4 project management lessons from building marshmallow and spaghetti towers

#TEDTalks

4 lessons
in Project Management
from Building Marshmallow
and Spaghetti Towers

Photo by kjarrett - Creative Commons Attribution License />

Give teams spaghetti, marshmallows & tape.
Tell them to build the tallest structure.
You’ll discover valuable lessons in team
behavior and project management.
Photo by kjarrett - Creative Commons Attribution License />
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And he's discovered
some interesting
things:

Photo by kjarrett - Creative Commons Attribution License />

Wujec's stats show that
kindergarteners typically build
structures taller than those of
CEOs or business students.

WHY?
Photo by kjarrett - Creative Commons Attribution License />

lesson 1:
Politics Waste Time

The kids did well because they simply dove in. Meanwhile the adults oriented
themselves with the task & engaged in a power play to decide on a leader.
Clearly defining each other's roles should happen before a project starts!

Photo by mdpreston - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License />

lesson 2:
Iteration Wins

Unlike the business students who are trained to find one perfect plan, the
kindergarteners built successive prototypes, always keeping the marshmallow on
top and refining their design along the way.
An iterative process allows the team to innovate at a faster velocity.
Click to read how iteration helps project planning!
Photo by kjarrett - Creative Commons Attribution License />

Wujec's stats also indicate that
the best performers outside of
architects are groups
composed of CEOs and
executive admins.

WHY?
Photo by IDEO Postcards - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License />

lesson 3:
Diversity Rocks

The CEOs + exec admins had diverse skills of management & facilitation. One
gives orders well, the other follows instructions well.
A good mix of skills and personalities makes a stronger, more effective team.

Photo by IDEO Postcards - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License />

Wujec experimented with an
incentive — $10,000 worth of
software to the winners.
Not one of the 10 teams had a
standing structure.

Photo by aresauburn™ - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License />

Four months later, he gave the
incentive to the same teams
who now knew the lessons of
iteration.

The same teams produced
some of the tallest
structures ever recorded.

Photo by Zemmome - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License />

lesson 4:

Experience +
Incentive = Gold

Incentives alone won't guarantee success unless there are skilled, experienced
members on the team who know the work involved.

Photo by aresauburn™ - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License />

The 4 Project Management Takeaways:
a. Define roles before a project starts!
b. Iterate to innovate faster.
c. Mix skills and personalities on your team.
d. Incentives and experience combined boost performance.


For more strategies on
building a high-performance
team, grab our ebook on
team productivity habits.
This ebook teaches you five
concrete strategies to build
productive habits in your
team, one habit at a time.

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