What do you do when one innovation style dominates the others on your team?

The Background

The scatter diagram shows a strategy development team working at a large American health insurance company. Tasked with recommending a new corporate strategy to senior management, the team was unable to agree on a final recommendation.  They were struggling with what is known as “paralysis by analysis”. Each time they thought they had a recommendation to forward, someone insisted on revisions to take new information into account or make the strategy more comprehensive. It appeared likely that the group would never be satisfied with a result or complete its task. 

Completion of the Basadur Profile was instrumental in showing the team to be composed entirely of conceptualizers, except for one implementer — the administrative assistant. The team was advised to diversify its membership by adding people with a preference for optimization and implementation to help them select and deliver an acceptable strategy to management, rather than try to attain perfect understanding. 

Dealing with One Dominant Style:

Conceptualizers are known for their creativity and ability to generate a wide range of ideas. However, having too many Conceptualizers on a team can lead to potential challenges. Some implications include idea overload, a lack of implementation, difficulty making decisions, and a risk of over-complexity.

To address these challenges, it’s beneficial for teams to have a balance of thinking styles. Optimizers and Implementers, for example, can contribute by refining and executing ideas. The diversity of thinking styles ensures that a team can both generate creative solutions and effectively bring those solutions to fruition.

Takeaways and Tips: 

• Facilitate Collaboration: Encourage collaboration and communication among team members. This allows Conceptualizers to work with those who may have strengths in refining and implementing ideas.
• Introduce Structured Processes: Implement a framework for problem-solving. This can help guide the team through a systematic approach, ensuring that the ideation phase is followed by steps focused on refinement and implementation.
• Assign Roles and Responsibilities: Ensure that individuals with strengths in optimization and implementation are assigned tasks that align with their skill sets.
• Set Clear Objectives: Clearly define the goals of the team. Having a clear direction helps Conceptualizers channel their creativity toward solutions that are aligned with the team’s overall mission.
• Implement Decision-Making Criteria: Establish criteria for decision-making to help the team evaluate and prioritize ideas. This ensures that the team can select the most viable and feasible solutions from the pool of generated concepts.
• Foster Open Communication: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and concerns. Open communication helps the team identify challenges early on and work collaboratively to address them.
• Celebrate Diverse Contributions: Acknowledge the strengths of Conceptualizers while also appreciating the skills and perspectives of those with other thinking styles.

“You’re an innovator, you just don’t know it yet!” Learn more about the Basadur Profile and how it measures cognitive diversity to support your team in achieving innovative results.