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Teamwork Index

Engineer collision paths that create and strengthen creative connections.

How can we build systems to better coordinate human endeavour? How could you build a metric that measures the potential of a team?

Build teams that are capable of coordinating in taking optimal decisions by developing systems that enable individuals of complimentary talents and bone deep values to excel as a collective unit around a burning ambition to help each other each realise their full potential.

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.

Context​

Intentions​

The greatest challenge to making progress in any organisation is aligning intentions around what progress looks like, and the best path to get there.

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.

Organisation​

In the age of AI and the potential of decentralized permissionless leverage:

  • How can organisations practice better habits to harness the organizing power of intent?
  • How can organisations act with greater collective wisdom?
  • What is the optimum size for an organisation to embark on a journey of discovery?
  • What capabililties are required to combine, what systems required to scale?
  • What communication protocols enable more valuable human interactions?

Metrics:

  • Dunbar's Number: 150 people is the maximum number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships.
  • Price's Law: 50% of the work is done by the square root of the total number of people who participate in the work.

Team Selection​

What does a team look like, that is capable of coordinating in taking optimal decisions?

Prefer team players that consistently demonstrate character and discipline over talented yet inconsistent individuals. Balance character versus capability across:

  • Dreamer (Sales) vs Engineering
  • Specific Domain Knowledge vs Street Smarts
  • Perspective vs Enthusiasm
  • Youth vs Maturity
  • Extrovert vs Introvert
  • Optimist vs Realist

Project Management: Match Zone of Proximal Development and MKOs to build teams that have the energy to do great things.

More Knowledgeable Others​

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.

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

Mantra

Play long term games with long term people.

Zone of Proximal Development​

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.

Use blockchain protocols and crypto incentives to create scaffolding to solve common problems globally so that energy can be focused on creative breakthroughs.

Mantra

Deepen values while developing complimentary talents

Rugby Index​

In rugby balanced selection is based on positional partnerships and time working together in close combination both on and off the pitch.

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

What is the most important question you could ask yourself to make progress?