Have you ever considered how team structure shapes the outcomes your organization delivers? Conway’s Law—"organizations design systems that mirror their communication structures"—illustrates this dynamic perfectly. The way teams interact, or fail to, directly impacts the systems they create.
Let’s explore the contrasting challenges faced by smaller, siloed teams and larger, fragmented ones, and how strategic linking skills can bridge these gaps.
The Risks of Smaller, Siloed Teams
Smaller teams often excel at delivering highly focused systems. With end-to-end ownership, they produce polished outputs—but their independence can lead to fragmentation at an organizational level.
Real-World Example: Apple’s Macintosh Team
In the early 1980s, Steve Jobs led a dedicated, highly autonomous team to develop the Macintosh computer. This team, often referred to as the "Macintosh team," operated in isolation from the rest of Apple. The result? A revolutionary product that was intuitive and user-friendly—yet its development and marketing strategies were misaligned with Apple’s broader business objectives. While the Macintosh’s innovation set a new industry standard, the siloed approach created integration challenges and organizational tensions.
- Risk: A seamless product can still miss the mark on overarching organizational goals.
- Result: Organizational misalignment and inefficiencies can limit a product’s impact.
The Risks of Larger, Fragmented Teams
Larger teams bring diverse expertise and can tackle complex, organization-wide projects. However, without clear communication and shared priorities, these teams risk producing disconnected systems that fail to serve a cohesive purpose.
Real-World Example: Nokia’s Smartphone Development
In the early 2000s, Nokia’s fragmented team structure became a cautionary tale. Separate teams worked on hardware, operating systems, and applications, often with minimal communication. This lack of cohesion resulted in smartphone products that couldn’t compete with the more integrated offerings from competitors like Apple and Samsung. Despite Nokia’s vast resources, the misaligned efforts led to disjointed systems that failed to meet market demands.
- Risk: Mismatched priorities and weak cross-team coordination.
- Result: Disconnected systems that struggle to compete in the market.
The Common Thread: Linking Skills
In both scenarios, the key to overcoming these challenges lies in developing Linking Skills. Two critical skills—Interface Management and Participative Decision-Making—can align team efforts and unify outcomes.
Interface Management: Breaking Down Silos
This skill ensures seamless communication and collaboration between teams or subgroups, reducing isolation and fostering integration.
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Action Step:
Schedule regular checkpoints for smaller teams to share updates with the broader organization. These moments of alignment help identify and resolve integration challenges early.
Participative Decision-Making: Unifying Diverse Perspectives
By bringing diverse stakeholders into the decision-making process, this skill ensures that systems serve organizational goals—not just isolated team objectives.
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Action Step:
Leverage collaborative tools or structured workshops to gather input from all relevant groups. This approach builds buy-in and ensures alignment across functions.
How Linked Are Your Teams?
In summary, both small and large teams present unique challenges:
| Team Type | Strength | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Smaller Teams | Deliver speed and focus | Risk isolation, leading to fragmented systems. |
| Larger Teams | Handle complexity and scale | Struggle with misalignment, creating disconnected outputs. |
So what's the solution?
Develop Linking Skills like Interface Management and Participative Decision-Making to harmonize efforts and produce cohesive outcomes. Whether integrating siloed systems or unifying fragmented processes, these skills are the glue that binds teams to organizational purpose.
Team structures will always influence the systems they produce. By equipping your teams with the right Linking Skills, you ensure not only successful projects but also a stronger, more unified organization.
Take the First Step: Start by assessing how well your teams communicate and collaborate. Are silos limiting your effectiveness, or is misalignment slowing progress? Tools like structured workshops or team surveys can help uncover improvement opportunities. Remember, the journey to stronger, more cohesive systems starts with the first connection.