Many companies rely on outside talent — consultants, freelancers, technical experts — to do strategic work. These temporary workers can do more than contribute to individual projects; they can also help mentor your full-time staff. Invite them to brainstorming meetings, so that younger employees can learn from their ideas. Involve them in after-action reviews, so they can offer their perspective on how your team can improve on future projects. And invite them to share their knowledge of innovations in their field during brown bag lunches. Outside experts are likely to have networks that don’t overlap with yours, so you can also look to them to make connections between your staff and new, interesting people.
