Berlin13.09.2014

Multicultural design teams1+1=11 ?

Andrzej Karelwww.andrzejkarel.com

Who?

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Andrzej:

• product manager at Soundian (Creation Center of Telekom Innovation Laboratiories)

• freelance consultant (with Design Thinking Warsaw)

• runs blog 100SDT.com

• organizes Design Thinking Meetups in Warsaw

barcamp outlinename tags

gadgetswarm-up

Creation Center Telekom Innovation Labs

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HPI School of Design Thinking CCBY-NC-ND 4.0 3 Core Elements

Design Thinking

Benefits of multidisciplinary teams

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More perspectives = creativity

Broader team skill set

Breaking down companies’ „silo” structure

„Diversity is the fertilizer of innovation. (…) Comfortable social situations are actually

barriers to innovation. When all of a company’s managers are from the same

background (or are the same gender or race), the company tends to stop innovating

and runs into trouble.”Business Innovation For Dummies – A. Hiam

Risks of multidisciplinary teams

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Communication problems (different terminologies)

Different motivations

Scepticism towards „others”

3 types of differentiation: professional, personal (character and

culture), demographic

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1. Define team needs and choose members. Four core specializations: designpsychology/social sciences businessIT/ engineering+ expert

c

Z

7€

a

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1. Define team needs and choose members. Four core specializations: designpsychology/social sciences businessIT/ engineering+ expert

c

Z

7€

a

2. Prepare teamwork. Get to know each other, give a name, clarify team rules.

Creation Center Telekom Innovation Labs

Exercise: My cultural collage / avatar

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Form teams of 3-4

10 minutes to create a personal collage

Use: materials, LEGO, gadgets, business cards, …

2 minutes to present to others in team – total 10 min.

Excercise: My cultural collage / avatar

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INCLUDE:

name

workplace

I come from … and for my team it means that …

I’m amazing at (2 things)

I’d like to be amazing at (2 things)

My work style in one sentence:

One team rule I’d like to introduce to our cooperation is:

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1. Define team needs and choose members. Four core specializations: designpsychology/social sciences businessIT/ engineering+ expert

c

Z

7€

a

2. Prepare teamwork. Get to know each other, give a name, clarify team rules.

3. Monitor teamwork.Check-ins and check-outs, warm-ups, team roles, etc.

Creation Center Telekom Innovation LabsCreation Center

Telekom Innovation Labs

„Team Considerations”d.School Stanford

Solutions?

Discuss best practices and possible solutions to each

team member’s 2 issues that„needs work”

Key learning Do your homework towards

cultural differences of others youwork with: team members and

partners.

• initiate project by getting to know each other

• monitor team’s performance• prepare for any meetings thatmight cause a „cultural clash”

HPI School of Design Thinking

Andrzej Karel

Thanks!

www.andrzejkarel.comlinkedin.com/in/andrzejkarel