Skip to main content

Teamwork Index

The quality of people on the team makes the critical difference in the magnitude of success or failure on any project.

If you invest heavily in a few smart people, you have a very small learning surface exposed: there is only so much even very bright people can learn at one time. Whereas when the entire team meets a certain standard for competence, there is a very large learning surface exposed and the team is able to absorb more information. - raganwald

Mantra

The leader is the one that knows what to do next.

Schema

Intentions

The best teams share mental pictures to collectively coordinate in taking the right decision, at the right time, in the right way, for the right reasons.

Engineer collision paths to improve connections across the organisation.

Balance Selection

Zone of Proximal Development and MKOs, select teams with odd numbers for decision tie-breaks, no more than seven (Miller's Number) in a team. Cycle members of teams at each six week project cycle to keep things fresh and ideas moving. Balance characters, skills, perspectives and experience across:

  • Dreamer vs Engineer
  • Specific Knowledge vs Broad Wisdom
  • Youth vs Maturity
  • Extrovert vs Introvert
  • Optimist vs Realist

Prefer team players that consistently demonstrate character over talented but flighty individuals.

Mantra

shared values and complimentary talents

Zone of Proximal Development - ZPD

Zone of Proximal Development: The best person to teach another how to pass through a challenge is someone that has just completed the same challenge.

Scaffolding the minimal amount of knowledge to handle the next level challenge.

More Knowledgeable Others - MKOs

Manage teams to spend time with More Knowledgeable Others (MKOs) where members can recognise each others Zone of Proximal Development and help each other to level up.

The concept of MKOs comes from the research of Lev Vygotsky a Russian psychologist that believed education is socio-cultural.

Play long term games with long term people.

Eventually that person becomes more knowledgeable and scaffold the next generation of learner.

Rugby Cohesion

In rugby balance selection based on partnerships for time working in close combination.

  • long-term cohesion: greater than two years
  • medium-term cohesion: less than two years
  • in-season cohesion: the highest weighting

Schema