Big Teams – Barriers to Innovation?
Posted on March 25, 2008
Filed Under Innovation, Organization & Culture, Quantum Leaders, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
In his recent post “Is Design a Team Sports?”, Idris Mootee discusses the role of the individual designer versus a design team. During that discussion he broaches the question as to whether large teams are barriers to innovation. I think that there is a semantic trap in the question, becuase it potentially blurs the distinction between ideation, invention and innovation. Mootee and others often confine their definitions of innovation to the contexts of ideation and invention, which is often best pursued in a solitary – or at best, a small team – context. (e.g., how many great symphonies were written by committee?) An alternative definition of innovation which I prefer to use is that Innovation is the creation of customer value via invention (where invention is the instantiation of an idea or concept.)
In this conceptual framework, the instantiation/implementation of the idea via invention can require a large group effort, as well as the realization of customer value by implementing the operational and logistical infrastructures required to deliver a product or service to customers.
I don’t think it’s axiomatic that large teams are always barriers to innovation. Rather it’s in what contexts is teaming (large or small) optimal, and where is it potentially a barrier.
What have been your experiences with teams (large and small) as it relates to the innovation process?
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