What’s Your Dream Workspace?
Innovation workspaces require collaboration. No one executes a project by themselves. Project and product managers must set aside a shared office space to do the work of the project. Most work must be face-to-face in a co-located environment.
Projects are successful because of collaboration among the team members. Shared and diverse skills are the foundation to execute a project. Whatever work style or personality assessment you favor, make sure your project has a balance of different people on the team. You need detail-oriented folks as much as the brainstorming, strategic types.
A shared workspace is critical, I believe, to project success. This place is where you post the Scrum board and other project artifacts. I prefer a giant whiteboard filled with sticky notes tracking ideas, work-in-progress (WIP), issues, and task assignments. Add in schedule and budget, and you don’t need to waste time writing lengthy reports to your boss and your boss’s boss. With a single glance at the Scrum board, they automatically assess the health and status of the project.
There’s been a lot of push back to return to office. I know and understand the comfort of working from home. Yet, face-to-face collaboration builds team trust in a way that virtual connections cannot. Body language and social interactions produce faster reliance on teammates for creativity and task execution.
My dream innovation workspace includes a room with lots of windows, lots of whiteboard space to write and sketch, mobile desks, fidget toys, computer stations with noise-canceling headphones, and inspiring team members. Oh, and lots of coffee!!
Do you want to chat about tips for building trust and collaborative, creative teams? Grab a 30-minute virtual coffee here.
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