Why Smart People Make Lousy Teams

It happens all too often: Put a bunch of really smart people in a room, tell them to solve a problem, and watch as they dissolve into blathering idiocy.

Okay, maybe it’s not all that bad. But we’ve all seen groups of supposedly smart people who just can’t work well together. That’s because, according to recent research from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon, and Union College, raw smarts doesn’t have much to do with team performance.

The researchers placed nearly 700 people into groups of between two and five, then gave them problems to solve, such as visual puzzles, games, negotiations, and logical analysis. Here’s what they found:

• Individual smarts doesn’t affect performance. The average intelligence of team members wasn’t related to team performance. So if you’ve got a team that’s struggling, putting a couple of really smart people on it isn’t going to help.
• EQ–emotional intelligence– is more important than IQ. Good communication and good coordination make teams function well. To get that, you need people who are good at reading and responding to other peoples’ emotions. Teams that included even one person with superior skills in this regard had better performance.
• A ’strong’ personality hurts performance. Groups where one person dominated the conversation or the decision-making, or where people didn’t do as well taking turns, had worse performance. This correlates well with other research that shows ’stronger’ leaders are often less effective than those who perceive themselves to be less powerful.

The Key to Creating “Emotionally Intelligent” Teams

The researchers found one fairly simple answer: Add women.

Women are often perceived to be more socially sensitive, and more communally-minded, than men. To the extent that’s true, it’s easy to see how it could be helpful in a team context. And in the experiments, the researchers found that teams that included women were more socially-sensitive, and better performing, than then all-male teams. (No word on the performance of all-female teams. I’ve reached out to the researchers about that, and will update if I hear back.)

In business, it’s not always easy to change the composition of a team, and just because a team is all-male shouldn’t give it license to be socially inept. Writing for Psychology Today, Heidi Grant Halvorson suggests a number of ways any team can become more socially aware, and therefore, higher performing:

Create opportunities for team members to express their feelings, and for others to respond to them.   Encourage face-time whenever possible (emotions are difficult to read on the phone, and nearly impossible over email).  Cultivating a work environment where team members’ experiences are acknowledged and understood will create teams that are smarter, happier, and far more successful.

I don’t know how the ‘express your feelings’ bit would have gone over at some of the places I’ve worked–although if “creating opportunities to express feelings” simply means putting an end to some of the macho teasing I’ve seen, I’m all for it. But as the researchers found, you don’t have to break out the hankies to reap the benefits of social sensitivity. Just try taking turns.

What do you think makes teams function well? Or not?

5 Ways to Make the Most of Time Between Jobs

A few months ago, in another post, I asked BNET readers to keep time logs for me. I’ve gotten several dozen from people in all walks of life. Often, people have packed schedules and are looking to free up time. Some of the most interesting, though, come from people who are between jobs. They have plenty of time, but have a different question: how can I actually enjoy my time, given the uncertainty?

It’s a good question. When you’re busy, you fantasize about all the things you’d do if you had more hours at your disposal. The problem is that, if you’ve been laid off or are just starting your career, or have left your job for other reasons, it’s hard to know for sure that you’ll land an awesome job in exactly 4 months. If you knew that, you’d relax and use the time to go out with friends, maybe travel if that’s in the budget, or achieve other personal goals. Since you don’t know it, you tend to think that any given minute should be filled with looking at another job board, or making another phone call, or checking email again, in case someone got back to you, even though we all reach a point of diminishing returns.

There are a few ways to make the most of this search time, though — making progress on the job front while still enjoying a more relaxed schedule.

1. Keep moving. Exercise is great for stress release, and exercising outdoors seems to increase the already plentiful feel-good benefits. Even a 30 minute walk is a perfect reason to leave the computer. Keeping an exercise log and charting your progress will also remind you that you are still moving forward even if you’re on a break from the professional world.

2. Schedule something social 2-3 times a week. Now you’ve got the flexibility to work with other people’s schedules. Meet friends for breakfast, make plans to run together over their lunch breaks, or take the time to plan a weekend hike with friends. Anticipating fun experiences is a key component of happiness. Bonus: you can call it “networking” if you’d like.

3. Set a “work day” and give yourself permission to stick with it. Most people who work full-time clock 35-45 hours a week, and that’s a reasonable amount of time to search for work as well. When you’re done for the day, you’re done. Or perhaps you work better from a list of desired results. Set yourself a list of tasks for each day — a certain number of calls, a certain number of requests for referrals — and then unplug once you’ve hit them.

4. Set a personal goal. Try one (just one!) that’s specific but requires a bit of stretching. Maybe you’ll write 1000 words of fiction per day. Maybe you’ll read all the novels of Jonathan Franzen. Maybe you’ll finally learn to swim, or take that photography class you’ve been eyeing but have been telling yourself you just don’t have the talent to master. Getting outside one’s comfort zone in one area of life tends to have spill-over benefits in others. I’m not saying that photography class will morph into a massively profitable photography business, but after writing about careers for a decade, I have seen it happen again and again.

5. Remind yourself this is all temporary. Most challenging times are. Back in college, I spent a semester studying abroad in Australia. During that time, I went on an excursion that, among other things, had a small group of us hiking in the monsoon vine forest right outside Kakadu National Park. Unfortunately, due to seasonal rains, the river we were hiking next to rose and covered our path and, before we realized it, we were lost. We fanned out in multiple directions using good wilderness techniques (one person walks until he can just see the last person, then the next walks until he can just see him, and so forth). Covering a radius of about half a mile this way, we eventually found a fence that led to a small dirt road where — since night was falling — we decided to camp.

Looking back on this all now, it’s pretty obvious that we would be rescued. People had been expecting us to return, a road generally leads somewhere, and we’d only hiked a few hours so we couldn’t be that far into the wilderness. And, indeed, the whole ordeal only took about 8 hours before we heard the search party firing their guns into the air. Nonetheless, in the middle of those 8 hours, when you’re hot, hungry, thirsty, muddy, mosquito-bitten and sitting in the dark with various animal noises all around, it’s hard to appreciate this fact.

One way to take a long term perspective? Start writing the story in your head that you’ll tell people about this time. How I survived the monsoon vine forest. How I got my career zooming forward again.You’re a talented person and if you want to, you will definitely land a great job. That’s the ending of the story. Filling in the details is up to you.

How have you filled time between jobs?

Related:

Don’t Get Along With Your Boss? This May Be Why

What is your style of thinking? It’s a basic question, but not one that most of us spend much time pondering. As long as the brain cells seem to be doing their jobs, we figure everything’s okay.

It’s not that simple, says Thunderbird professor Denis Leclerc. He points out that not everyone thinks the same way, and not everyone likes the way their colleagues of bosses think. In a perfect world, this would be a good thing, with everyone using their own styles of thinking to solve common problems.

In reality, though, our disparate thinking styles can lead to miscommunication and animosity. The best managers, say Leclerc, learn to recognize at least four different styles of thinking, and to communicate with those who think differently. Here are the four broadest styles of thinking, as outlined in a recent article by Leclerc:

Deductive thinkers

This is the group that is least likely to just take the boss’ orders and plow ahead. They’re always asking why. They want to see the internal logic in what they’re being asked to do and in how the organization is run. They start with a general concept and from there derive more specific conclusions.

Questions managers can expect from deductive thinkers:

• Why is this project more important than the 20 we’ve already got going on?
• Why are we doing this?
• Why the sudden urgency?
• Why should I care?

Famous deductive thinker: Sherlock Holmes. He would piece together evidence to reach a conclusion, that, if the evidence was as it appeared and his reasoning was solid, was bound to reach a correct conclusion.

Inductive thinkers

Inductive thinkers are not interested in “why” so much as “how.” They’re the opposite of the deductive thinkers, starting with a lot of specifics and use it to build up more general knowledge. In practice, says Leclerc, this means they like to do a ton of research before tackling anything new. They want data on how things were done last time, and they’ll double check the results of the previous team before starting out on their own. Methodology matters.

Questions managers can expect from inductive thinkers:

• How did we make this decision?
• How will we change?
• How did we do this last time?

Famous inductive thinker: Charles Darwin, who amassed a huge amount of information about the finches of the Galapagos, from which he derived the basis for his broader theory of natural selection.

Linear thinkers

Lofty vision statements are going nowhere with this group. They want to see how A connects to B, then to C and D. They don’t care so much about the big goals as the detailed instructions for carrying them out.

Questions managers might receive from linear thinkers:

• When is it due?
• What needs to happen first?
• Who does what?

Famous linear thinker: Linear thinkers get a bad rap. Linear thinkers are supposed to excel at math and science, but no one seems to want to admit to actually being a linear thinker. It sounds so un-innovative. So in-the-box. It’d be great to get a few nominations for this category. Any ideas?

Systemic thinkers

These are the folks who will keep one eye on the big goal and worry less about how they’re going to get there. That’s all a bunch of boring details, a far as they’re concerned.  That’s what other people get paid for.

Questions managers might receive from systemic thinkers:

A manager might not get many questions from systemic thinkers. As bosses, their motto could be: I don’t care how you do it, as long as you get the job done.”

Famous systemic thinker: Steve Jobs is the classic example of the systemic leader. His instructions to the team that went on to create the first iPod were succinct, if nothing else. According to Leclerc, he did not care what the team did as long as they delivered a product with three attributes: 1) It could use no screws 2) it had to be controlled with the thumb, and 3) it had to change the way that people carried their music.

Still not convinced? You would be if you’d worked on the Airbus A380 commercial jet. The French engineers worked from a deductive and systemic mindset, adding three centimeters to the diameter of a pipe in case it needed to accommodate additional wiring. The German engineers, using inductive and linear thinking, saw an extra cost and cut three centimeters from the pipe’s diameter.  You can guess what happened-the additional wires didn’t fit, and the first A380 flew with duct tape holding the wires in place.

What kind of thinking dominates in your workplace? In your head?

How to Win at the Waiting Game

Waiting — at the DMV, at the doctor’s office, for a delayed flight — is absolutely infuriating. Even if the wait is not objectively long (who hasn’t lost 30 minutes staring into space at home?) the lack of control makes any ordeal seem longer.

So how can you seize those minutes?

Obviously, you can try to minimize them: calling ahead to your doctor’s office, checking with any government agency on the best time to visit, avoiding flights with a high risk of delays. But the best approach is to realize they are going to happen.

If you’re hoping for a wait-free life, you’ll just be disappointed.

So, knowing that into all lives a little waiting must fall, the first step is to make a list that I like to call “Bits of Time for Bits of Joy.” You can break this into two categories:

1. Things you like to do that take 30-60 minutes

2. Things you like to do that take 10 minutes or less

The 30-60 minute list might include watching a favorite show, going for a walk, listening to a recording of your favorite symphony, writing a letter to an elderly relative or actually wading through one of the articles in the New Yorker. The 10 minute list might include sketching your surroundings, reading some poetry, reading an article from a clip file, brainstorming items for your List of 100 Dreams, flipping through People, listening to your favorite song, or emailing a love note to your spouse.

For each of these, figure out what you need to have with you, and any circumstances in which the activity won’t work (like a tarmac delay where you can’t use your computer). If you’ll be heading into such a circumstance, choose a back-up option. Then make sure you have what you need on hand. Sure, you’ve got your iPhone in your purse, but a small paperback, or some colored pencils, might be a nice addition too.

Will this turn a wait into a joyful occasion? Hardly. But remembering to bring a book I’d started reading made a multi-hour visit to a doctor’s office the other day much more pleasant than a previous trip to the DMV, which I’d expected (silly me!) to breeze in and out of. Two hours is a long time to spend scrolling through stuff on an iPhone. Better to plan ahead.

What do you do when you’ve got to wait?

Top 10 Things You Never Want to Hear at Work

Whoever came up with the expression it’s better to give than to receive must have been talking about bad news.

Of course it sucks to deliver bad news, no doubt about it. But having been on both sides of the equation more times than I care to think about, I’d have to say that, given the choice, I’d rather not be on the receiving end.

Unfortunately, there is an awful lot of bad news being delivered these days. And I hate to say this, but so sooner or later, you’re probably going to end up on the wrong end of it. When that happens, you’re going to wish you had some warning because, well, you know what they say, forewarned is forearmed.

To that end, here are 10 phrases that, when you hear them, you can be pretty sure that what follows isn’t going to be good. And while knowing what’s coming won’t buy you much time, you’d be surprised how many cycles the brain can process when it’s racing in panic mode.

After all - and this is important, so pay attention - how you respond can make a big difference in whether people think of you as a consummate professional or a child throwing a tempter tantrum.

Top 10 Things You Never Want to Hear at Work

1. We’ve got a crisis on our hands. Don’t be fooled by the implication of shared responsibility. That’s just a euphemism. Make no mistake; you’re on the receiving end of the message because you’re the one they’re counting on to handle the crisis or die trying.
2. There’s no easy way to say this. Guess what? There’s no easy way to hear it, either. This can precede any number of events, from you’re about to get fired or your top employee is quitting on you to your biggest customer is bolting for your top competitor. It’s all bad.
3. Why don’t you take some time off? This particular question can either precede or follow some really unpleasant news, likeOne of your employees has filed a sexual harassment claim against you or I’m afraid you’re burning out and I don’t want to have to fire your butt.
4. All your meetings have been cancelled. This is where you say What do you mean all my meetings have been cancelled?to which your admin replies What can I say, nobody wants to meet with you. They could be customers, the media, employees, whatever, you’re now officially insignificant. Never a good thing.
5. Did you really just say that? Lots of people, especially public figures, have heard that one right after they think something that wasn’t supposed to actually come out of their mouths, usually while the mic is on, the tape is rolling, or the boss is on the receiving end.
6. I accidentally deleted it. It’s gone. You may not have pulled the trigger but the fact that you’re on the receiving end means that, whatever it was - probably a pitch or report you worked on for weeks - you’re the one who’s going to suffer because of someone else’s screw-up.
7. Do you really think your presentation went well? That’s when you ask Was it really that bad? and the other person replies Um … sorry to tell you this, but you’ll be lucky if they don’t can your whole project.
8. Can I have a word with you in private? Not that good news is always delivered in public, but even when someone wants to chat with you about something innocuous, he won’t say it like that. He’ll opt for something like Where can we talk or You’re not gonna believe what I heard.
9. Um … how long did it take you to do that? That’s usually followed by something like a recommendation that you do it over and way, way better if you want to keep your job.
10. You’ve been served. Not much you can do about this one, considering you’ve already blown it by answering yes to the magic question, Are you [your name]? Whether you’re served at work or not, it really doesn’t matter. You’re going to wish it never happened.

Did I forget to say that I’ve either said or heard every single one of these lines? In some cases, both. It’s true. And you know I’ve never been a process server.

The interview and answering the no-win question

Takeaway: Salary negotiations are difficult for many people looking for a job. A new book offers some practical advice for getting the results you want.

When interviewing for a job, we’ve all faced the salary requirement question. Most career advisers suggest that you hold off as long as possible on answering this question. What most don’t talk about is how to give the answer once the times comes.

You don’t want to go lower than the figure the company had in mind, yet you don’t want to go too high and take yourself out of the running. In his new book, Salary tutor: Learn the salary negotiation secrets no one ever taught you, Jim Hopkinson gives some really good practical advice on how to field the salary question in interviews, as well as how to negotiate a raise in your current job. (The book is available as an eBook and the paperback will be in stores on Aug 11.)

In one chapter, he talks about how to field the question, “How much money are you looking to make?” First, he explains that it’s important to put this in perspective:

They are the ones offering the job.

The know the need they have to fill, whether it’s a Java programmer or a project manager.

They know how much additional revenue can be generated by hiring you and what their current budget limitations are.

So, as much as possible, you should turn this question back on them. Hopkinson offers some examples of wording:

“In preparing for this interview, I did some homework and found out the general range for a position like this, but it was clear to me that it could vary widely based on the company. What range did you all have budgeted for the position?”

or

“Well, I’ve done some research and I clearly think that the skills that I would bring to this job will make it worth your while, but you’re in the best position to determine what a company like yours values for a position like this.”

10 workplace blunders to avoid at all costs

Some of you will shoot up the corporate ladder like you were born with leadership abilities far beyond those of ordinary mortals. If only that were the case for everyone.

The vast majority of us actually progress in fits and starts, with maybe even a minor correction or two along the way.

Don’t feel too bad; it’s just the universe’s way of screwing with us from time to time, just to make sure we’re paying attention.

Still, I’ve found that most of the issues you’re likely to run into can be avoided if you know what to look out for. Since we can all use a little help these days, here are 10 things you should never do at work.

Note: This article is based on an entry in BNET’s The Corner Office blog.

1: Say or write anything you wouldn’t want plastered on the Yahoo home page…

… or in the hands of the SEC, FTC, DOJ, or IRS. You have zero expectation of privacy at work and should therefore assume that anything and everything is being recorded for all eternity and will come back to haunt you at the worst possible time. That includes emails, phone calls, even hallway or parking lot conversations.

2: Over-apologize

We all make mistakes and it’s always good to fess up, but in business, you can go too far and actually make matters worse. If it’s a minor issue, just a quick “sorry about that” is fine. If it’s a big screw-up, apologize in private, face-to-face. Look the guy in the eye, say your piece, and be done with it. If you want confirmation, then ask, “Are we good now?” Don’t grovel, make promises you can’t keep, or anything else. Just man-up and leave it alone.

3: Take your smartphone to the bathroom

Hopeless addiction to smartphones, needing to stay connected 24×7, and being constantly pressed for time do not belong in a place where flushes can be heard on the other end of the line or, God forbid, the thing can drop into something wet, white, and porcelain. Leave it in your pocket and if it rings, have the good sense not to answer.

4: Cross swords with your boss, your boss’s boss, or any other boss

Too many of you just don’t get how civilization, organization, or the lack of either — which we affectionately call the jungle — works. You simply don’t square off with your boss or anyone in the chain of command. If you lose, you lose; if you win, you still lose. It’ll end badly and reflect badly on you no matter how it goes down. If you want to know how to deal with a bad boss, click the link.

5: Go looking for trouble

If you’re in a bad mood or pissed off at somebody, walk it off or treat yourself to a nice greasy donut or something. If you go looking for trouble, however, I can almost guarantee you will find it and it won’t end well for you. Don’t pick fights, push buttons, or otherwise give anyone a hard time. It’s called acting out, it’s childish, and it’ll stunt your career, big-time.

6: Make commitments you can’t keep or exaggerate your ability or influence

And don’t lie, either. The more straightforward and genuine you are, the smoother your career — and your life, for that matter — will go. Do what you say you’re going to do and leave the BS for the other guy. Your credibility will grow, people will count on you for more and more, and off you go.

7: Get angry, abusive, combative, or loud in an open or cubicle area

Admittedly, I was often guilty of this back in the day. It wasn’t acceptable then and it’s not acceptable now, but at least then, it was a relatively common occurrence. These days, you stand out like a big bully. And nobody likes a bully.

8: Say or do stuff people really don’t want to hear or see

“Too much information” might be a bit subjective, but there’s a common sense line you shouldn’t cross, including anything to do with your sex life, religious beliefs, political leanings, finances, holistic cures for mysterious ailments, frequency of bowel movements, revealing tats or scars that are and should remain hidden by clothing… you get the picture.

9: Act like a whiny, PITA negatron

If you’re a big crybaby, nobody will want to have anything to do with you. It’s ironic, but those who do all the complaining are the ones who make the workplace a living hell, not the people or stuff they’re always whining about. Think about it.

10: Talk trash about a coworker to anyone, anywhere on company property

You can be sure it’ll get around and come back to bite you in the end. Save it for friends, your spouse, or better still, the dog.

Other mistakes?

What are some other workplace stunts guaranteed to torpedo your career?