Can I be a team of 1?

A very clever individual recently asked me this question. This was in response to my assertion that one of the most crucial moments in group-based work is when we each become personally invested in the goals we share with others. Although this might resemble the saying “there is no I in team,” I believe it is a significant concept to reflect upon.

There is an opportunity for some subtlety of thought here. Simply, the notion of “teamwork” suggests a type of work that we do with others. This is often one of the true professional joys that we experience. However, this may lead to the thought that the relationships in the team is where the opportunities lie for team performance.

However, while there will be many opportunities for us to do great work in the company of others, I would argue that strong engagement with the shared goal is an entirely personal event. What if I don't agree with the work that the team is doing?

Some interesting insights on this subject can be seen in the research from Wagner et al (2011) that examines the relationship between individual/collective focus and team performance. Research shows that people with an individualist preference (i.e. they like to work alone) generally do their best work when they are assigned an individual task.

Similarly, there are performance considerations for those of us who identify as collectivists with opportunities for collaboration being front and centre.

Wagner and colleagues point out an interesting assumption found in some studies within this field: the notion that teams mainly concentrate on executing collective tasks. Considering that organizations are highly adaptable and reactive to their surroundings, it seems improbable that there would be such a singular focus on specific task types.

This is also what the research discovered. That a mix of individual and collective tasks are typically performed by the team and that this heterogeneous mix of tasks leads to higher rates of performance.

So, the answer to the question about whether we can be a team of one is yes. More interesting though may be the question of whether we want (or need) to work individually or collectively and whether the operating context of the team allows for this mix and match between what we are good at and what the team needs.

Further reading in the article by Wagner and others here:

Wagner, J. A., S. E. Humphrey, et al. (2012). “Individualism–collectivism and team member performance: Another look.” Journal of Organizational Behavior 33(7): 946-963.