Throw Out the Rules

August 8, 2005 (Computerworld) Convene the elite of your company for a world-changing project, and you have a virtuoso team. Talent, energy, ambition, intensity, ego, risk—these teams have it all in spades. And they play by a different set of rules. In this month's Harvard Business Review, co-authors Bill Fischer and Andy Boynton discuss their study of virtuoso teams in 20 top companies. Boynton, the dean of Boston College's Carroll School of Management, told Computerworld's Kathleen Melymuka that at this level, there's no room for nice.

What's a virtuoso team? A team that has the explicit mission to change the world—big change, big objectives, a brand-new system never done before. A financial services firm we looked at worked on a mass customization project—a total revamp to personalize financial services. A consumer goods company created a global supply chain project. It's about a breakthrough. And [the team is] composed of the very best talent obtainable, role by role: a team of superstars.

Yet you say most companies deliberately avoid creating virtuoso teams. Why? Most companies want to avoid getting a bunch of big egos and strong wills on a team, because they're afraid of too much tension and conflict. They look at who's available, who has experience, and they look for harmony—people that will get along. Not every project deserves a virtuoso team, but every organization has some projects that do.

How does the approach to teamwork differ? Several things. There's almost a frenetic energy in how they work. It's far more intense than in a normal team. Also, there's a lot more direct, no-holds-barred dialogue. We say a polite team will give you polite results. These are not polite teams. They work together physically and intensely—not by e-mail and phone. There is speed—rapid prototyping and rapid movement of ideas. There's also a very clear statement of what they're trying to do and not do upfront. And there's something in it for everybody.

Andy Boynton, the dean of Boston College's Carroll School of Management

You emphasize close quarters and tight time constraints. What does that do for the team? In concert with other things, it ensures true collaboration where ideas, not tasks, are the focus. Where people are belly to belly and they feel they're under pressure, there's a lot more direct dialogue, a lot of intimacy and an intense blending of skills. There's an acceleration of momentum. That's the way you want to set it up to make it work well.

Why is it so important not to be polite? There are so many obstacles to getting the best ideas out on the table. Hierarchy drives ideas; the boss says something, and everybody agrees. Here, you're creating a real marketplace for ideas. People aren't worried about the consequences of what they say.

What kind of characteristics would the team manager require? He has to be a conduit of ideas from the outside. He has to listen extraordinarily well. He has to be supremely self-confident, because he's got to let those egos and the "I" soar. Nothing dumbs a team down more than everything being "we." Compromise is the sire of mediocracy. It's not about compromise; it's about getting there. And he has to value failure as an opportunity to learn.

What do you think is the biggest challenge in managing a virtuoso team? You need a manager that understands the rules of the game; someone who's direct, who's there to get results, not to be polite; someone who won't let them accept compromises; someone who wants to change the world and will keep that ambitious target in front of them. Leadership is a contact sport. It's a whole different environment, and if you don't know that going in, it can unravel.

TRADITIONAL TEAMS

Choose members for availability Emphasize the collective Focus on tasks Work individually and remotely Address the average customer

VIRTUOSO TEAMS

Choose members for skills Emphasize the individual Focus on ideas Work together intensively Address the sophisticated customer