Surprising truths about teams
Gary Collins called my attention to this from Harvard Business Review (May 2009) interview with Harvard Professor J. Richard Hackman, an expert on teams. He says the following about teams:
“Over the past couple of decades, a cult has grown up around teams. Even in a society as fiercely indepen…
By Seth Barnes
Gary Collins called my attention to this from Harvard Business Review (May 2009) interview with Harvard Professor J. Richard Hackman, an expert on teams. He says the following about teams:
“Over the past couple of decades, a cult has grown up around teams. Even in a society as fiercely independent as America, teams are considered almost sacrosanct. The belief that working in teams makes us more creative and productive is so widespread that when faced with a challenging new task, leaders are quick to assume that teams are the best way to get the job done.”
- While some teams are effective, research consistently shows that teams under-perform despite all their extra resources. This is because competition and problems with coordination and motivation often undermine the benefits of collaboration.Small teams whose members stay together for long periods of time are the most effective.
- The effectiveness and productivity of a team often is set in the first few minutes of the first team meeting. Conductor Christopher Hogwood said that orchestra members make a quick assessment at the beginning about whether or not they will work together to make great music. Do audiences also decide in the first couple of minutes whether or not they will respond positively to a speaker or new leader?
- Every effective team has a deviant – sometimes a person appointed to that role – who challenges the team’s decisions and purposes. “Teams with deviants outperform teams without them. In many cases, deviant thinking is a source of great innovation” and creativity. Too much homogeneity can stifle creativity, productivity, and learning.
- Good teams have structure, a compelling purpose, and a respected leader who articulates a clear direction and purpose.
- Some people are not good team members. They undercut progress, refuse to work on collective solutions, and sometimes dominate.
- Coaching with individual team members does not lead to more effective performance. But teams benefit from coaching as a group to help them function as a team, especially at the beginning, mid-point and conclusion.
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Thank you Set, this is a great article. We’re hoping to get teams to Swaziland next year and I’m taking this article as a guide / put it in my pocket and keep it for a long time to come. stay Blessed man!
thanks Seth… good stuff. i appreciate you passing it along. Have you ever read the book “Teams at the Top”?
Merry Christmas to you and all who are with you.
-scott
yes. good stuff. Lencioni is good too: http://www.tablegroup.com/
i agree
liked the part about teams that work together for a long time
and the part about deviants 🙂 haha
Yea, I like this: “Teams with deviants outperform teams without them. In many cases, deviant thinking is a source of great innovation” and creativity. Too much homogeneity can stifle creativity, productivity, and learning.”
Jesus himself demonstrated the truth of this point. The church he founded has lasted for quite a while now. It will one day replace all the schemes of men, as was shown in Nebuchadnezzar’s statue vision, interpreted by the prophet
Daniel.
That’s creative, for sure, but a little destructive as well, since the cornerstone smashes the statue.
Wow – those six bullet points speak so much truth as to how an effective team runs and operates. I should write these on my wall!
what should a team or one do with people who just aren’t good team members, especially if “no man is an island”?