The New York Times
recently had a piece about Google’s Project Aristotle: the research group
they have dedicated to the science of building perfect teams. You see, Google
recognizes that the key to success as a business goes so far beyond the
individual hires a company may make. Instead, there is something to be said for
the cohesiveness of those hires, and how they come together as teams to further
a company’s mission.
You can have a team
made up of all the best performers in your industry, but if they don’t work
well together, nothing of value will be accomplished. That’s where Google’s
lessons about the perfect team can come in handy.
Recognize
that Differences Hold Value
It is incredibly common for hiring managers to be drawn
towards individuals who are more like them. In fact, a recent report produced
by the CIPD found that hiring managers have an unconscious bias towards
these “mini-me” recruits. To some extent, these types of hires can be great for
cultural fit. But quality teams are made up of various individual pieces that
can provide insight others on the team can’t—and when you have an entire team
made up of like-minded individuals, with similar strengths and areas of
expertise, that isn’t always possible.
Test
for Social Sensitivity
The Google report cites research that found successful
groups are typically made up of members with higher than average social
sensitivity. That means members who care about the feelings of those around
them. You wouldn’t necessarily think this would be vital to team productivity
(after all, shouldn’t business be just business?), but it can absolutely affect
how a team communicates and works with one another.
The good news is, this is something that can actually be
tested for in an exam referred to as the “Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test.”
And applicants who score high in social sensitivity may make for better team
members than those who don’t.
Promote
a Safe Space
Since communication is a vital part of a successful team,
having a safe space where applicants feel comfortable sharing a variety of
ideas is crucial. If team members are afraid of being judged and discounted,
they won’t speak out as often—which results in the same team members making the
same contributions all the time. A problem, seeing as Google’s research has
found that teams where members speak equally are generally more successful.
Even Google is finding that there is no exact formula for
creating a perfect team. And it’s possible that members of an unsuccessful team
could perform beautifully if placed elsewhere. Creating the right teams often
becomes a matter of trial and error. But one of the things we can learn from
Google’s work is that a willingness to try new things has the potential to go a
long way.
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