Interesting article about a team:

EIGHT TEAM MUST-HAVES

On certain kinds of problems, Prof. Richard Field says a team always comes up with better solutions than does an individual. He offers these eight must-haves for a successful team…

1. Must have a meaningful purpose that all members care about.
2. Can’t be too large. Some experts suggest capping at 20. Field cautions against there being too little work for all members.
3. Needs a diverse set of skills appropriate to the goals.
4. Needs to be physically together. Even having some team members on different floors can hurt the team.
5. Succeeds or fails together. No stars or scapegoats.
6. Shares leadership. Of course there is one leader, but he or she should be willing to step aside when another team member’s skills are required.
7. Has strong shared norms and expectations of behaviour. These are soft skills that often need to be taught.
8. Needs time. “You lose advantages if you hurry,” Prof. Field says. “Slow it down for the process to work.”

Note: Was originally posted on the Financial Post!

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