Study Says More Women Make for Smarter Teams 12.09.2011
“Do more women result in smarter and more successful teams?” is the focus of a research study that was recently in the Harvard Business Review. It’s a discussion that is ongoing at DEVLINHAIR Productions. In producing our corporate meetings, award shows, product launches and other events, we routinely create custom teams that perfectly fit the needs of the client and the event. While we are ALWAYS successful, some teams function better than others. Why?
The answer may be in a comprehensive study published in the Harvard Business Review by Professors’ Anita Woolley and Thomas Malone titled “Defend Your Research: What Makes a Team Smarter? More Women.” They set up 192 teams that were given several different tasks such as brainstorming, decision-making, and visual puzzles, and then given intelligence scores based on their performances. The outcome was surprising in some aspects, and obvious in others.
Their preliminary finding: There is little correlation between a group’s collective intelligence and the IQs of its individual members. But if a group includes more women, its collective intelligence rises. More women make for a stronger team!
Some of the questions that we have discussed are answered in Professors Woolley and Malone study:
“So what are the requirements for a strong team (other than more women!) if it is not individual intelligence?”
“Are brains all that it takes?”
The study also found that individuals with higher social sensitivity were the most productive. In general, one can assume women tend to be more sensitive in social and professional situations. Diversity in terms of gender and personality both play a role in creating the best team and this is important when building teams for individual jobs and projects. As Woolley explains, “ongoing research suggests that teams need a moderate level of cognitive diversity for effectiveness.” And according to the study, women’s qualities (as opposed to men’s) are better suited to being part of a work team. It was very clear that “smart groups had members who listened to each other, shared criticism constructively, had open minds, and were not autocratic.”
When we at DEVLINHAIR PRODUCTIONS are forming the best team for a job, we have always focused on bringing together people that communicate well, have open minds, and are able to take direction and respect effective leaders.
How do you make smart effective teams? What’s your secret?