When it comes to innovation projects—whether in the classroom or the corporate workshop room—one thing remains consistent: Not all team members contribute equally. Some go full throttle, while others quietly coast along. And if you’ve ever led or been part of such a project, you’ve felt this imbalance firsthand.

Eighteen years ago, I faced this issue head-on while teaching a Master’s-level course on Business Creativity. in the final four weeks of the course, my students worked in large teams of eight to ten members on a real-life innovation project. Their learning (and grades) depended not only on their final output, but also on how they collaborated. But there was a challenge regarding grading: How could I fairly identify and reward the individual contributions in group work (a problem as old as project-based learning itself)?

Back then, I noticed that traditional peer evaluation schemes were all too complex, quantitative, impersonal, and boring to fit a course in Business Creativity. So, I created something entirely different and creative: A fitting metaphor. “Going on an innovation project with an innovation team is like going on a bus ride.” This “Innovation Bus” described metaphorically what I noticed happening in the teams while working on their innovation case. And guess what? Over the years, I observed the same team behavior patterns not only among graduate students but also among corporate innovation teams during our Thinkergy-run X-IDEA projects. Same roles. Same distribution. Same issues. So, hop on board. Let’s take a ride on what I call the Innovation Bus.

From Classrooms to Creative Meeting Rooms

Group work is essential in education—and even more so in business innovation. Whether graduate students co-create new service concepts in an MBA in Innovation Management program or executives brainstorm strategic action ideas in a strategy innovation workshop, collaboration is key. But here’s the problem: In nearly every group, some team members are pulling the weight, while others are just along for the ride (or worse, not even present). Social loafing. Passive participation. Inequity in effort. The usual suspects. 

The American philosopher, diplomat, and educator Nicholas Murray Butler described this phenomenon as follows: “There are three types of people: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.”

To tackle this, I initially turned to the literature on peer assessment. There were many tools—spreadsheets, weighting systems, ranking matrices—but all were clunky, uninspiring, and too analytical for the creative context of innovation.

So I asked: Could there be a better, more creative way—simple, visual, intuitive, and fun? The answer came during a corporate X-IDEA innovation workshop with Thinkergy. I noticed a recurring team pattern. There was always:

• One or two driving forces,
• A reliable active contributor or two,
• A bunch of regular supporters,
• A few who faded into the background,
• And (occasionally) someone who vanished altogether.

That’s when the bus metaphor hit me. Innovation projects, I realized, are like going on a bus ride. Everyone’s on the same journey—but not everyone plays the same role and contributes to a successful, enjoyable ride.

The Innovation Bus Metaphor: Who’s in Which Seat?

Over time, I refined the metaphor into a visual peer evaluation tool that I’ve now used for nearly two decades with over 170 student teams—and seen mirrored in countless real-world innovation projects with Thinkergy clients.

Here’s how it works:

Students anonymously assign these roles to themselves and their teammates at the end of a project. No numerical scores are shown—just seat assignments, which I later translate into scores. It’s simple. It’s fast. And it works.

What if The Peanuts gang underwent an Innovation Project?

To illustrate the intuitive magic of the Bus Metaphor Evaluation Tool, let’s imagine just for fun: What if Charles Schultz’s Peanuts gang went on a group project bus ride? 

Have a look at how I positioned the different characters of the Peanuts on the Innovation Bus. Do you agree or disagree with my seating arrangement? Whatever the case: you can fill out your own evaluation sheet to share your opinion on where each character belongs.

Why the Bus Metaphor Works (Better Than Most Evaluation Tools)

The Innovation Bus peer evaluation tool hits the mark—especially for creative contexts—because it is:

• Intuitive: No need for training. Everyone “gets” the bus metaphor.
• Fair: It encourages a normal distribution of contributions. One driver, one co-driver—not five “heroes” per team.
• Time-efficient: The evaluation can be done in 2 minutes. Neither spreadsheets nor training modules are needed.
• Safe & Anonymous: Evaluations are silent and anonymous—promoting honesty and reducing tension.
• Playful: Unlike sterile assessment tools, the bus tool is engaging. It even adds a smile to the process.
• Reflective: It helps team members see how others view their contributions, thus providing fuel for personal growth.

And here’s what’s most surprising: The same distribution of roles shows up in corporate teams. During Thinkergy’s X-IDEA innovation workshops, I can usually spot the Bus Driver and Co-Driver within 5–10 minutes. By the coffee break, I know who’s Passive. And by lunch, any disengaged Always Late Passengers have revealed themselves by always being on their phones or repeatedly walking out for coffee or “taking a quick call.”

So, the magic of the bus metaphor is that it doesn’t just describe team dynamics. It reveals them.

Beyond Education: Why This Works for Business Innovation Teams

The innovation formula reads: Novel, original, and meaningful ideas (or in other words: Creativity) plus action equals innovation. So, innovation is as much about truly creative ideas as it is about execution. And pulling off world-class innovation requires well-functioning teams. But too often, we assume everyone contributes equally in group work. Spoiler: They don’t.

The bus ride metaphor creates a mental model that creative teams instantly understand:

• Who’s pushing the project forward?
• Who’s helping keep the wheels turning?
• Who’s just occupying a seat?
• Who’s missing in action?

It also helps leaders make smarter decisions related to effective talent management in creative teams:

• Who deserves recognition?
• Who needs support or redirection?
• Who’s consistently disengaged?

And in the high-stakes business environments of our disruptive times at the advent of the Sixth Wave of Technology Innovation —where time, energy, and breakthrough creativity are premium—clarity in contribution matters.

“Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

— Vince Lombardi

In real-world projects, team engagement and alignment is everything. And in messy, fast-paced innovation project workshops, where too many silent freeloaders and overlooked champions can make or break the outcome. Here, the Innovation Bus tool helps teams to:

• Acknowledge contributions fairly.
• Hold one another accountable—without naming and shaming.
• Create a culture of engagement, especially for complex, high-stakes challenges.

The Bus Metaphor works particularly well in creative contexts—where rigid tools clash with flexible thinking. Hence, it’s a perfect fit for Thinkergy’s X-IDEA innovation method, where emotional energy, intuitive judgment, and structured play all matter to arrive at breakthrough solutions.

“Innovation is a team sport. But you win the trophy only if everyone plays.”
—Dr. D

Conclusion: Time to Reflect: Who’s Driving Your Innovation Bus?

Every project team —whether it focuses on resolving an innovation challenge or another business initiative— has a mix of drivers, supporters, and passengers. As a creative leader, the key is knowing who’s in which seat—and acting on that knowledge. So…

• Who’s steering your current project forward?
• Who’s providing backup support when the road gets bumpy?
• Who’s dozing off in the back or missed the bus entirely?

You may already know. But have you ever made it visible? That’s what my metaphorical tool does. It holds up a mirror to the invisible dynamics of contribution and engagement—in minutes, not hours. 

Awareness is the first step. Accountability is the second.

• If you’re looking to energize your teams and accelerate real results on innovation projects, maybe it’s time to take your team on a ride with Thinkergy’s X-IDEA method—and let the Bus Evaluation Metaphor shine a light on your team dynamics.

© Dr. Detlef Reis 2025.