Assembling and Leading Mission Driven Teams A Strategic Design Framework

Globalization, interconnectivity, and instant access to information have multiplied the complexity of the problems industries are facing. A new way of looking, feeling and thinking is necessary that will lead to richer strategies and new tools to create organizations that have a positive impact on their environment and culture. High performance teams driving innovation are built with goal-focused individuals, from cross-functional backgrounds. They come together to collaborate on solving particular challenges of achieving an objective. The current study aims to analyze the creative process within ad hoc mission driven teams and propose a design framework for organisational practices. Strategic design transforms complex problems into sustainable solutions, by focusing on systemic innovation. Unlike design thinking, which is a formal method used mainly in the consultant model, strategic design is a design practice applied on organisations culture, policy, governance, and strategy. Questions such as how to run mission-driven teams to function on their own and how to reduce micromanagement and oversight and focus on the production, testing and iteration of innovative solutions, will be addressed. The analysis is based on qualitative and basic research, with the focus on one case-study. The paper aims to offer new perspectives to organisational leaders and team managers on how to design solutions for cultural practices that are aligned with sustainable industry goals and business performance.