Introduction
In today's fast-paced and interconnected world, the ability to work effectively in teams has become more crucial than ever. Yet, for many of us, the idea of teamwork often conjures up memories of frustrating group projects or awkward team-building exercises. In his book "Dream Teams," Shane Snow sets out to change this perception and show us how to create truly exceptional teams that can achieve remarkable results.
Drawing on a wide range of fascinating examples from history, sports, business, and science, Snow explores the key ingredients that make up a dream team. He argues that by understanding and applying these principles, we can transform our own teams from mediocre to extraordinary.
This book is not just another dry management guide. Instead, Snow takes us on an engaging journey through time and across disciplines, weaving together compelling stories and cutting-edge research to illustrate his points. From the Wu-Tang Clan to the Wright brothers, from FBI agents to Argentinian soccer players, the examples are as diverse as they are illuminating.
Whether you're a business leader, an entrepreneur, or simply someone who wants to work better with others, "Dream Teams" offers valuable insights and practical strategies for harnessing the power of collaboration. Let's dive into the key ideas that can help us build and be part of truly exceptional teams.
The Power of Diversity
One of the central themes in "Dream Teams" is the importance of diversity in creating high-performing teams. Snow argues that teams benefit greatly from having members with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
Gender and Racial Diversity
Snow illustrates this point with the story of FBI agent Chris Jung. In 1974, the FBI was struggling to serve a subpoena to a Mafia boss who had surrounded himself with bodyguards. Jung, a young female agent in a male-dominated profession, came up with an innovative solution. She went undercover as a wedding guest at the Mafia boss's daughter's wedding and successfully delivered the subpoena.
This example demonstrates how diversity can bring new ways of thinking to teams. Jung's approach was different from the typical masculine, brute-force tactics often employed by the FBI. Her unique perspective as a woman in a male-dominated field allowed her to see a solution that others had missed.
Snow argues that this principle applies more broadly. Teams with gender and racial diversity are more likely to come up with innovative solutions to problems. This is because our lived experiences shape the way we see the world and approach challenges. When teams include people from different backgrounds, they benefit from a wider range of perspectives and problem-solving approaches.
Cognitive Diversity
Beyond demographic diversity, Snow emphasizes the importance of cognitive diversity – having team members with different ways of thinking and approaching problems. He cites a 2013 study involving Democrats and Republicans working on a murder mystery scenario. When participants were told they'd have to explain their solution to people with opposing political views, they prepared better arguments and worked harder on their solutions.
This study highlights another benefit of diversity: it can lead to stronger, more well-thought-out decisions. When team members know their ideas will be challenged by people with different perspectives, they're more likely to critically examine their own thinking and develop more robust arguments.
The Role of Tension and Conflict
While many of us instinctively try to avoid conflict in teams, Snow argues that a certain amount of tension can actually be beneficial. He draws an interesting parallel with romantic relationships, citing research from the Gottman Institute that suggests frequent arguments aren't necessarily a sign of a doomed relationship. What's more problematic is when partners stop communicating altogether.
The Danger of Organizational Silence
Snow applies this principle to organizations, warning of the dangers of "organizational silence" – when employees stop speaking up about problems or challenging ideas. He illustrates this with the example of the DaimlerChrysler merger in 1998.
Three years after the merger, DaimlerChrysler was worth only half of what it had been at the time of the merger. One of the key issues was that the cultural differences between the quality-oriented Daimler employees and the utility-oriented Chrysler workers weren't addressed. Instead of fostering productive discussions about these differences, the company allowed a culture of silence to develop, with each group keeping to themselves.
This example shows how avoiding conflict can lead to bigger problems down the line. When team members don't feel comfortable expressing disagreements or challenging ideas, valuable perspectives are lost and potential issues go unaddressed.
Productive Conflict: The Wu-Tang Clan Example
On the flip side, Snow gives us the example of the Wu-Tang Clan, one of the most successful hip hop groups of all time. The Wu-Tang Clan was made up of musicians with different characters, ages, and musical influences. Rather than trying to smooth over these differences, they capitalized on them, using their diverse perspectives to create groundbreaking music that pushed the entire genre forward.
This example shows how tension and conflict, when managed properly, can be a source of creativity and innovation. The key is to create an environment where differences of opinion are welcomed and seen as opportunities for growth and improvement, rather than threats.
The Wright Brothers' Strategy
Of course, there's a fine line between productive conflict and destructive arguments. Snow shares an interesting strategy used by the Wright brothers to manage disagreements. When they found themselves in an heated argument, they would swap sides and try to argue each other's points. This approach helped them detach from their own stubbornness and focus on the merits of the arguments rather than personal feelings.
While this specific technique might not work for every team, it illustrates an important principle: finding ways to depersonalize disagreements and focus on ideas rather than individuals can help teams navigate conflict more productively.
The Importance of Play
One of the more surprising insights in "Dream Teams" is the power of play in bringing teams together. Snow takes us to early 20th century Buenos Aires to illustrate this point.
Soccer and Social Cohesion in Argentina
At the turn of the century, Buenos Aires was a city divided, with different communities often at odds with each other. However, the rise of soccer as a popular pastime began to change this dynamic. Kids from all backgrounds, regardless of race, religion, or social class, could play soccer together on the streets.
As soccer's popularity exploded, with games being played everywhere from streets to stadiums, something remarkable happened: the animosities between different groups in Argentine society began to diminish. Snow argues that this wasn't a coincidence. Research shows that when people play together, they start to see each other as part of the same "in-group," even if they're on opposing teams. This leads to increased empathy and reduced feelings of threat towards others.
The Science Behind Play
Snow delves into the neuroscience behind this phenomenon. Our brains tend to categorize people into "in-groups" (people similar to us who we can trust) and "out-groups" (people we're more likely to be suspicious of). This categorization happens in the amygdala, which can trigger increased levels of adrenaline when it identifies someone as potentially threatening.
This reaction is the scientific basis for xenophobia – fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners. Even small differences, like hearing a foreign language or seeing someone behave slightly differently, can trigger this response.
However, when people play together, they begin to trust each other more. This expands their perception of who belongs in their "in-group," leading to better relationships and reduced conflict.
Applying the Power of Play
While organizing a citywide soccer league might not be feasible for most teams, the principle of using play to build connections is widely applicable. Team-building activities that involve play – whether it's a sports day, a board game night, or even just incorporating more playful elements into regular work – can help break down barriers between team members and foster a sense of unity.
The key is to create opportunities for team members to interact in a low-stakes, enjoyable context outside of their usual work roles. This can help people see each other as whole individuals rather than just coworkers, building empathy and trust that can carry over into their professional interactions.
The Need for Fresh Perspectives
Another crucial insight from "Dream Teams" is the importance of bringing in fresh perspectives, especially when a team has become stuck in its ways. Snow challenges the common adage "don't change a winning team," arguing that even successful teams can benefit from shaking things up.
The Danger of Stagnation
Snow illustrates this point with the example of a company he calls G-Corp. In the 1980s, G-Corp had a major success with its invention of the blister cushion – a bandage that released medication into a blister over time. However, after this initial success, the company's sales began to decline. They struggled to come up with new ideas that were as successful as the blister cushion.
This example shows how teams that have been successful in the past can become stuck in their ways. They may continue to approach problems in the same way that worked before, even when the market or circumstances have changed. This can lead to stagnation and a decline in performance over time.
Introducing New Perspectives
To break out of this rut, G-Corp hired external consultants who helped them expand their market. The consultants set up focus groups with people in professions particularly susceptible to blisters. They made the executives draw circles around the blisters on the focus group members' feet and discuss their needs directly with them.
This exercise forced the G-Corp team to literally look at their product and market from a new perspective. As a result, they came up with a new line of products with different shapes and thicknesses for various types of blisters.
This example shows how bringing in outside perspectives – whether through consultants, new team members, or simply by engaging more directly with customers – can help teams break out of established patterns of thinking and find new solutions.
The Devil's Advocate
Snow also discusses the value of introducing a "devil's advocate" into team discussions. He cites a 2009 experiment where groups of American students were tasked with solving a murder mystery. After 20 minutes, a fourth member was added to each group to play the role of devil's advocate. The introduction of this new member doubled the groups' chances of solving the mystery.
Importantly, it wasn't that the new person brought the right answer. Rather, their role in questioning and challenging the group's thinking forced the team to reconsider their assumptions and strengthen their arguments. This led to better decision-making overall.
This principle can be applied in various ways in real-world teams. It could involve formally assigning someone to play devil's advocate in important discussions, regularly rotating team roles to bring fresh perspectives to each position, or simply encouraging a culture where respectful challenging of ideas is welcomed and encouraged.
Embracing "Bad" Ideas
One of the more counterintuitive ideas in "Dream Teams" is the value of seemingly bad or unpopular ideas. Snow argues that ideas that appear bad at first glance can often lead to new, useful solutions.
The Black Square: Revolution in Art
To illustrate this point, Snow takes us to the world of art, specifically to Kazimir Malevich's "Black Square" painting. At first glance, this painting – literally a black square on a canvas – might seem unimpressive or even ridiculous. However, its significance lies not in its visual appeal, but in how it challenged and ultimately changed the very concept of what art could be.
Before "Black Square," art was generally expected to portray reality or beauty. Malevich's work freed art from these constraints, opening up new possibilities for visual communication and cognitive expansion. This radical idea influenced one of Malevich's students, El Lissitzky, who went on to design influential propaganda posters and later became part of the Bauhaus movement, which had a profound impact on global industry and advertising.
This example shows how an idea that might seem "bad" or worthless at first can have far-reaching positive impacts. It challenges us to look beyond our initial reactions and consider the potential long-term effects of new ideas.
The Winooski Dome: From Ridicule to Results
Snow provides another fascinating example of how a "bad" idea can lead to unexpected benefits. In 1979, city planners in Winooski, Vermont came up with a seemingly absurd proposal to reduce the town's heating bills: they wanted to cover the entire town with a dome, funded by federal money.
As one might expect, this idea was widely ridiculed and ultimately shut down. However, the media attention it garnered ended up benefiting the town in an unexpected way. Thanks to its increased profile, Winooski managed to secure funding for a new hydroelectric plant nearby – the second-largest funding amount per capita in U.S. history.
This story illustrates how even ideas that seem impractical or even ridiculous can have value. They can generate attention, spark discussions, and sometimes lead to unexpected positive outcomes. The key is to create an environment where people feel safe sharing unconventional ideas, and where the team is open to exploring the potential hidden within seemingly bad proposals.
Superordinate Goals and Mutual Respect
Snow emphasizes the power of superordinate goals – overarching objectives that unite people from different backgrounds or with different ideas – in creating effective teams. He illustrates this concept with some dramatic historical examples.
Unlikely Alliances in World War II
One of the most striking examples is the alliance between the Communist Soviet Union and the capitalist Western democracies during World War II. Despite their profound ideological differences, these nations were able to work together in the face of the existential threat posed by Nazi Germany.
This example shows how a sufficiently important shared goal can overcome even the deepest divisions. When faced with a common enemy or challenge that threatens everyone, people are often able to set aside their differences and work together effectively.
The Battle of New Orleans
An even more extreme example comes from the War of 1812. When the British planned to invade the newly independent United States via the Mississippi River, American general Andrew Jackson found himself severely outnumbered. Out of desperation, he assembled a motley crew of defenders including his own trained cavalry, African American militia, pirates, volunteers with hatchets and hunting rifles, and even prostitutes.
Despite Jackson's personal prejudices and the vast differences between these groups, they were able to unite around the superordinate goal of defending their country. Against all odds, this unlikely alliance managed to defeat the British forces and prevent a full-scale invasion.
However, Snow notes that this unity was short-lived. Once the immediate threat had passed, old animosities quickly resurfaced. This highlights an important point: while superordinate goals can be powerful in bringing people together in the short term, maintaining unity over the long term requires more than just a shared objective.
Building Lasting Unity: The Summer Camp Experiment
To explore how lasting unity can be achieved, Snow describes a fascinating experiment conducted at a boys' summer camp in 1954. The children were initially divided into two groups – the Rattlers and the Eagles – and quickly developed a rivalry.
The experimenters then presented the groups with a series of challenges that required them to work together, such as fixing a broken-down truck or dealing with a compromised water supply. At first, the groups reverted to their animosity after each challenge. But as they faced more collaborative tasks, they began to develop a deeper sense of mutual respect and empathy.
By the end of the camp, the old rivalries had disappeared. The boys sat together regardless of their original group affiliations and sang together on the bus ride home.
This experiment demonstrates that while superordinate goals can bring people together initially, it's the repeated experience of successful collaboration that builds lasting trust and unity. It's not enough to simply have a shared objective; teams need opportunities to work together effectively over time to develop true cohesion.
The Importance of Intellectual Humility
One of the most crucial qualities for members of dream teams, according to Snow, is intellectual humility – the willingness to reconsider one's views and admit when one might be wrong. He illustrates this concept with the powerful story of Malcolm X's transformation.
Malcolm X's Journey
In the 1950s and early 1960s, Malcolm X was known for his radical views, including the belief that integration between black and white communities was impossible. These views were largely shaped by his negative experiences with white people in his youth.
However, Malcolm X's perspective underwent a profound change following his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1964 and his subsequent travels in Africa. Exposed to different cultures where people of various ethnicities lived together harmoniously, he began to reconsider his stance on racial separation.
This example demonstrates how immersion in a different environment can lead to a reassessment of deeply held beliefs. When we step out of our comfort zones and see the world from new perspectives, we become more open to changing our minds.
The Science of Belief Change
Snow explains that many of our opinions are the result of our brains interpolating beliefs based on our previous experiences. This is why it can be so difficult to change our minds, even in the face of contradictory evidence.
However, research shows that when we immerse ourselves in different cultures or unfamiliar environments, we become more receptive to new ideas. This is because we're forced to see the world from a perspective that's dissociated from our individual identity, making profound changes of heart more likely.
Intellectual Humility in Teams
The principle of intellectual humility is crucial for effective teamwork. While diversity of opinion increases the chances that the right solution will be present within a team, it doesn't guarantee that this solution will be chosen. For that to happen, team members need to be willing and able to reconsider their opinions in light of new information or perspectives.
When team members approach discussions with intellectual humility, they're more likely to engage in rational debate rather than becoming entrenched in their initial positions. This increases the likelihood that the team will ultimately choose the best solution, even if it wasn't the one initially favored by the majority.
The Power of Sharing Stories
The final key insight from "Dream Teams" is the importance of sharing personal stories within teams. Snow argues that when team members hear each other's life stories, it fosters empathy and leads to better understanding and collaboration.
The Science of Empathy
Snow cites experiments conducted by Paul Zak of Claremont University, which looked at oxytocin production in participants under various conditions. Oxytocin is a hormone associated with trust and empathy.
Zak found that when people were shown charity advertisements that told stories about cancer patients or abused animals, their bodies produced much more oxytocin than when they were shown ads that simply presented statistics about these issues. Moreover, people were more likely to donate money after seeing the story-based ads.
This research demonstrates that stories have a powerful effect on our ability to empathize with others. We find it much easier to relate to individual stories than to abstract data or statistics.
Stories and Social Change
Snow argues that the power of personal stories has been crucial in some of the most significant social justice milestones in recent history. He gives the examples of changing attitudes towards Asian Americans and gay people in the United States over the past century.
During World War II, Asian Americans were heavily stereotyped and discriminated against, with over 120,000 being placed in prison camps after the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, attitudes began to shift as more positive representations of Asian Americans appeared in popular culture, such as the character of Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek.
Similarly, in the 1950s, over 50% of Americans believed that homosexual activity should be criminalized. But as more gay people began to come out and share their stories publicly, societal attitudes started to change dramatically.
These examples show how sharing personal stories can humanize groups that were previously misunderstood or discriminated against, leading to increased empathy and acceptance.
Applying Storytelling in Teams
In the context of teams, encouraging members to share their personal stories can have powerful effects. It helps team members see each other as whole people rather than just coworkers or representatives of particular departments or viewpoints.
When we understand more about our teammates' backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, we're more likely to empathize with them and consider their viewpoints, even when we disagree. This can lead to more productive discussions, better problem-solving, and a more cohesive team overall.
Conclusion: Building Your Dream Team
Throughout "Dream Teams," Shane Snow presents a compelling case for rethinking our approach to teamwork. By embracing diversity, managing conflict productively, introducing fresh perspectives, remaining open to unconventional ideas, uniting around shared goals, cultivating intellectual humility, and sharing personal stories, we can create teams that are far more than the sum of their parts.
Building a dream team isn't about assembling a group of superstars or finding people who always agree with each other. Instead, it's about creating an environment where diverse perspectives are valued, where challenging ideas is encouraged, and where team members truly understand and respect each other.
This approach to teamwork isn't always easy. It requires us to step out of our comfort zones, to be willing to have our ideas challenged, and to put in the effort to understand and empathize with our teammates. But as Snow's wide-ranging examples show, the results can be truly extraordinary.
Whether you're leading a business team, working on a creative project, or simply trying to collaborate more effectively with others, the insights from "Dream Teams" offer a roadmap for achieving exceptional results through teamwork. By applying these principles, we can transform our teams from sources of frustration into powerful engines of innovation and achievement.
In a world that's increasingly complex and interconnected, the ability to work effectively in teams is more important than ever. With the strategies and insights provided in "Dream Teams," we're better equipped to meet this challenge, creating teams that can tackle even the most daunting problems and achieve remarkable things together.