Team Collaboration Techniques

I am constantly thinking about how to foster innovation in my product organization. Building teams that are experts at execution is the easy part—when there’s a clear problem, product orgs are great at coming up with smart solutions. But it’s impossible to optimize your way into innovation. You can’t only rely on incremental improvement to keep growing. You need to come up with new problem spaces, rather than just finding better solutions to the same old problems. So, how do we come up with those new spaces? Here are a few things I’m trying at Duolingo: 1. Innovation needs a high-energy environment, and a slow process will kill a great idea. So I always ask myself: Can we remove some of the organizational barriers here? Do managers from seven different teams really need to say yes on every project? Seeking consensus across the company—rather than just keeping everyone informed—can be a major deterrent to innovation. 2. Similarly, beware of defaulting to “following up.” If product meetings are on a weekly cadence, every time you do this, you are allocating seven days to a task that might only need two. We try to avoid this and promote a sense of urgency, which is essential for innovative ideas to turn into successes. 3. Figure out the right incentive. Most product orgs reward team members whose ideas have measurable business impact, which works in most contexts. But once you’ve found product-market fit, it is often easiest to generate impact through smaller wins. So, naturally, if your org tends to only reward impact, you have effectively incentivized constant optimization of existing features instead of innovation. In the short term things will look great, but over time your product becomes stale. I try to show my teams that we value and reward bigger ideas. If someone sticks their neck out on a new concept, we should highlight that—even if it didn’t pan out. Big swings should be celebrated, even if we didn’t win, because there are valuable learnings there. 4. Look for innovative thinkers with a history of zero-to-one feature work. There are lots of amazing product managers out there, but not many focus on new problem domains. If a PM has created something new from scratch and done it well, that’s a good sign. An even better sign: if they show excitement about and gravitate toward that kind of work. If that sounds like you—if you’re a product manager who wants to think big picture and try out big ideas in a fast-paced environment with a stellar mission—we want you on our team. We’re hiring a Director of Product Management: https://lnkd.in/dQnWqmDZ #productthoughts #innovation #productmanagement #zerotoone

Do you believe that a PM's job is to "protect the team" and help them focus on execution? That product management should own the WHY and WHAT, being the expert on the customer and business, leaving the HOW to the team? I used to think this way too, until I realized it significantly blocked innovation. When I took sole responsibility for the why and what, I found that I was: • Keeping my team from direct contact with stakeholders, making me the only person exposed to different perspectives on a problem • Providing strategic context without really allowing the team to work with it • Delivering predefined solutions, holding the team accountable only for the final step Even when the team was given a problem to solve, I bore much of the responsibility on my shoulders, thinking it was for the best. Until I realized it was not. True innovation comes from considering different perspectives from the beginning. The entire team should feel responsible and accountable for the why, what, and how, and work together to define how to best get there. Since I started to think this way, I’ve witnessed: 📋 Easier prioritization as we collectively weigh different perspectives and take responsibility for the product in the short, medium, and long term 💝 The team's understanding of customers has deepened, allowing them to empathize and innovate more effectively 🤝The team’s grasp of stakeholders' point of view has improved, unlocking a better understanding of business constraints and opportunities 🪽A lighter burden on my shoulders, as I no longer feel the pressure of always having to have all the answers Below, I've shared my old and new sketches of the product's role within a team and how I coach my PMs to think about responsibilities within a product team. I’m curious, how would you define the roles of different competencies in your product team? #ProductInsights #Innovation #ProductDevelopment #ProductManagement

If you work on a data engineering or data science team, then cost reduction is likely a major point of discussion. Especially this time of year. As a data consultant, I have managed to save millions of dollars over the past few years. The surprising thing is much of those expenses come from the same usual suspects(perhaps it's not that surprising). 1. Make sure you set up partitions or clusters where needed 2. Don't build a view, on view, on view mess that takes 10 minutes to run and is used for a heavily used dashboard 3. Check to ensure you've set Snowflake idle time to 1 minute(when it makes sense) 4. Make sure you've optimized your data ingestion solution(if you're paying 100k a year for ingestion, we should talk!) 5. Have some level of governance on who can build in production 6. Create a process to review costs every month or so. New projects and workflows can suddenly increase costs and if you're not constantly ensuring your costs are managed, they will explode I'd love to hear your tips as well!

Too often, I’ve been in a meeting where everyone agreed collaboration was essential—yet when it came to execution, things stalled. Silos persisted, friction rose, and progress felt painfully slow. A recent Harvard Business Review article highlights a frustrating truth: even the best-intentioned leaders struggle to work across functions. Why? Because traditional leadership development focuses on vertical leadership (managing teams) rather than lateral leadership (influencing peers across the business). The best cross-functional leaders operate differently. They don’t just lead their teams—they master LATERAL AGILITY: the ability to move side to side, collaborate effectively, and drive results without authority. The article suggests three strategies on how to do this: (1) Think Enterprise-First. Instead of fighting for their department, top leaders prioritize company-wide success. They ask: “What does the business need from our collaboration?” rather than “How does this benefit my team?” (2) Use "Paradoxical Questions" to Avoid Stalemates. Instead of arguing over priorities, they find a way to win together by asking: “How can we achieve my objective AND help you meet yours?” This shifts the conversation from turf battles to solutions. (3) “Make Purple” Instead of Pushing a Plan. One leader in the article put it best: “I bring red, you bring blue, and together we create purple.” The best collaborators don’t show up with a fully baked plan—they co-create with others to build trust and alignment. In my research, I’ve found that curiosity is so helpful in breaking down silos. Leaders who ask more questions—genuinely, not just performatively—build deeper trust, uncover hidden constraints, and unlock creative solutions. - Instead of assuming resistance, ask: “What constraints are you facing?” - Instead of pushing a plan, ask: “How might we build this together?” - Instead of guarding your function’s priorities, ask: “What’s the bigger picture we’re missing?” Great collaboration isn’t about power—it’s about perspective. And the leaders who master it create workplaces where innovation thrives. Which of these strategies resonates with you most? #collaboration #leadership #learning #skills https://lnkd.in/esC4cfjS

I’ve worked with countless leaders, candidates, and high-performing teams across the CPG space, and one thing stands out above all else: the best people aren’t just skilled, they’re easy to work with. You can have the most impressive résumé, the sharpest skills, and a portfolio of achievements, but if people dread collaborating with you, success will only go so far. Being easy to work with means: > You communicate clearly. No one should have to decode your emails or guess at your intentions. > You bring solutions, not just problems. Teams thrive on collaboration, not complaints. > You adapt to different work styles. Flexibility builds trust and rapport. > You’re approachable. Being open to feedback and ideas fosters a culture of growth. What’s often overlooked is that this “soft skill” has a massive impact on career growth. Why? Because opportunities follow trust. Managers advocate for team players. Colleagues recommend those who make their lives easier. Clients stick with people who listen and deliver. Leaders, When evaluating candidates, don’t just focus on their qualifications—ask yourself, “Would I enjoy working with this person every day?” For professionals, Whether you’re climbing the ladder or pivoting to a new role, remember: technical skills open doors, but collaboration keeps them open. What’s your take? How do you measure “easy to work with” when hiring or building teams? #Leadership #Headhunting #Hiring #CareerSkills #Teamwork

Transforming How We Think About Collaboration: The 'Collaborative Innovation' Approach 🪄 🎯 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 Instead of seeking lowest-common-denominator agreement, start with a powerful vision that attracts committed changemakers. 👥 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Rather than "open door" meetings, carefully select participants to ensure the whole system is in the room — from grassroots to grasstops. 🔄 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗼-𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Move away from "develop-then-present" to working together in real-time, leveraging collective intelligence. ⚡️ 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 Stop pushing for false harmony and start using differences as catalysts for innovation. ✨ 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 Build the strategy through action rather than endless planning sessions. What's powerful about this approach is how it transforms resistance and diversity into sources of innovation. It's not about getting everyone to agree — it's about weaving different perspectives into transformative interventions. Insights from Russ Gaskin, CoCreative and Ashoka's Leading Multi-stakeholder Collaborations course💡 🤔 How do you navigate the tension between inclusion and focused action in your collaborative work? #SystemicChange #Collaboration #Innovation #Leadership #CollectiveImpact

What’s your workplace environment like? In my experience leading teams and facilitating collaboration, I prioritize emotional intelligence over intellectual intelligence. This graphic illustrates my perspective well. While working with intelligent individuals is advantageous, it is not enough. Intelligence can solve problems, but humility and kindness create cultures that prevent issues from arising in the first place. Here’s why this distinction matters: Kind and humble individuals: - Facilitate effortless collaboration. There’s no need to defend ideas or egos, allowing teams to build together more quickly, efficiently, and with greater trust. - Create psychological safety. When individuals feel respected, they are more likely to speak up, share innovative ideas, and admit mistakes early. This openness is vital for team innovation and growth. - Inspire long-term loyalty. Employees do not leave companies; they leave toxic dynamics. Collaborating with grounded and genuine teammates helps retain top talent. Ways to practice kindness and humility at work include: - Listening more than speaking. The loudest voice is not always the most impactful. Listening fosters connection and earns respect. - Giving credit generously. Acknowledging the contributions of others enhances trust and energy within the team. - Continuing to learn. Believing you have “arrived” can halt your growth. Maintain curiosity, stay open, and ensure that success does not make you unapproachable. Kind individuals build strong teams, and strong teams drive significant results.

### Harnessing Synergy Between Manufacturing & Sales: A Blueprint for Success for Manufacturing Companies In today's highly competitive manufacturing industry, the synergy between manufacturing and sales teams is not just beneficial—it's essential. By aligning these two crucial departments, companies can achieve remarkable improvements in efficiency, product quality, and customer satisfaction. **1. Enhanced Communication** Effective communication between manufacturing and sales ensures that both teams are on the same page regarding product specifications, production schedules, and customer expectations. Regular meetings and updates facilitate this alignment, reducing the risk of misunderstandings and ensuring that customer needs are met promptly. **2. Streamlined Processes** When manufacturing and sales teams collaborate, they can streamline processes to reduce lead times and improve product delivery. For instance, sales teams can provide valuable insights into market trends and customer preferences, enabling the manufacturing team to adjust production schedules and inventory levels accordingly. **3. Better Problem Solving** Synergy fosters a problem-solving culture where challenges are addressed collectively. If a production issue arises, the sales team can provide immediate feedback from customers, allowing the manufacturing team to implement quick and effective solutions. This collaborative approach minimizes downtime and ensures continuous improvement. **4. Innovation and Growth** Collaborative efforts between these teams can lead to innovative product developments. Sales teams, with their direct customer interactions, can gather critical feedback that manufacturing can use to enhance product designs and features. This continuous feedback loop not only meets customer demands but also positions the company ahead of competitors. **5. Customer-Centric Approach** Ultimately, the goal of any manufacturing company is to satisfy its customers. When manufacturing and sales teams work together seamlessly, they create a unified customer-centric approach. This ensures that the final product not only meets but exceeds customer expectations, leading to increased customer loyalty and repeat business. By fostering a strong partnership between manufacturing and sales, companies can unlock new levels of success. This synergy drives efficiency, innovation, and customer satisfaction, creating a solid foundation for long-term growth and competitiveness in the manufacturing industry. #ManufacturingSuccess #TeamSynergy #SalesAndManufacturing #EfficiencyInManufacturing #CustomerSatisfaction #InnovationInManufacturing #BusinessGrowth #CollaborativeSuccess #ManufacturingExcellence #SalesStrategies

Most B2B PMs work with Sales and CS teams. But, don't know how to collaborate well. The best way to collaborate with Sales, AM, CS teams is to do 3 things 1. Get feedback 2. Co-create 3. Test 𝟭. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸. These teams are closer to the customer and the market than the product manager. It is important to use their expertise to identify the right problems to solve. This is how I do it: Sales / Account management teams • Have regular meetings • Have a specific agenda for each • Document all feedback • Make feedback publicly available to all teams • 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 how you use their feedback to make your roadmap better Customer support (CS) teams • Have regular meetings • Analyse CS tickets at scale • Categorise them. Identify most painful categories • Read actual transcripts to learn the true issues • Use issues / problems to improve roadmap • 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 how you use their feedback to make your roadmap better Make them feel their voice is heard, respected, and appreciated. Then, they will automatically share more openly and proactively. Show them you are their true partner. 2. 𝗖𝗼-𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 Involve them in the solution phase. Show them how and what you're thinking in terms of solving the problems. Take their feedback, make it better. 𝟯 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 Consider sales / AM teams to be proxy for the customers and the CS teams as the proxy for the users. If sales team don't think customers will pay for a feature / solution or if CS teams think users will NOT use it -- take that feedback seriously. Understand why. And then improve it. -- It took me a few years to learn and improve this collaboration process. In the process, I learned that -- all teams have their strengths. As long as PMs create a space where everyone has the room to demonstrate their strengths, the outcome is always net positive. How do you collaborate with your sales, AM, and CS teams?

One of the biggest mistakes companies make is keeping partnerships and sales teams in silos. Partnerships get assigned revenue goals, but the sales team’s KPIs remain unchanged. Which results in a lack of alignment, miscommunication, and missed opportunities. The key to making partnerships impactful is integration. Sales and partnerships should share KPIs that encourage collaboration, not competition. Metrics like partner-sourced leads, partner-assisted deal velocity, or co-sell win rates create a common language that both teams can rally around. But communication is what will make this all work. When sales and partnerships speak the same language, supported by regular communication and mutual goals, the result is a seamless strategy that drives growth and strengthens relationships. Alignment starts with metrics, but success depends on how you communicate them.