Can your new products be failing because of the team?

Some people just seem to be wired differently and when you put them together with other like-minded people great things seem to happen. There is a certain mindset that exists for successful individuals and teams that work on growth initiatives. We have all known people who were better at the front-end, those that have certain skills for putting the business case together and those that are king at execution. Have you ever wondered where you fall?

Research on employee characteristics suggests that:

1.  Employees that work on growth initiatives think and behave differently than others;

2.  Teams will fail if they don’t have the right mix of people that are like minded; and

3.  The culture of the company must support growth.

All three must be present to be successful. It may be all right to pick Jim from accounting to lead the growth project because Jim has been good with this or that. Only if Jim is wired for growth, has the right team around him and has the support from the company to execute will he be successful.

How do individuals fall?

We have found that employees fall into 4 categories.

1. Change Agents are good at the upfront design of growth. They are very strategic, process oriented individuals that know how to spot a trend and draw implications from the outside market to your business.
2. Growth Partners sit comfortably between the strategic thinkers and the doers. Great on a team and also as a team leader; they are easily able to do and delegate tasks. They know how to leverage resources to get the job done and are not afraid to make trade-off decisions throughout the project. They understand and see more than any other group, the “Big G” of growth and understand the implications to the business. If you are going to promote, this is the group to promote from. If you want a promotion try and be more like them.
3. Tactical Growth Agents are the doers but growth execution is not like other types of execution. Knowing how to do more with less without trading quality, features and functionality is the strength of this person.
4. Growth Contributors can be naysayers. They are great at managing status quo but are typically not wired for growth. But they play a vital role on the team, helping to mitigate risk and prioritize projects. Sorry for the over generalization but Operations and Financial employees typically fall here. If they fit within the dynamics of the team they can be very valuable.

The dynamics of the team are important.

Ever hear the saying, “a well-oiled machine”. Putting the right people together may be the most crucial step in growth. Our process helps us find clusters. That means, I might have the best person on an individual basis but they might not be the right person due to the makeup of the team. I’ve witnessed very capable people fail because the team is not like-minded. As the manager or team leader you will get more out of individuals, the team will be more motivated and will stay on track longer, if employees are similar in their makeup.

Are you truly supporting growth in your organization?

There is nothing worse in business than lip service, inability to decide, and giving responsibility without authority. The quickest way to destroy morale and stall growth is to operate like this. If you want to grow, support it and the people. I’m not saying give the team a blank check, but if the milestones are being met and the business rationale is sound and meets other corporate hurdles than don’t be wishy-washy.

So, what are you waiting for? If your team is struggling or you don’t know where to begin, start with an assessment of the players. When all the pieces are in place and working together it’s amazing what can be accomplished. 

For a free team assessment, please email me through LinkedIn. 

What's more important in new product development, team or process?

As consultants to new product development teams, the interplay of team and process is a dynamic that we think about and research on a consistent basis. It’s long been thought that the right hire outweighs a standard process.   Smart, talented teams will always figure out how to make it happen. Right? What if we put the right processes in place and train everyone? That will give us the edge that we need. Maybe?

If I can paraphrase Peter Drucker, he talks about the discipline of managing people. He says that you don’t manage people, you lead people and make them productive by enhancing specific strengths and knowledge (Management Challenges for the 21st Century, 1999). He goes on to say that one (people or process) doesn’t determine the other, but shapes the other. 

I might conclude then, as managers, we lead people and manage a process and this is holds true for new product development. To gain some insight from today’s product leaders, product development & management research reveals some interesting findings that may help answer this question. Seven years of research highlights six key tenets that will have a measurable positive effect on the success of your new products.

SIX TENETS OF SUCCESSFUL NEW PRODUCTS

1. The right functions in the organization are required to support new products and the development process.
2. The right individuals who possess the necessary skills to be successful must be hired.
3. The right set of tools and training are necessary for individuals to be successful.
4. The right metrics must be set at the beginning of the project to gauge progress and measure success.
5. The right product teams, with complementary skill sets and similar work values, must be configured.
6. The right culture has to be supported by and driven from the top.

These tenets support another of my favorite Drucker aphorisms, “success is more likely to result from the systematic pursuit of opportunities than from a flash of genius.” (The Discipline of Innovation, 1985) Our clients see the benefits in increased productivity and effectiveness by subscribing to the six tenets of successful products everyday. What tenets does your product organization live by?