Assembling your professional 'Dream Team' in 5, 4, 3, 2...1

In 2012, some bright and inquisitive folks at Google embarked on a quest to figure out if there are certain ‘go-to’ characteristics that fuel a successful team. They dubbed the endeavor "Project Aristotle" after the philosopher's quote "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts". If only there were specific traits that could be plugged into an algorithm and give employers the most functional, profitable, successful team and allow them to avoid anything or anyone less ideal!

The researchers observed 180 Google teams and carried out over 200 informational interviews throughout their multi-year study. As it turns out, the most effective teams weren’t made up of all-star PhDs and MBAs. The findings were more intangible and highlighted the power of collaboration, behavior and dynamics within the team. In the end Google’s “Project Aristotle” revealed five key attributes of the most effective teams. Read more in this Inc.com article by Scott Mautz or on Google’s re:Work website.