The optimum construction of teams is something that has vexed managers for many years, and whilst many studies have been undertaken to look into matters, it’s perhaps fair to say that no real conclusion has been arrived at. A new study from Carnegie Mellon doesn’t provide this conclusion either but it is no less interesting for that.
The research explores the kind of cognitive mix that the authors believe delivers the best results for the team. They argue that just the right amount of diversity is required to secure the benefits of different opinions whilst retaining the homogeneity required to have a cohesive unit.