From Problem Solving to Synergy Solutions Teams: Balancing Lean Management With Innovation

In today’s dynamic business landscape, organizations are increasingly challenged to balance the simultaneous demands of lean management and innovation. Managers must prioritize innovation in products, processes, and services while ensuring compliance with rules and maintaining operational efficiency. This dual focus creates a paradox, making it crucial to manage these competing priorities effectively to achieve sustainable performance across various dimensions. To address this, we propose the concept of synergy solutions teams (SSTs) that operate on the principle that collaborative efforts, combining the diverse strengths of individual members, achieve the best results. To that end, SSTs practice three team processes to push the boundaries of current possibilities and harness collective intelligence: first, engage in sense-making to interpret and understand complex situations, second, increase epistemic motivation for deep, accurate, and innovative problem-solving, and third, collaborate to enhance information processing. By fostering collaboration and leveraging the diverse skills, knowledge, and perspectives of team members, SSTs can create innovative, high-impact solutions that balance efficiency with innovation.