Are Two Heads Better Than One?
In theory, drawing many together to solve a common problem sounds like a much more efficient and productive way to address an issue rather than leaving it for the individual. In many cases this is true and there is an absolute value in combining the varied experiences and strengths of others to approach a problem. However, I believe common leadership style trends have recently begun to rely on this method as the standard. This misapplied collaboration can be prone to delaying an outcome and even produce long-term project setbacks as well as time consuming personnel conflicts. The key to proper collaboration is preparation on the part of the leader as well as the team members. Richard Hackman, the Edgar Pierce Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology at Harvard University and a leading expert on teams, has spent a career exploring—and questioning—the wisdom of teams. When questioned about why teams typically fail he said:
“Research consistently shows that teams underperform, despite all the extra resources they have. That’s because problems with coordination and motivation typically chip away at the benefits of collaboration. And even when you have a strong and cohesive team, it’s often in competition with other teams, and that dynamic can also get in the way of real progress. So you have two strikes against you right from the start, which is one reason why having a team is often worse than having no team at all.”
While preparation and direction from the leader is imperative to the success of the team, there is no leader who can single handedly make his team succeed. They are there to facilitate the collaboration, referee personalities, direct efforts, and provide guidance. Teams create their own realities and control their own destinies to a much greater extent than most team leaders realize.
Often a team will fail because the task itself is either one which only requires minor effort or produces a variety of viable solutions. Teams will go around in circles trying to decide on the most beneficial solution when any of the options will serve.
Teams can be very productive but proper preperation and evaluation of the problem is the most important step in beging to find a solution.
I believe there are other issues with utilizing a high amount of task collaboration in the workplace. Social loafing is a common occurrence and it can cause those who feel compelled to take responsibility in getting the work of the team done efficiently to take on more work than is necessary. When other, less motivated members of the team realize they can slack off and push the work on to these individuals, it creates a unfair situation, especially when they are all receiving the same salary. In order to help with this, it is important for a leader to attempt to motivate all the individuals to do the same work and monitor the situation to make sure everyone is doing their part.
Another possible downside to team work is that groupthink will likely occur. If the leader is too dominant over the group, the other team members could just blindly follow him without giving their own opinion. This could cause problems in getting the task completed in ways that will cause the whole group to be satisfied. It is important for the leader to make sure that every individual gets to voice their own opinion freely and without any influence from the other members of the team.