building effective r&d teams - chad roue, pulsar vascular
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Building Effective R&D Teams - Presentation by Chad Roue, Vice President, R&D, Pulsar Vascular at the marcus evans Medical Device R&D Summit Spring 2014 held in Las Vegas, NVTRANSCRIPT
Building Effective Building Effective R&D TeamsR&D Teams
BUILDING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVENESSCHAD ROUE, VICE PRESIDENT OF R&D, PULSAR CHAD ROUE, VICE PRESIDENT OF R&D, PULSAR VASCULARJUNE 26, 2014
Effective R&D Team Building – What 2
does an effective team look like?Why are teams considered successful?Why are teams considered successful?
DeliveryFocusFocusAdaptabilityFinish effectivelyFinish effectively
Effective R&D Team Building – What 3
does an effective team look like?What made these teams successful?What made these teams successful?
Strong leadership
Clear Purpose
Di it f b k d / i i t tili dDiversity of backgrounds/viewpoints utilized
Open communication even in conflict
Culture that rewards team successes as well as individual successes
Why are teams effective 4
(or ineffective)?Four Primary Components affecting team/project Four Primary Components affecting team/project success
People Skill sets IQ/EQ balance attitudeSkill sets, IQ/EQ balance, attitude
ProjectAchievability, clarity, relentless pursuit
Environment/Culture Environment/Culture Management’s support for creativity & risk-taking, celebration of team successes, recognition of individual contributions
Leadership pEnergy, credibility, EQ/IQ balance
The Right Peopleg p
Recreating the Conditions of Success 6-How can my team look like those teams I consider to be effective?
PeoplePrimarily chosen for skill sets (initial screen)
Subject Matter Experts
Proven technical capabilities
Great start, but high-performing teams tend to have high emotional intelligence as well
If you can’t get along you won’t move along
AttitudeOpen to working and succeeding as a team vs. Me, Myself, and I-centric
Leadership response to team members performance & attitude
Recreate the People 7
People can be managed up or downEven the most talented team needs management and leadership
Build on the skills and energy present in the team
Low-performers/difficult peoplep p pMost (but not all) can be managed up
This skill separates the managers from the true leaders
Make the most of what you goty gAll cylinders firing vs. relying on self-starters only
The Projectj
Create Clarity of Purpose 9
Why does this project matter?Why does this project matter?What is our goal and why?
Why do we care?
Wh /h d t ib ti tt ?Why/how does my contribution matter?No ‘participation trophies’ here – it ALL matters
Everyone wants to be successful at their job – give them a piece of the successsuccess
This often takes coaching, mentoring, and cheerleadingIt takes real effort, but payoff can be huge
Damage can be huge as well if done incorrectly
Create Consensus - 10
or a close facsimile of itAgreement on clearly defined deliverables - from all sidesAgreement on clearly defined deliverables - from all sides
Project statement/definition/etc.
Timelines and assumptions stated unambiguously
With t t l d l S i i iblWithout agreement on a clear end goal– Success is impossibleWhat does success look like if you don’t spell it out?
Don’t need to agree on ‘the best way’ just on ‘a way’
As the leader – you will need to rally your team to this goal
Pursuing the Goals 11
The Project PlanThe Project PlanPlanning is crucial of course but upfront knowledge is always imperfectIt’s not about the journey – it’s about unyielding focus on the finish – don’t get hung up on hiccupsFlexibility to adapt to shifts in landscape and Flexibility to adapt to shifts in landscape and incorporate new information are required for success
Staying on Track 12
Scope creep vs smart choicesScope creep vs. smart choicesKnow the differenceEvaluate and decide (quickly)
Team leader must be unwavering in pursuing the team goals, but be able to change tactics or revisit goals based on new evidence
Pitfalls: Indeterminacy vs. stubborn insistence on staying the courseEffective leaders need to know the differenceEffective leaders need to know the difference
Finish Strong 13
Know when the project is completeKnow when the project is completeAvoid the endless cycle of ‘just one more thing’Products can ALWAYS be improved –you always know more at th d f th j t th did i th b i ithe end of the project than you did in the beginning
Remember that thing about successful teams DELIVERING?Deliver great products, not the unattainable ‘perfect’ product
Nothing is perfect – EVER!
Hand the product over COMPLETEBut plan on spending time after the hand-off
14
The Environment
Creating a success-oriented culture
Culture is Critical 15
Company culture Company culture In larger companies - hard to affect overall culture
In small companies – you create your own culture
C t lt i ith Create your own culture in either caseSafety in taking reasonable risks while maintaining accountability
Celebration of successes (team and individual)
Healthy competition is fine, but everyone must be enabled to succeed
Key Ingredient: Everyone wants to feel successful at their job and to contribute to something and feel valued for that contribution
Motivation as Part of the Culture 16
Reward/celebrate victories as they occurReward/celebrate victories as they occurOpportunities to build energyBuilds momentum and creates hunger for more successFeeling successful is importantg p
Be a great example – motivates others to followIf you care – the team is more likely to careIf you work hard – the team is more likely to follow you . . . . . . . You are always being evaluated and critiqued
Create connections between individual success and team success
Find the balance to create the desire for teamwork Leaders Find the balance to create the desire for teamwork - Leaders challenge is to ‘keep all the plates spinning’ all the time
Open Communication 17
Easy to fall into destructive behaviors that kill communicationEasy to fall into destructive behaviors that kill communicationOngoing dissent / “I told you so” attitude
Backchannel gossip or backstabbing
T ki d dit d i d ditTaking undue credit or denying due credit
Facilitating communicationThis is where you really need to bring the patience be the example
Body language speaks louder than words
Perception is reality – set the tone for others to follow
If you tolerate it – you condone it and eventually you own it
The Leadership 18
Leadership 19
‘CEO’ of the teamCEO of the teamMust bring and create energy – ENDLESS AMOUNTSCheerleader for team accomplishmentsCoach to keep team focused and executingCounselor - Understand each team member’s needs and set everyone up for success (their success = team success =
ll )overall success)
Leadership 20
Primary responsibility for:Primary responsibility for:People – choosing, motivating, managingProject – Definition, direction, focusProject Definition, direction, focusCulture – Success oriented, safe & secure, participation required and acknowledged
21
People
Leadership
Project Culture
Close out Project 22
– Are We There Yet?
Approach Avoidance Syndrome“If only we added . . . . “
S f t t t d t i Scope creep frustrates team and stymies progressCourt agreement on project success (above and below)This is the time to celebrate a success
The next project is the time for ‘what ifs’
Is product good enough for launch or not?Which shortcomings must be addressed NOW vs next time
Close out Project 23
-Hand off ,But SupportBe sure you’re done when you hand off (usually to Mfg )Be sure you re done when you hand off (usually to Mfg.)
Provide great ‘after the sale’ supportHelps the product succeeed
Creates confidence in the team That’s effectivenessCreates confidence in the team – That s effectiveness
Post-mortemWhere did team work especially well
What shortcomings were encounteredWhat shortcomings were encountered
What did you learn? What can you do differently as the leader?
Build your own portfolio of skills and ideas to help identify improvements to team makeup and culture to complement your style and skillsp p y y
Summary 24
Effective teamsHave great people (Intelligence and capability)(Intelligence and capability)
Believe in and clearly understand their goals
Have a safe and supportive Have a safe and supportive culture that allows them to relentlessly pursue their goals and rewards them for their efforts and successese o s a d successes
Have a leader who creates and maintains all of these aspects