5 min read 
There are three key drivers of team excellence: communication, customer focus, and continuous innovation. In the first two parts of this blog series (see part 1 / part 2) on unlocking team potential, we’ve explored the power of feedback and how strong customer relationships can improve product quality.
In this final part, we’ll look at how continuous innovation is a key component for development teams looking to gain a competitive advantage.
Embrace failure as a learning tool
The most innovative teams are those willing to try new things. Even when those ideas don’t pan out, there are still valuable lessons to be learned. The best teams aren’t afraid to try new things and fail because they know it allows them to learn and improve. This promotes a culture of continuous innovation that comes from seeing any misstep as an opportunity rather than a true failure.
Customer-centric innovation
The best ideas don’t always come from team brainstorming sessions. No one understands the market better than your customers and they should be a resource you tap into regularly. With a deeper understanding of your customers and their needs, it can be easier to find innovative solutions with the potential to disrupt.
With a focus on continuous innovation, you can bring this customer-centric approach into your monthly and quarterly workflows. Instead of turning to the customer when it’s time to do something new, speak to them at regular intervals for feedback and insight. As their needs change and the market evolves, there could be new opportunities for innovation that would otherwise be missed.
Encourage cross-functional collaboration
While communication is important, taking this beyond the core development team is the cornerstone of innovation. When you add the expertise and insights of other teams within the organization, it’s possible to innovate while improving productivity. Innovation thrives when different voices come together and these fresh perspectives could be the secret to your next breakthrough.
For example, working with the marketing and UX teams early in the development process can help set good foundations for the user experience. Encouraging this collaboration from day one can also mean fewer changes in the future. Equally, working with customer service teams could yield some interesting insights into customer needs and what they might be struggling with. This allows developers to deliver projects and fixes that solve those problems—taking a lot of the guesswork out of sprint planning.
The key here is to embrace the insights from different stakeholders. Their insights from different angles of the business can lead to a breakthrough during the brainstorming process.
Experiment relentlessly
Small, rapid experiments lead to big results. The key here is to give the team space to iterate quickly to test ideas, gather feedback, and pivot if needed. Working in sprints allows developers to experiment and adapt as things change. Making small changes during each iteration helps explore new value for the customer as developers build on the MVP (minimum viable product). This allows the team to explore new ideas while making other necessary changes based on priority.
This builds flexibility into how the team works and helps drive a culture of continuous innovation. The result is a product with proven value backed up by technology.
Nurture a culture of curiosity
Experimentation comes from curiosity so it’s important to weave this into your company culture. Developers who are encouraged to ask questions and try new things will be the ones most ready to innovate—and often, the most enthusiastic about their work. Encouraging curiosity and exploration creates an environment where big ideas are born.
Innovation isn’t a one-time event, it’s something that needs to be nurtured on an ongoing basis. Encouraging this mindset in developers and giving them the space to experiment will result in disruptive ideas as well as innovative new ways of doing things.
Remember, the most innovative teams are the ones asking ‘what if?’
4 min read