. He might keep three or four conversational balls in the air at the same time. He enjoys doing many things at once, and doesn’t feel wedded to a straight-line approach to reaching the objective. He has great energy and enthusiasm.

3. The normative approach: The normative team member talks about the impact of the project on others, how the new ideas fit into the history and values of the broader organization, and ways to integrate the future with the past. She is sensitive to doing things the right way and following the appropriate protocol.

4. The methodical approach: The methodical participant likes to have things organized into a neat, logical flow. Each step should follow a rational pathway. This person will have ...