How to Integrate Team Input in New Processes

Creating a coaching culture within an organization fosters continuous improvement and innovation. When Satya Nadella became CEO of Microsoft, he emphasized a shift from a 'know-it-all' to a 'learn-it-all' culture, leading to a remarkable transformation. When I was working at at a top Oil & Gas company, I coached a leader who was incredibly smart, approachable to his team, and always eager to learn. He managed a department focused on next-generation products, a role with high visibility among VPs in IT and across the business. His team was spread across five time zones, presenting a unique challenge in structuring the team in a meaningful and productive way. Instead of deciding on a structure by himself, he chose to involve the entire team. He brought everyone together, shared his vision and expectations, and then allowed the team to choose their department structure. This approach not only secured complete buy-in from the team members but also modeled his willingness to learn and adapt, setting a powerful example for the entire team. Every quarter, the department came together to reflect on their structure choice and make adjustments based on the evolving vision and expectations. This practice fostered a culture of continuous learning and adaptability, driving both individual and team growth. This leader’s approach highlighted the importance of the "learn-it-all" mindset. By modeling a learning mindset and encouraging team input, he drove significant positive change in the team’s performance and engagement. -------- I coach leaders in navigating change within their organization. DM to see if we would be a fit. #Coaching #Leadership #OrganizationalChange #Culture

Listen. Consider. Act. These steps help create a culture of innovation. (From BOOM! by E John Teichert, Brigadier General (ret) #USAF) Gen. T suggests leaders at any level may use these steps to engage + start conversations across your key stakeholders / team members. He suggests weaving in three key questions: What am I doing wrong? What are we doing wrong? What can I do to help? 💡 Gen. Teichert suggests creating various forums to solicit ideas and feedback from your team, followed by aggressively and publicly following up on ideas you receive from them. ⏩ AFWERX AFVentures does this well because Daniel Carroll and Jen Warren empower people to ask questions in a common mission thread via Google's group chat. Typically within minutes I am connected with a decisive answer, even including direct leadership input. As a new fellow, this rapid feedback loop allows for rapid action to help achieve success in a timely manner - or make improvements to processes that would otherwise be stuck. 💡 In Chapter 4 of BOOM!, Gen. Teichert suggests establishing a reliable and sustainable way to capture ideas, input, mature, prioritize, fund and act on as part of the listen, consider, act cycle. ⏩ I am in awe of how fast AFWERX pivots from an idea we have on a call to setting up a task force to deal with it. One idea shared with Luke W. turned into immediate brainstorming with experts in AI and machine learning from our team. 💡 In Chapter 5 of BOOM! Gen. Teichert recommends prioritizing your calendar and checkbook to transmit your priorities while engaging in activities that you can uniquely accomplish. ⏩ #AFWERX is already authorizing fellow and other team members the funding to go TDY and show up at industry events across the country because they care about building relationships. ✈️ Because AFWERX wants to lead innovation in the DoD, they empower their team to show up in person to places where they can LISTEN, CONSIDER input from industry and other #DoD partners, and return energized to a virtual workplace where they can ACT to shift momentum and empower mission owners to be successful. 💡 In Chapter 6 of BOOM! Gen. Teichert drives home the point of seeking opportunities to connect with others you can learn from on your innovation journey while taking the time to see their operation in person. ⏩ Rebecca Lively and Charles Heaton have been helpful to seize the "show up in person" part to expand operational knowledge. 💡 Gen. Teichert suggests using innovation resources to educate members of your workforce who become your peer innovation leaders. I'm excited to share insights I'm learning from AFWERX with my own home team and believe our fellowship is a great opportunity to create a BOOM! ⏩ I see how rapidly a small team can move when it is empowered to take action while being allowed resources to make a difference. 💡 "Innovation is not primarily about creating new things. It is more about creating new ways to use old things." - Gen. Teichert

Leaders must activate the full potential of their teams to ensure greatest mission impact and outcome. It is very clear that traditional management strategies need a major upgrade. We are stepping into an era where employee activation is not just a buzzword but a business imperative. Leaders need to create a culture that not only enables but actively empowers every team member as a force multiplier. The key to unlocking this potential lies in setting the right conditions—a culture grounded in the principles of transparency, collaboration, empowerment, and innovation. Here are 5 themes on how leaders can set these conditions: 1. Cultivate a Principle Based Culture: Encourage an organization of learning, an open exchange of ideas, feedback, and suggestions directly within the entire flow of work. This not only boosts morale but also enhances the quality of decisions made at every level. 2. Implement Responsive Processes: Equip employees with real-time insights and tools necessary to adapt swiftly to customer needs and market changes. Whether it is service recovery or system improvements, every team member should have the autonomy to act on critical insights promptly. 3. Leverage the Right Technology that Enables this Action: Adopt technologies that integrate seamlessly into daily workflows (making it more easy, effective, and emotionally resonant), enhancing communication and enabling more effective collaboration. This ensures that every stakeholder can take meaningful action that aligns with the best interests of the business. 4. Promote Inclusive Decision-Making: Empower everyone at every level to participate in decision-making processes— and make decisions. No decision is still a decision. This approach not only democratizes innovation but also ensures that diverse perspectives are heard, leading to richer, more effective business solutions. 5. Focus on Continuous Improvement: Regularly review and refine processes and strategies based on customer and employee feedback and changing business needs. This proactive stance on improvement helps organizations stay ahead of the curve and fosters a culture of perpetual growth and learning. By empowering employees and truly activating their potential, organizations are not just responding to changes; they are driving them, ensuring a future where both the organization and all its people thrive. #Leadership #Management #Culture #Technology #CustomerExperience #EmployeeExperience #EmployeeEmpowerment #OrganizationalCulture #Innovation #Transformation #FutureOfWork