Creativity in Teams

This'll be quick since I'm a bit sleep-deprived these days...

It's interesting to think about the different situations where working in teams vs. working individually is best. In general, people in the US often stress teamwork, cooperation etc, but let's face it; in certain situations, teamwork is not best. When writing an article or coding on a deadline, for instance, only 1 person can write/code at a time, so it's best not to have one person writing and 6 people sitting around watching that person type or talking to that person while he/she types.

However, as I was reminded today when my team was brainstorming team names, working in teams is great for creativity. There's nothing like working in a team and bouncing ideas off each other to unleash creativity. One person mentions a suggestion that another would never have thought of, but then the 2nd person immediately can build upon the 1st person's idea etc etc. There's also nothing like teams to make sure your idea doesn't suck (as long as your teammates are being honest with you). In order to be effective, however, a few things probably need to be in place. The members likely need to have some kind of organized way of reaching results, and a mutual respect for each other in order to feel "safe" in suggesting ideas freely (and rejecting ideas freely).

In startups, I think founders often think of an idea or a problem, and convince themselves of the solution and path that should be taken. However, I think they need to remember the power of teams for looking at problems and solutions from many angles, not just their own.