What Makes A Team Great

We all know that individuals have different cognitive abilities, but what about teams? Are teams just as diverse in their cognitive abilities as individuals? Can some teams be considered smarter than others?

The quest for answers led a group of researchers from MIT on a fascinating journey through a social research program that would unveil the intelligence woven into the fabric of teamwork. The MIT researchers gathered 697 volunteers, forming teams of two to five members. Each team was entrusted with real-world tasks, ranging from logical analysis and brainstorming to planning, coordination, and moral reasoning. As the experiments unfolded, the findings took an unexpected turn, revealing that teams possessed a form of general intelligence like individuals.

Individual intelligence is defined by its generality, meaning people with good vocabularies tend to have good math skills, even though these abilities are considered distinct. The research results showed that the same kind of general intelligence also exists for teams. On average, the groups that did well on one task did well on the others. This means that some teams are simply smarter than others.

Further analysis then led the researchers to uncover the defining characteristics that set these competent teams apart. 

Contrary to popular belief, the average IQ of a team did not significantly influence its performance on collective intelligence tasks. Neither did the extroversion of team members nor their reported motivation to contribute to the group’s success. Instead, three distinctive traits emerged as the cornerstones of a team’s intelligence.

Equal Contribution

First and foremost, the most competent teams thrived on equal contribution. Rather than allowing a few individuals to dominate discussions, team members shared the stage, fostering an environment of collaborative thinking.

Emotional Intelligence

Secondly, the ability of individuals in the team to read the emotional states of others played a pivotal role. Teams whose members excelled in this emotional intelligence test outshined their counterparts.

Women Power

The most surprising revelation, however, came with the third trait – teams with more women consistently outperformed those with more men. It wasn’t merely about achieving gender diversity; it was about the significant contribution of women to a team’s intelligence. The secret lay in women’s superior “mindreading” skill, deciphering emotional cues that often go unnoticed.

The MIT research has some valuable lessons for anyone in a leadership role. Build a team culture where individuals operate with emotional intelligence and all members contribute equally. Having a good mix of women in the team is also essential, as they can significantly contribute to a team’s intelligence.