When you run your own team, it’s easy to become resistant to the notion of outsourcing help. You have a very particular set of operational parameters and you stick by them. Simply put, you like to do things your way. And when you run Design Sprints, that means you won't hire an external Design Sprint facilitator to help you.
However, while noble and completely understandable, it can prove detrimental to your products and your business if you are resistant to new ideas or perspectives.
What we often hear is "we already run Design Sprints".
When improving existing products or user experiences, validating new features on existing products or formulating brand new products, a fresh pair of eyes could be just what you need. In any of these instances, an outside Design Sprint Facilitator can be a real boon for your project and your operation.
These individuals are completely impartial and hyper-motivated. They can keep the team on-track while helping them to think outside the proverbial box. All without straying from the ideals, tenets and principles which make your business and your product stand out in a fiercely competitive environment. Here we’ll look at some of the reasons why you can benefit from hiring an outside Design Sprint Facilitator.
They’re immune to organisational struggles
A Design Sprint Facilitator comes to your business with a single function- To work with the team and help them to overcome their problems. They are completely dedicated to improving the end product while also streamlining the design sprint process. They are specially trained in problem framing and helping teams to overcome historic impediments. They can ideate from a position of in-depth operational understanding and impartiality.
Because they have a specific set of skills and a clear end goal they are immune to the organisational struggles which can prevent busy and taxed team members from being at their best.
An external Design Sprint facilitator doesn't have biases that could prevent fair facilitation
Outside facilitators aren’t beholden to the politics, office dynamics and power struggles of the workplace. Their input isn’t coloured by historical precedent. They’re not going to side with team members on the basis of personal relationships not are they going to dismiss a perfectly valid suggestion from a team member as a result of a previous mistake. While they acknowledge and respect prior successes, they aren’t afraid to deviate from “tried and true” formulae.
Even with the best of intentions, biases and personal experience can prove an impediment to fair facilitation. An outsourced entity works with the end goal in mind, not an affiliation to any one team member or methodology.
What’s more, because of their impartiality, their suggestions are less likely to be met with dissent from within the team.
They bring a fresh perspective to products
Your business is arguably defined by its products. As such, you’ll want to ensure that the end customer can expect a certain standard of product from you and an identity that is completely yours. However, as important as it is to be true to your brand identity, doing things “your way” can easily become a rod for your back. Outside facilitators bring a fresh perspective that is not as tethered to historical precedent. They think outside the box to help make new products feel fresh and new products feel invigorated while still retaining their sense of brand identity.
They can free up your internal resources
Your design sprints are rarely the only operational aspect of business with which your team needs to concern itself. Often, an enterprise’s commitment to a new design sprint can come at the cost of day-to-day operational quality, especially for smaller teams. In order for you to be able to maintain the standard to which you hold yourself, your internal resources need to dedicate their time and efforts to day to day tasks as well as new design sprints… But that’s easier said than done.
Design sprints are inherently challenging and exciting and likely to occupy your team’s efforts in ways that can potentially compromise operational excellence. With the help of a dedicated Design Sprint Facilitator, your team members can continue working on their more quotidian tasks while knowing that future projects are in the best possible hands.
How we can help
We understand that enlisting an outside Design Sprint Facilitator requires a leap of faith. Nonetheless, with our help, you can overcome even the most stubborn barriers to your growth and overcome the limitations of your digital infrastructure. Quite simply, our Design Sprint facilitation services are designed to help you create better products within a faster time frame.
And we’ve yet to encounter a single enterprise where this hasn’t proven a substantial benefit to business growth. Still not convinced? No problem. Get in touch with us today to book a Discovery Call. We’ll delineate, without pressure or sophistry, how our digital solutions can benefit your operation.
We can’t wait to start working with you!
PS - if you're dead set on running Design Sprints yourself, check out our Design Sprint training to make sure you're up to speed and your sprint goes off with a bang!