Teams, like individuals, can be smart or stupid.*
Three factors impact team intelligence:
- Social sensitivity. Be aware of emotion. Bring it up when someone seems detached, disturbed, excited, or curious. “Barney, this idea seems to interest you. What’s going through your mind?”
- Diversity. It’s seems self-evident that heterogeneous groups are smarter than homogeneous groups.
- Turn-taking during the meeting.
Teams are stupid when one or two people do all the talking.
How to promote turn-taking:
#1. Safety.
People are afraid of saying something stupid. Get dumb ideas on the table.
- Let’s make a list of dumb ideas.
- How might a dumb idea be made smart?
#2. Keep teams small.
Engagement goes down as numbers go up. Large teams allow drifters to hide. Shoot for five or six people around the table, no more than 8.
#3. Preparation.
You’ll miss the wisdom of introverts if you expect extrovertish spontaneity from them.
- Publish agendas a day or two before the meeting.
- Assign agenda items to individuals. “”Wilma, would you be prepared to speak to item 3?”
#4. Invite quiet members to speak.
- “Wilma, what might you add, if anything?” It should be safe for Wilma to say, “I don’t have anything to add at this time.”
- “Barney, what’s coming to mind for you?” This question makes space for imperfect spontaneous response.
#5. Set a social tone.
Banter creates connection.
- Begin meetings with a personal question. “What did everyone do over the weekend?” If this question seems uncomfortable, you need to ask it.
- Outlaw cell phones and email.
#6. Notice team dynamics.
- Honor participation. “I’m really glad you jumped in, Fred.”
- Notice energy. “This was a lively conversation.”
#7. Meet in the morning.
Most of us are dumb and lethargic between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Tip: Define the win. “What will be different if we succeed?”
What prevents vibrant conversations during meetings?
How might leaders get their teams talking to each other during meetings?
*Evidence for a Collective Intelligence Factor in the Performance of Human Groups
*What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team
