Success Story: Medtronic Vascular

Challenge

Medtronic is the world’s leader in medical technology that provides lifelong solutions for people with chronic disease. Each year, five million patients benefit from Medtronic's technology, used to treat conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, neurological disorders, and vascular illnesses.

One of Medtronic’s teams was grappling with a new methodology for running clinical trials. The 15-member team comprised people from 12 different departments and two different managerial levels. With many different perspectives, and almost no common experience, the only things easy to agree on were that adapting to the new methodology was difficult and that change should be approach cautiously. As a result, many team members felt their voices were not being heard.

The Syncopate Solution

Syncopate conducted its Superstar Producer Teambuilding Intensive workshop. After a morning of lectures and introductory exercises, the teams of five people each went through a number of teammate switching processes, allowing each to work together with everyone. Differences in style, thought, communication and expression became apparent, as well as the best ways to value and leverage these differences.

Results

In less than a day, the process of composing music in these teams was able to establish a trust and ease of communication that had not previously existed. Follow-up questionnaires confirmed that the benefits were long-lasting, and team members continued to use their Syncopate experience to work more effectively with each other. Team members began to better appreciate each other’s perspectives and to make progress as a unit toward meeting Medtronic’s methodological goals.