This is Part Two of an interview I did with Mark Parker for SPARK.
The Right Chemistry
We also promote a less formal SWAT team approach, especially where speed is critical and a specific mix of individuals can really attack an opportunity. Often times it’s about finding the right “chemistry” – not just how good people are as individuals, but how well they work together. You may have someone who doesn’t have the greatest resume or experience, but when put on the right team they create great energy and incredible things because the chemistry is right. This approach is very powerful in designing products, but it also happens in other parts of the company – marketing, communications, operations, supply chain, and retail. Great ideas can come from anywhere. True brilliance is rare, but I think creativity in people is the norm and not the exception. The key is the ability to visualize what an idea can be, to elaborate on it, stretch and poke and play with possibilities that can be brought to life in earnest and not just in theory.
Amplify the Focus
Even with all these efforts, you’re going to face tough times when things don’t work, when the well runs dry. There was a point back in the late ‘80s when Nike’s growth flattened and the company was struggling. So we put together the “Speed Group” to accelerate the design and development of what we thought were the most compelling product concepts of the time, stuff rattling around in our Advanced R&D group. The results included “Visible AIR” technology and “Cross-Training” footwear, two defining moments in our history of innovation. It was a matter of pulling together the best people to work on this particular list of projects, and giving them the support and backing they needed to get it done quickly.
Sometimes you need to work around the larger organization when it starts to sag under its own weight. You look for ways to shake it up, amplify the focus, energize the sense of urgency, get on a mission, get each other excited, and create momentum. Managing this type of “disruption” in the organization can be very delicate. But if you’re open and you communicate, people tend to let their guard down and trust a lot more. I found that to be very helpful. In the end, what really matters are results. When people start to see that, ‘Wow, they’re moving fast and they’re producing some really good work and this is stuff that can really help the company in a big way,’ then people start to rally.