How a Global R&D Team Leveraged Strengths to Overcome Barriers

In the competitive world of food and beverage, innovation is often the heartbeat of success for global R&D teams. But what happens when a team has all the right ingredients - diverse perspectives, a willingness to help one another - yet still struggles to break through? This was the challenge faced by a global R&D team when they conducted The Fearless Organization Scan.

Their results were both promising and revealing: high scores in Inclusion and Diversity and Willingness to Help, but notable weaknesses in Open Conversation and Attitude to Risk and Failure.

While it was clear that the team worked well together and embraced diversity, they were hesitant to engage in the challenging conversations needed to push boundaries. They feared failure and avoided risks, which was keeping their innovation efforts grounded. However, instead of viewing their low scores as roadblocks, the team decided to turn their strengths into stepping stones for growth.

Leveraging Strengths to Discuss Weaknesses

The team began by using their high scores in inclusion and willingness to help as a foundation. In a series of facilitated discussions, they openly addressed the areas they needed to improve, drawing on their collective ability to support one another. Rather than making sweeping changes, they focused on micro-innovations - small, internal shifts that could help move the needle by just 1%.

One such innovation was creating a space to discuss failure openly. During their regular meetings, a segment was introduced where team members could share mistakes or failed experiments without fear of judgment. This normalized failure as part of the learning process, making it clear that taking risks was not just accepted, but encouraged.

Another simple yet powerful practice was integrating expressions of appreciation into their day-to-day interactions. Leaders and peers alike made it a point to acknowledge each other's contributions, creating a culture where people felt seen and valued for their efforts, even if the outcomes weren’t always perfect.

Rotating Meeting Facilitation: A Shared Leadership Approach

One of the more structural changes they implemented was rotating the role of meeting facilitator. Instead of relying on the team leader to drive every conversation, each team member took turns leading meetings. This practice broke down traditional hierarchies and allowed different perspectives to guide discussions. It also fostered a sense of ownership, making everyone feel more responsible for the team's success and more comfortable sharing their opinions.

So What Happened?

After six months of implementing these internal innovations, the team reconvened to assess their progress. While they acknowledged there had been some bumps along the way - such as occasional awkward silences during failure discussions or learning curves with facilitation - there was a shared sentiment that this was the most flow they had experienced as a team in years.

The numbers backed this up. Their Attitude to Risk and Failure median had jumped by 6%, and their Open Conversation score increased by an impressive 11% with much tighter variance. More importantly, the team felt that they had developed a stronger sense of psychological safety. They were not only more willing to take risks, but they were also more comfortable engaging in the kind of open dialogue that fuels innovation.

Moving the Needle with 1% Changes

What made the difference for this R&D team wasn’t a massive overhaul but a series of small, thoughtful innovations that capitalized on their existing strengths. By moving the needle just 1% in key areas, they sparked significant changes in how they worked together and unlocked their potential for greater creativity and innovation.

Their story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the best way to tackle big challenges is to start small, focusing on what you already do well and using it as a foundation to address areas for growth. For this global R&D team, those 1% changes added up to something much bigger—a renewed sense of flow, collaboration, and, ultimately, innovation.