Why - Part 2

Another reason for making these posts:?

I always had that internal burn to be involved in a project much bigger than me. Yes, I have done some rather large projects, which were rewarding financially. And yes, I have been involved in some thorny, complex problems on projects that, when complete, I found very satisfying intellectually. But I believe there is a magic project that requires a team where, when completed, everyone will know this was the project of projects. It will be a project that is technically and financially rewarding and rewarding from a team cooperation standpoint.

I also believe a group of people of all ages and skill levels can accomplish nearly impossible feats if brought together with the proper training, encouragement, and cooperation. As SpaceX has done, team collaboration was necessary to capture a rocket's first stage at the ground. To the Oppenheimer team, cooperation was essential to develop the atomic bomb. Collaboration was required to build and fly the first airplane. I could go on as hundreds if not thousands of other projects took the collaborative effort of a team where everyone contributes. It can be done, has been done, and will be done repeatedly.

The book by Patrick Lencioni, The Six Working Geniuses, identifies six essential skills that every productive team must have. The author explains that people are blessed with two skills he calls geniuses. A genius skill is one that you are good at and enjoy doing. If you work most of your time in areas of your two geniuses, you will be challenged and fulfilled. When you finish the work day, you will feel empowered and look forward to the next work day.?

He continues describing two of the remaining four skills as frustrations and competencies. Every person has two of each. Frustrations are the skills that he is not good doing at all. Spend much of your time in those frustrations, and you will not like your work and go home exhausted and unfulfilled at night. People spending over 20% of their time on these two skills, "frustrations," will likely go home exhausted, unfulfilled, and likely change jobs. In the process, they will be unproductive and cannot collaborate.

The remaining two skills are called competencies, which people are moderately proficient at doing, but the task does not provide a sense of fulfillment. Spending time on these skills is not exciting.

A collaborative team working well will have three or more members, each having two geniuses.

The concept is straightforward, but in practice, it is not as seamless or simple as described.?

I have been involved in projects and worked on invention commissions that were difficult to complete because we did not have the right team. One request was a cream dispenser for a large hamburger chain. Another was an automated beach clean-up robot. Another was a floating groundwater pump that processes oil spills affecting the groundwater. And the latest, an electronic device promising to clean up the home drinking water. The volunteer team could not solve these because of the lack of collaborative skills and other soft skills. Also, most people involved spent too much time outside their two geniuses.

Over the next several weeks, I will give you additional reasons. In the meantime, if you are interested in joining such a team or know someone who does, just respond to this posting.

Just think, it can be done. It will be done. I want to be on that team.?

Next week, I will share another reason why.