From my experiences, building a team is often based on the work to be performed and who has experience doing that work. A+B=C. This is a good model for projects where you know what must be done and how to do it.
What about more complex projects where you have a problem, have many ways to approach it, but aren’t exactly sure initially how you will reach the outcome and goals? For example: We want to split service A into two complementary new services to service markets B and C.
More diverse and cross-functional teams are much better at solving complex problems. They approach these problems from a broader standpoint and use the diverse strengths of team members to find better well-rounded solutions.
In his book, “The Art of Innovation”, Tom Kelley talks about the different characters to include on teams:
🔭 The visionary (dreamer/innovator)
🤔 The troubleshooter (cuts to the chase)
🐄 The iconoclast (hunter of sacred cows)
💗 The pulse take (connects people)
🛠 The craftsman (brings passion)
💻 The technologist (make it happen)
💰 The entrepreneur (product/market/opportunities)
🐝 The cross pollinator (brings different perspective)
Do your teams have some/all of these characters? If not, why not?
#teams #projects #teambuilding
