Community Forum – How are you managing productivity and team cohesion?

Resource Type
Survey (Community Forum)
Publish Date
09/23/2022
Author
Innovation Research Interchange
Topic
Managing Innovation and R+D
Associated Event
Publication

A: How are you managing productivity and team cohesion?

IRI and Babson College have teamed up to conduct a longitudinal study on the impact that the coronavirus pandemic is having on R&D and innovation management. To understand these impacts over time, we have been conducting a series of surveys over the past year and are continuing for the next two years. We track such key issues as return to the office, attrition, productivity, and morale. You can learn more about the study here.

The results from this week’s survey are below.

Community Responses

*Other responses

  • No, I work virtual fully
  • We are looking to have 1 day in the office, but nothing set in stone yet.
  • Office staff expectation is >50% a week. R&D lab staff is mostly 5d/week. Production is continuous shift work.

*Other responses

  • Stress about uncertainty in our overall industry

*Other responses

  • 360 feedbacks; also understanding employees’ concerns

7. Why has your team’s productivity changed?

  • Getting better at communicating electronically to share updates and collaborate
  • It has not changed.
  • Our department is only one that’s truly hybrid with a requirement to be onsite 3 days per week. We are now seeing productivity erode especially when working with cross-functional teams that are primarily remote. Our relationships, collaboration, and teamwork are suffering.
  • New more productive processes and organization implemented
  • More focus on R&D less on raw materials second sourcing for shortages.
  • We seem to be more focused on ensuring we all complete projects on time.
  • Has not changed much. Remained flat
  • Folks have learnt to deal with the new reality; being efficient in prioritizing; effective communication; laying out clear expectations.
  • Hypothesis is not having teams working in-person enough is impacting effectiveness, especially for newer team members since Covid.
  • Not really changed

9. What are you doing to build professional relationships among your team at work?

  • Foster increased collaborative work and team sharing
  • In-person and online meetings to build personal relationships
  • Invest time in each of their needs, and steer the group in logical directions.
  • We use a platform for coffee chats to help foster relationship building within our department.
  • virtual coffee breaks, team lunches, team workshops and events
  • Encouraging more discussions, even if short. Push for dialogue and interaction.
  • Conference attendances and cross team project work
  • We communicate daily with video conferencing
  • Same as before; our teams are at different locations and frequent virtual meets help. Some in-person meets have started for collaboration opportunities.
  • Looking to bring the team in for a once a week collaboration session.
  • Getting team together in person for trainings and meetings.
  • Make a point to connect with team members when they are in office.
  • Team collaboration meetings, One-on-one meetings with Key leads, New opportunities/challenges for aspiring team members

10. What are you doing to build professional relationships between your team and other teams (or groups) in your organization?

  • Foster increased collaborative work and project update sharing sessions
  • Cross functional projects
  • Maintain strong interfaces whether in person or with digital tool. The key is to focus on the relationships not the tools.
  • This is an opportunity area for us!
  • off-site day for the department, with focus on fun and networking
  • Support for more discussion and sharing
  • Cross teams on project teams. Joint review meetings.
  • I have joined other groups that share similar interests to me, such as the diversity group at my work
  • Sr. management organizes bi-monthlies that are broadly attended; QA sessions address employees’ concerns. R&D leadership meets.
  • Have frequent offsite. Inviting others to participate in our Kaizen events, all-hands meetings, etc.
  • Scheduling time for 1:1’s or to work together as teams when in the office.
  • Joint working groups for specific projects / assignments

Have a response to add?  Email us!