A635.4.3.RB - Build a Tower, Build a Team

Upon analyzing the results of the marshmallow challenge, Tom Wujec (2010) shared that groups of kindergartners performed better than business students. Wujec (2010) noted that kindergartners performed better because they did not spend time creating the best plan, and they were not quietly vying for power. Wujec (2010) also noted that business students are trained to find the single right plan; however, the kindergartners build multiple prototypes, while keeping the marshmallow on top of the structure (Wujec, 2010).  Based on what I know of children and adults, I am not surprised by the results, nor do I disagree with Wujec’s kindergartner-performance theory. While adults tend to think inside of the box, especially business leaders, children think freely. Also, the kindergartners’ focus was on building the tower, not on who is in charge of delegation and execution.

CEO’s with an executive assistant may perform better because the executive assistant may be more focused on the task and details. Additionally, the executive assistant may be less concerned about leading the project and more concerned about accomplishing the goal. Executive assistants may also have strong intuitive and need-anticipating skills; thus, executive assistants’ skill set may be at work when building the tower.

If given the opportunity to present this video at a process intervention workshop, I would focus on the “how” of accomplishing the task, not the task. Brown (2011) stated that process interventions never involve the team’s task; process interventions are about how the group will accomplish the task (p. 203). I would discuss behaviors that hinder team-building, like dominating, interrupting, playing around, and inappropriate behavior (Brown, 2011, p. 202). I would also discuss the importance of relationships as they relate to production. Sometimes organizations are so focused on tasks and goals, that leaders do not emphasize the importance of building relationships. Additionally, leaders are so focused on their positions that they are not building their team, or inspiring followers to lead. In process intervention, each team member has an opportunity to lead and follow (Brown, 2011, p. 203). Managers who practice process interventions encourage team members to take leadership roles; in this instance, the manager releases leader-domination and inspires growth among employees (Brown, 2011, p. 203). I would also talk about how all members need each other in order to be effective; leaders cannot effectively lead without a strong team. While business leaders were trying to “take charge” of the marshmallow challenge, the kindergartners were team-focused (though they may not have known they were) and project-focused; I would encourage the group to incorporate the lesson of the kindergartners into their daily work habits.

Striving for the top, at all costs, will always be a career/life temptation; however, I do not want the top if it means that I will lead with arrogance. I do not want to be so focused on the goal, while forgetting those who will take us to the top. Bottom-line, no matter my position, I want to stay team-focused; I want to remember that it takes all members to achieve organizational goals. In addition to team-oriented leadership, I want to stop over analyzing problems. Analysis is great, but over analysis can sometimes put me in the same box that those CEO’s and business students were in; over analysis did not help them successfully complete the marshmallow challenge. The CEO’s and business students looked at the dilemma one way, without considering multiple prototypes. Therefore, I want to think like a child in terms of freedom, exploration, team-oriented, and task-focused.

Brown, D. R. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organization Development (8th ed.). Saddle River, NJ : Prentice Hall.

Wujec, T. (2010, February ). Build a Tower, Build a Team. Retrieved from TED Ideas Worth Spreading: https://www.ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_build_a_tower