#Idea - Collaboration and Innovation Lab

I dream of a place where every Blue Shield Employee has opportunity to contribute to Blue Shield’s mission outside of what his / her defined job responsibilities are. I am asking for a place which gives employees the privilege to attempt things that should not be possible otherwise. A structure, a place where employees can collaborate, share ideas, viewpoints without fear of failure or afraid of being judged and be supported by all leaders of the Organization as well as all employees.

I have a dream, but because I am dreaming in a ‘corporate setting’, I will say, I have a dream, and I have a plan. I admit, my plan is in its infancy. I say infancy because, like an infant, the plan may seem a bit messy, needs a lot of TLC, needs to be nurtured. But like an infant it is full of possibilities and offers opportunities. I request you to please take care of this (infant) plan as if it is your own (brain) child. Don’t complain that it is not complete and needs a lot work, don’t say this may not turn out as we want it to, don’t say it’s ugly. Embrace the child and be the village that is needed to raise this child. Even though it is my brain child, I am giving you authority over it and I have only one condition – please shape it as you like, but please protect the ‘DNA’ of this child, please remember that this child was born to fulfill the dream I talked about. 

The plan involves all of us. At the center of a plan, are the ‘chosen few’, the ‘navy seals’ of collaboration and innovation who get to have this privilege first. They are individual contributors who have demonstrated their collaborative prowess and innovative aptitude. These people will get to spend 20% of their ‘work time’ in the ‘Collaborative Innovation Lab’. I am proposing that we choose somewhere between 8 to 12 people to be part of this lab (~0.2% assuming 5000 total employees). This team will be a group of people with complementary skills, who are committed to a common purpose (collaboration and innovation), set of performance goals (problems solved, lessons learned – to be determined by the team), and approach for which they hold themselves mutually responsible*. This group is represented by ‘Red’ circle on the diagram below. 

This team will invest tremendous amount of time and effort exploring, shaping and agreeing on what and how they will achieve collaboration and innovation. ‘What’ and ‘how’ will belong to them both collectively and individually. This purposing activity will continue throughout the life of the team.

This small, core team will be supported by Blue Shield of California leaders (Director and above) who understand the ‘need’ and ‘benefits’ of this initiative and are willing to be part of this initiative. This layer shown in the diagram below in ‘Blue’ circle (~5% of total employees) will protect, nurture and help the ‘Red’ team. Their main functions will be to come up with problems worth solving and providing additional resources from their teams on ‘as needed’ basis to be work with the core team. Each leader will decide his / her role in supporting the core team.

All other employees of Blue Shield Of California (~95%) will be considered ‘extension’ of the Core team and Leader team. They are represented in below diagram by ‘green’ circle. This team will be kept informed about work of the core team on a periodical basis. Some of these employees will also get to work with the ‘Core Team’ on as needed basis. The decision of them working with the Core team will be taken by them and their director (member of leader team) based on the need of the core team.

Here is 'A day in the life of a core team member' essay I wrote to highlight opportunities and  possibilities that this lab offers.

Annual Initiative Funding:

Assuming core team of 10 people, spends 20% of their time (400 hours each per year), and with an average hourly rate / cost to company of $100, the human resource funding will come to $400,000.Core team will also need to keep expenses on facilities, IT needs and other expenses under $72,000 / year.

The leader team and extended team will use operational budgets of respective teams to cover for time they spend working in the lab.    

* Jon R Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith (HBR Paper – The Discipline of Teams)