Building a Great Team
This is the third post in a series of six, where I’m giving you a rare behind-the-scenes peek into my design process, as I share my experience working on a Rube Goldberg machine project for Canopy Planet.
What makes a great team?
In the second episode of my mini-series on Building a Rube Goldberg machine, I introduce our team for the project, and we all offer some of our thoughts on What Makes a Great Team. Every project is unique, but there are some transferable core tenets that many successful teams possess.
Six Elements of a Great Team:
Back-and-forth: Complementary skill sets and open communication allow you to engage in productive dialogue with your team members on multiple levels, from the creative to the practical.
Agility: A team with the ability to work within constraints, and pivot when unexpected challenges (and opportunities) come up, is worth its weight in gold.
Zoom in, zoom out: Understanding how your role fits into the bigger picture gives you context for how your piece of the project needs to function and be used.
Defined but flexible: A team that’s flexibly working towards a common goal doesn’t let ego get in the way – it’s not about making themselves look good, it’s about making the project look good.
A true fan: In my experience, having a team that’s legitimately excited about a project is the best indicator for a project’s success.
Imagination and trust: A great team has confidence in the creative process, which allows everyone to stay cool and calm under pressure.
Do you have any thoughts on what makes a great team? I’d love to hear them.
Check out my Episode 2 video below, or view it on YouTube!
