I’ve been working on a project where we would like to build a new business line but integrate the consumer experience into our existing already very full experience. It has required we get support from other departments and teams who are focused on the existing business.
The best way I can describe how it feels is adding a new brother or sister to a family. I understand this well because I am the oldest of three and I remember when my parents brought home my baby brother.
While my sister and I loved him, we didn’t know what to do with him. We certainly didn’t want him messing with our stuff, breaking our toys or stealing our parents’ attention. Similarly, fellow employees want to be helpful to the new business but sometimes the goals just don’t align.
It’s natural to feel this inherent rivalry and it can be addressed in a few key ways:
- Prepare the organization with training
- Provide regular and ongoing communication
- Stay disciplined with follow through
- Listen to grievances and acknowledge concerns
- Leverage fellow employee advocates
Just like telling a toddler about the approaching birth of a sibling, we held several training sessions about Lean Startup and socialized the three horizons model within the company well before we started our search for a new viable business.
We kept the organization informed of our progress, with presentations and regular email updates demonstrating what we’ve learned. This included checking in with our exec team on a routine cadence to review key pivot decisions.
There were times when those outside our team verbalized concern about the project. Despite all our communication, sometimes they couldn’t understand the point. We’d listen and acknowledge concerns. It wasn’t always easy.
But, we knew we were getting somewhere when we heard other employees speak up and advocate on our team’s behalf and explain why everyone in the organization needed to support our work. These people have become champions for our project and helped us move forward.
Honestly, we could have moved a lot faster if we hadn’t had to stay connected to the core business. But we’ve discovered a new revenue opportunity and introduced a process for new ideas, which also has a lot of value. The success of this new business requires the support of the existing business. It needs to be nurtured like a dependent.
It can be trying at times but if you remain patient and enjoy the support of your coworkers, you can create space for innovation within your existing organization.
The Craft of Product 