A department is not yet a team. Many organizations use “team” inappropriately when the reality is often different. In traditional organizational structures, tasks are divided and assigned to individuals, with a manager who monitors and maintains oversight. But in today’s complex and fast-paced world, more and more work is too complex for a single individual. The future needs real teams where collective intelligence makes the difference. How can you make this into reality?
From division of labor to collaboration
Historically, a department functioned as a collection of individuals who performed tasks under the direction of a manager. This worked well in a predictable environment where output was primarily a sum of individual performance.
However, work today is often too complex to break down into individual tasks. The need to move quickly, work more innovatively, and deal more efficiently with uncertainty makes teamwork increasingly important. This means a fundamental shift in how work is organized: no longer task-oriented and individualized but goal-oriented and collective.
A department is not yet a team. In effective teams, the whole is more than the sum of its parts: team members reinforce each other, learn from each other, and solve problems together.
The Importance of Collective Intelligence
Collective intelligence is the ability of a group to make better decisions together than the sum of its individual contributions. This becomes possible through mutual reinforcement, where team members share knowledge and improve each other’s thought processes.
Scientific research shows that teams with high levels of collective intelligence perform more consistently than teams that depend on a few individually strong members (Woolley et al., 2010). Factors such as social sensitivity, effective communication, and the extent to which team members have equal speaking time contribute to this. In addition, there is evidence that psychological safety, the sense that team members feel free to make mistakes and take risks without fear of rejection, is crucial to team performance (Edmondson, 1999).
A manager who fosters collective intelligence creates an environment in which:
- Team members are open to each other’s perspectives and actively listen.
- Ideas can be exchanged freely without fear of criticism.
- Conflicts are resolved constructively.
- The knowledge and skills of team members complement and reinforce each other.
The role of AI in building collectively intelligent teams.
To optimally assemble collectively intelligent teams, Starcheck has developed the AI tool Team-composer. Based on scientific insights into Collective Intelligence, this tool helps organizations analyze and assemble teams. By evaluating psychological factors such as social sensitivity, cognitive diversity, and interaction patterns, Team-composer provides a data-driven approach to optimizing teams.
AI can be used to predict which combinations of team members will work together most effectively, significantly increasing the likelihood of a high-performing and resilient team.
Collective intelligence ensures that teams make better decisions together than individuals individually.
The changing role of the manager
In a team-oriented structure, the manager is no longer a work allocator but a facilitator. The focus is not on controlling individual performance but on creating an environment of optimal cooperation.
An effective manager in a team structure:
- Formulates a clear mission: The team must have a shared goal to which everyone contributes.
- Establishes a complementary team: The right mix of skills and personalities determines success.
- Encourages psychological safety: Team members should feel free to share their ideas and doubts without fear of rejection (Edmondson, 1999).
- Commit to continuous reflection and improvement: By regularly reviewing how the collaboration is going with the team, collective intelligence can continue to develop.
Are departments Collectively Intelligent?
In traditional departments, work is divided, distributed, and performed by individuals. This model works well for precise, repetitive tasks but is inadequate for complex issues that require fast, innovative solutions. In effective teams, the whole is more than the sum of its parts: team members reinforce one another, learn from one another, and solve problems together.
The shift to team configurations is driven by:
- The increasing complexity of issues: Many problems can no longer be solved by one expert but require multidisciplinary collaboration.
- The need for speed and flexibility: In a rapidly changing marketplace, organizations must continuously adapt, which works better in teams that make decisions together.
- The power of collective intelligence: When team members leverage each other’s insights, more effective and innovative solutions emerge (Woolley et al., 2010).
The future belongs to Collectively Intelligent teams
Organizations must acknowledge that complexity is on the rise and that the speed at which solutions need to be developed is increasing. Consequently, managers should invest in team composition and collective intelligence now more than ever. Technology can significantly contribute to this effort; for instance, AI tools like Team-composer can help create better and more effective teams that harness collective intelligence. It is only through collaboration and mutual support that we can effectively tackle the challenges of our time.
Wondering how your organization can harness collective intelligence? Contact us to discover how we help build optimal teams.
References
- Woolley, A. W., Chabris, C. F., Pentland, A., Hashmi, N., & Malone, T. W. (2010). Evidence for a collective intelligence factor in the performance of human groups. Science, 330(6004), 686-688.
- Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350-383.
