Background
Reflections from the Lab team about key areas to think about when developing and running a lab
Overview
Over the past three and half years the team has gained hands-on experience starting, developing, running and closing a lab.
Below are eight practical areas and questions to explore that the team has identified. They are not intended to cover every aspect of running a lab and we have highlighted other useful lab resources too.
1. Establishing team culture and mindsets
Lab team reflections
- An open and inclusive team culture is critical for success, creating the foundations for wider project work
- Embracing Te Reo Māori and Te Ao Māori is non-negotiable
- Co-locating with other team encourages modelling of positive team culture and practices
- Confidence and capability to give and receive feedback enhances team culture, but requires trust
Questions to explore
- Would your team culture feel welcoming and inclusive to people outside the team?
- In practice, how well does your team culture reflection team principles? If there’s a disconnect - why?
- How does your team’s culture compare to the rest of the organisation? What issues or opportunities does this create?
2. Practices, routines and rhythms that support creativity
Lab team reflections
- Predictable routines support ‘tight and loose’ working. Tight work supports work programme coherence
- Agile methods can help quickly triage, prioritise the work programme, staying focused on the core purpose
- A critical operational role includes someone being responsible for establishing and running team processes (aka scrum master)
- It’s essential that everyone commits to the team’s customs and routines to support workflow and shared learning
Questions to explore
- What will the work programme look like and who is responsible for managing it?
- What criteria will you use for accepting and prioritising new work or stopping existing work?
- Do the team’s practices and routines support remote working?
3. A physical space is not essential but can be an attractor
Lab team reflections
- An open-door policy for visitors and working is a default and supports engagement and knowledge sharing
- A neutral space can support cross-agency work and encourage collaboration by tacitly removing perceptions of ownership
- Hosting visitors is an opportunity to model how you work - showing not telling
- A dedicated space is helpful but not essential, and it’s difficult for it to be the primary offer of a lab team.
Questions to explore
- How easy is it for people to access and make use of the Lab space?
- How effectively are you using the Lab space to tell the story of your work?
- What would a virtual lab offer? How would you make it work?
4. Relationship & engagement require dedicated focus - they are not an add on
Lab team reflections
- Experience of government processes can help bring understanding of system-level barriers.
- External relationships and champions can offer validation and credible support.
- Building relationships at multiple levels with people who can support the work is essential.
- Relationships across the team are just as important and external relationships for reducing silos.
Questions to explore
- Whose role is to develop and hold relationships?
- How is this relational capital shared across the team?
- What do reciprocal relationships look like for your work?
5. Positive relationships with friendly people working in corporate support functions (eg property, IT and procurement) can help when pushing at the edges of BAU
Lab team reflections
- A standard set of online tools supports collaboration and information sharing. When absent, it causes delays and frustration.
- Building relationships with lead contacts in corporate property and procurement helps to progress non-BAU requests
- Operating a panel of external providers can support flexible procurement of additional expertise when needed
Questions to explore
- Are the tools used in the Labs accessible to other government teams?
- When using cloud-based tools how confident are you that personal data is protected?
- Who is responsible for building relationships with key corporate teams like procurement and finance?
6. Capability uplift when it’s not your core purpose
Lab team reflections
- Even if not a primary goal, labs can contribute to growing new capability can capacity through their work
- Be clear about what capability uplift goals are and how they can be measured
- Growing internal capability and experience of staff helps reduce reliance on external expertise and consultants
- Start where people are at. Understand the context and needs of the teams you’re working with
Questions to explore
- What capabilities and skills are you seeking to grow? Is the team best placed to do this?
- What specialist capabilities are best provided externally?
- How can you effectively measure the impact of a capability building work?
7. Skills and experiences valuable to a lab team
Lab team reflections
- People who can operate across and in between teams helps to build relationships and access institutional knowledge
- A studio manager role in overseeing the space and key relationships is crucial
- For cross-government work focused on complex challenges an inter-disciplinary team supports responsive and adaptive working
- Clear roles and responsibilities are essential but so is an appetite for learning from others
Questions to explore
- How will you help Knowledge sharing opportunities across a team with diverse skills?
- What capability building offer is of most use to people outside the Lab?
- How does a focus on capability building align with the purpose of the team?
8. Funding and resourcing
Lab team reflections
- Funding is often short term and precarious, which impacts on sustainability. A medium to long term strategy around funding is important.
- A shared funding approach with a range of partners can help mitigate the risk of a single funder backing out
- Available resources need to align with your intent and the expectations from funders about what success looks like (especially in the short term)
Questions to explore
- What would it look like to start small and work differently with the resources you already have?
- What does a long term approach look like when short-term funding is the norm?
- How will you build trust and demonstrate to sponsors that the Lab’s work is delivering value?
