A small team is a machine with fewer gears, it requires less oversight to move. With the reduced dependencies throughout the process, small teams are able to increase the velocity of their work. You can’t simply shrink a team and expect the same outcomes as before. Smaller teams aren’t defined by having less work or diminished impact; in reality, they often shoulder more responsibility and operate in higher-stakes environments. Smaller teams thrive when every member is highly skilled and contributes meaningfully. It doesn’t just mean hiring the most senior or experienced professionals, it’s about identifying individuals who excel in their craft and can operate autonomously while collaborating effectively. Small teams frequently consist of “T-shaped” professionals who combine deep expertise in one or two areas with a broad understanding of complementary skills. By having a range of skills within a team, smaller groups can respond more dynamically to changing priorities, ensuring that no task gets siloed or overlooked. Individuals with deep experience in their craft bring invaluable judgment to a small team. They can anticipate challenges, draw from past lessons, and make quick decisions that steer the team in the right direction. When there are fewer people, each person’s contributions become more visible and significant. This creates an environment where accountability and reliability are paramount. This sense of responsibility motivates team members to take pride in their work, make thoughtful decisions, and ensure high standards of quality.
David HoangBuild a purposeful career, do the work that you cannot not do. Have the difficult conversations, advocate for yourself. Be yourself without oversharing, self-disclosure must fit the task at hand. Review your past decisions to make better ones in the future. The middle of your career is not a point of diminishing returns but an opportunity. Win over skeptics by collaborating with them through problem solving. Evaluate new roles for their learning potential rather than climbing a corporate ladder. When your available options aren’t working, create new ones. Alleviate burnout by learning to identify its root causes. All profits are not created equal as society is asking for sustainability.
Alison BeardHow can you offer a new narrative that preserves identity? How can you align the effort with something bigger than one person and the team? Even low-hanging fruit requires someone to take the first step. People push back if that step involves a perceived loss of credibility, authority, or control. If an idea comes from someone outside the dominant group or threatens an entrenched narrative about how things work, people will resist. Advocates for new ways of working often find a lot of their identity wrapped up in challenging the status quo and being rewarded and recognized for being trusted authorities. We all seek to save face and protect our identity and ego.
John CutlerWorking remotely is not about working from home but about having the autonomy to work where you choose. We need to expand the concept of “job autonomy” from “how work gets done” to include “where work gets done.”. It’s nice to go to a coworking space, or office, but not if feels empty or sad. It seems like executives approve office plans that make people miserable, probably despite the recommendations of architects and designers, and then they are surprised that people are upset at being required to go to such a place.
Pam Selle