0411 | How Less Is Often More With Teams

Published on May 31, 2013. Updated on November 30th, 2023.

0411 | How Less Is Often More With Teams

Sometimes adding to the number of people on a team can actually subtract from the quality of the teams output. This isn’t a rare occurrence, it’s a well researched phenomenon. In this episode, we review the research on social loafing and share three options for counteracting the negative effect of more people.

[Special thanks to Mark de Rond for tipping me off to this research.]

Listen below or subscribe via iTunes.

This podcast is supported by Audible.com. Get a free audiobook just for trying it at www.audibletrial.com/lead.

HOME_AboutDavidBurkus

About the author

David Burkus is an organizational psychologist, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of five books on leadership and teamwork.

Learn More

Recommended Reading

0401 | Potential Trumps Proven Achievement

For the premiere of season four we talk about potential. Not our potential, but some recent research demonstrating that potential has significantly more allure than accomplishment. It turns out, we have a preference for people who show the potential for future achievements over those whose past is full of achievement. Listen below or subscribe via iTunes. This […]

0413 | Michael Roberto

Michael Roberto is the Trustee Professor of Management at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. He has served on the faculty at Harvard Business School and as a visiting professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business. He is the author of the newly updated Why Great Leaders Don’t Take Yes For An Answer. In this […]

0303 | David Owens

David A. Owens is professor of the practice of management at Vanderbilt’s Graduate School of Management, where he also directs the Executive Development Institute. Specializing in innovation and new product development, he is known as a dynamic speaker and is the recipient of numerous teaching awards. In this interview, we discuss his new book Creative […]

Scroll to Top