Why Teams Stop Talking (And How to Fix It)

Imagine you're part of a group project at school. At first, it's just you and two friends working together. Everyone knows what they're supposed to do, and it's easy to check in with each other. But then your teacher adds three more people to your group. Suddenly, nobody knows who's doing what, people start doing the same work twice, and some group members stop trying as hard.

This is exactly what happens to companies as they grow bigger. Let's explore why this happens and what we can do about it.

The principal reason of having a small number of people in a team is related to communication lines. The images above, show how these communication lines increase dramatically as you add one more person to a team. Starting with just three lines of communication with three people in a team, this increases to 15 lines of communication with 6 people in a team.

Why Do Teams Fall Apart When They Get Bigger?

The Magic Number: 3-5 People

Scientists and business experts have studied this question for years, and they keep finding the same thing: the best team size is usually 3-5 people. Here's why bigger isn't always better.

The Communication Problem

Think about texting in a group chat. With 3 people, there are only 3 possible conversations happening (you and friend A, you and friend B, friend A and friend B). But add just 3 more people, and suddenly there are 15 different conversations that could be happening!

As teams get bigger, keeping everyone on the same page becomes nearly impossible. It's like trying to have a conversation in a crowded cafeteria - the more people talking, the harder it is to hear anything clearly.

The "Why Should I Try?" Problem

There's something called the Ringelmann Effect (named after a French scientist) that shows people actually work less hard when they're in bigger groups. Here's why:

• Social loafing: Ever notice how in a big group project, there's always someone who barely contributes? When there are lots of people, it's easier to hide and let others do the work.

• Getting in each other's way: Imagine you're making a video project and you need Sarah's footage before you can edit your part, but Sarah is waiting for Mike's script, and Mike is waiting for you to tell him what scenes to write. Everyone ends up stuck.

• Feeling disconnected: In a small friend group, you feel important and needed. In a huge group, you might feel like just another face in the crowd.

• The "us vs. them" feeling: When teams get too big, they often split into smaller cliques that don't talk to each other well.

How to Keep Teams Working Together as Companies Grow

Fixing these problems isn't easy, but here are some strategies that actually work:

Everyone Needs to Know the "Why" Just like how your school has a mission statement, companies need to make sure every team understands the bigger picture. When everyone knows they're working toward the same goal, they're more likely to help each other out instead of just focusing on their own small part.

Keep Talking, Keep It Open Leaders need to constantly remind everyone: "We're all on the same team here." This means having regular check-ins, being honest about problems, and making sure information flows freely between groups.

No Secrets Policy Ever been frustrated when your friends made plans without telling you? Teams feel the same way when they're left out of important information. Companies work better when everyone can see what they need to see.

Walk in Someone Else's Shoes Some companies have "job swap" days where people from different teams try each other's work for a day. It's like when you realize how hard your friend's advanced math class is only after you sit in on it once.

Leaders Need to Set the Example If the principal at your school doesn't follow the school rules, why should students? Company leaders need to model the behavior they want to see.

Use the Right Tools Just like you might use Discord for gaming with friends and Google Docs for private projects, business teams need the right technology to communicate and work together effectively. It is even more important to agree tools and systems across multiple teams in a growing business.

Tools To Get Started

Here are three tools that you can start with that have proven to work really well:

1. Personal Mind Maps: These help people understand their own strengths and how they work best. Setting these up as a gallery for team members to view increases team awareness and empathy.

2. Team Canvas: Think of this like a poster that shows what your team is trying to accomplish, how you'll work together, and what each person brings to the group. Have your teams create their own canvas, and then have a session to share it with other teams.

3. Personality Tests: These help team members understand each other's communication styles and work preferences.

Does This Stuff Actually Work?

Here's a real example: A company had 7 different teams in one department that weren't working well together. After spending just one morning using these tools, something amazing happened. Team members started asking to switch teams! When asked why, they said they realised they could solve communication problems better by working with different people. Instead of fighting or ignoring the problem, they found a creative solution.

This shows that when people understand each other and see the bigger picture, they can figure out clever ways to work together.

The Bottom Line

Growing a company is like turning a small friend group into a large school club. It gets more complicated, but it doesn't have to fall apart. The key is keeping teams small, communication clear, and making sure everyone remembers they're working toward the same goal.

Remember: good teamwork isn't about having the most people in your team. It's about having the right people working together in the right way.

Do you have team communication and alignment problems? Email contact@kaizenjoy.com and let us know. We are here to help you grow, thrive and work with joy!