https://www.wrike.com/library/ebooks/forming-team-productivity-habits/ - Tom Wujec's TEDTalks session about the Marshmallow Problem gives us 4 insights into team dynamics and project management.

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4 lessons
in Project Management
from Building Marshmallow
and Spaghetti Towers
#TEDTalks

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Give teams spaghetti, marshmallows & tape.
Tell them to build the tallest structure.
You’ll discover valuable lessons in team
behavior and project management.

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Tom Wujec, a designer and fellow at
Autodesk, has conducted hundreds of
these challenges with groups of varying
ages and backgrounds.
And he's discovered
some interesting
things:

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Wujec's stats show that
kindergarteners typically build
structures taller than those of
CEOs or business students.
WHY?

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lesson 1:
Politics Waste Time
The kids did well because they simply dove in. Meanwhile the adults oriented
themselves with the task & engaged in a power play to decide on a leader.
Clearly defining each other's roles should happen before a project starts!

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lesson 2:
Iteration Wins
Unlike the business students who are trained to find one perfect plan, the
kindergarteners built successive prototypes, always keeping the marshmallow on
top and refining their design along the way.
An iterative process allows the team to innovate at a faster velocity.
Click to read how iteration helps project planning!

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Wujec's stats also indicate that
the best performers outside of
architects are groups
composed of CEOs and
executive admins.
WHY?

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lesson 3:
Diversity Rocks
The CEOs + exec admins had diverse skills of management & facilitation. One
gives orders well, the other follows instructions well.
A good mix of skills and personalities makes a stronger, more effective team.

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Wujec experimented with an
incentive — $10,000 worth of
software to the winners.
Not one of the 10 teams had a
standing structure.

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The same teams produced
some of the tallest
structures ever recorded.
Four months later, he gave the
incentive to the same teams
who now knew the lessons of
iteration.

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lesson 4:
Experience +
Incentive = Gold
Incentives alone won't guarantee success unless there are skilled, experienced
members on the team who know the work involved.

12. The 4 Project Management Takeaways:
a. Define roles before a project starts!
b. Iterate to innovate faster.
c. Mix skills and personalities on your team.
d. Incentives and experience combined boost performance.

13. For more strategies on
building a high-performance
team, grab our ebook on
team productivity habits.
This ebook teaches you five
concrete strategies to build
productive habits in your
team, one habit at a time.
Get the ebook!
Click to download!
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