HRSpotlight-Logo
Menu

Fueling Innovation in a Distributed Workforce: Leaders’ Strategies

We’re living in the era of remote work, but how do you keep the creative spark alive when your team is scattered across continents?

We asked experienced leaders to share their personal insights on how they’re fostering a culture of innovation, encouraging collaboration, and empowering their teams to think outside the box, even from afar.

Read on!

Gianluca Ferruggia
General Manager, DesignRush

Creating a culture of innovation in a remote work environment depends on facilitating open communication and promoting creative problem-solving.

At DesignRush, one successful strategy we’ve implemented is initiating ‘Innovation Fridays.’

On these days, team members globally are encouraged to devote time to learn about new industry trends, brainstorm new ideas, and engage in collaborative problem-solving sessions.

By providing a platform that promotes learning and open idea exchange, we cultivate inventiveness and keep our team members mentally stimulated, motivated, and involved in the company’s growth.

This approach not only boosts team morale but also drives cutting-edge solutions to the problems we face in the marketplace.

It’s about being proactive, fostering a learning culture, and instigating excitement around innovation.

Dominic Zijlstra
Founder, Traverse

As CEO of an edtech startup, I’ve found that fostering innovation remotely requires empowering individuals and teams. We give employees freedom to experiment with new ideas on their own time. This “20% time” allows for creativity without the pressure of deadlines or key performance indicators.

To share ideas, we use an open Slack channel dedicated to crowdsourcing solutions. I pose open-ended questions about challenges we’re facing and encourage “crazy” ideas. This spontaneous collaboration sparks new ways of thinking that often lead to innovative solutions.

We also recognize and reward innovative thinking. When an employee develops a new feature that improves the user experience or internal processes, we highlight their work in our monthly newsletter. Publicly reinforcing creativity shapes a culture where innovation is valued. Remote teams need this kind of positive feedback and recognition to stay engaged.

Lily Wang
HR Director, Relyir

As the HR Director at Relyir, fostering a culture of innovation in a remote work environment is integral to our operational success.

One initiative I championed was the implementation of ‘Idea Days’.

Every quarter, team members are encouraged to spend this day working on a project or idea outside of their usual scope of work. They’re then given a platform to present their progress or findings to the rest of the team.

This initiative has not only nurtured innovative thinking, but also fosters cross-departmental collaboration and understanding.

Plus, it provides team members with the opportunity to explore areas they’re passionate about, which in turn boosts morale and engagement.

Nathan Thorne
Horticulturist & CEO, Handy Flowers

As for me, the method that works the best in my case for lateral thinking development in a remote environment is asynchronous brainstorming.

Remote sessions risk becoming too conventional due to the limitations of time differences and various schedules in the team.

Filling the time box with different ideas or images on a single power point page is a common method as well but IT IS EXTREMELY boring.

What this means is that it’s better for people to focus on all the people when and where they feel like contributing, without worrying about the time.

In addition, distributed leadership in project work overcomes the problem of unreasonable ‘groups inhibition’ and new ideas. Even for brief sprints, it does help if different team members are entrusted with driving or at least initiating the projects.

Such a situation can bring new ideas and stimulate creativity and a level of the project team’s responsibility.

Emily Voth
Founder & Innovator, House of Cade Black

As founder of Indigo Wild we created a cheeky ethos of an innovative brand of natural products known as Zumbar Soap.

We were known for our laid-back fun culture, which is what I believe led to innovative, marketing and creative products.

Our secret sauce? Lots of music, shared meals around a large table, and dogs in the workplace. Nothing forced as you cannot create culture in a petri dish!

We had what we called LMTFAT (pronounced Limphat) which stands for “leave me the f*** alone time”!

From 2 to 3 o’clock every afternoon – we turned off the music, and it was an hour of quiet time when no one would bother anyone- a time to get done the big priorities of the day without interruptions or perhaps just a time for a little meditation.

Andrei Kurtuy
CCO & Co-Founder, Novoresume

One strategy I love for fostering innovation in a remote setting is “Innovation Speed Dating.” It’s somewhat unconventional, but it works wonders.

Every few weeks, we pair team members randomly for short 10-minute Zoom sessions.

The idea is for them to pitch an idea—something small, big, wild, or practical—without overthinking it. The key is the quick pace, which helps ideas flow without getting bogged down by formalities or fear of judgment. Afterward, we gather the most promising concepts and open them for broader team discussion.

This keeps the creative energy high and cross-pollinates ideas between departments that might not typically collaborate. Plus, it breaks the monotony of remote work, bringing a fresh, fun element into the mix.

Alan Noblitt
President, Seascape Capital, LLC

I prioritize creating an open, collaborative space where team members feel safe to share ideas. I use regular virtual brainstorming sessions and encourage cross-functional projects to spark creativity. Providing tools for seamless communication and recognizing innovative contributions also keeps the team engaged and motivated.

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing their insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

Recent Posts