Dream Teams audiobook cover - Working Together Without Falling Apart

Dream Teams

Working Together Without Falling Apart

Shane Snow

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Corporate CultureManagement & LeadershipEntrepreneurship

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Key Takeaways from Dream Teams

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Mind Map

Dream Teams
Diversity+
Productive Tension+
Power of Play+
Continuous Evolution+
Embracing Bad Ideas+
Unification Strategies+
Intellectual Humility+
Empathy via Storytelling+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9
According to the study involving Democrats and Republicans solving a murder mystery, what is a key benefit of a diverse team?
  • A. It ensures that team members agree more quickly to avoid political conflict.
  • B. It forces individuals to prepare better and strength-test their arguments.
  • C. It eliminates the need for a designated leader within the group.
  • D. It naturally creates a more relaxed and less competitive environment.
Question 2 of 9
Why did the 1998 merger between Chrysler and Daimler ultimately fail?
  • A. The companies engaged in constant, aggressive arguments that ruined morale.
  • B. The executives lacked a clear superordinate goal to unite the two brands.
  • C. The employees experienced 'cognitive friction' and organizational silence instead of discussing their differences.
  • D. The leadership team refused to hire outside consultants to mediate the transition.
Question 3 of 9
What unique strategy did the Wright brothers use to prevent their arguments from turning into toxic animosity?
  • A. They took a mandatory 24-hour break before making any final decisions.
  • B. They invited a neutral third party to act as a mediator.
  • C. They focused entirely on shared statistics rather than personal opinions.
  • D. They swapped sides and attempted to argue each other's points.
Question 4 of 9
How does playing together, such as the soccer games in early twentieth-century Buenos Aires, help unify divided groups?
  • A. It causes the brain to view opponents as part of the 'in-group,' reducing the amygdala's threat response.
  • B. It distracts people from their daily economic and social struggles.
  • C. It establishes a clear hierarchy that everyone can agree upon.
  • D. It forces individuals to communicate in a shared, universal language.
Question 5 of 9
In a 2009 experiment where students solved a murder mystery, what happened when a 'devil's advocate' was introduced to the team?
  • A. The team's productivity dropped drastically due to increased interpersonal conflict.
  • B. The team's chances of solving the mystery doubled because they were forced to cross-examine their choices.
  • C. The original team members ignored the new person and solved the mystery on their own.
  • D. The new member usually provided the correct answer directly to the group.
Question 6 of 9
What does the story of the proposed dome over Winooski, Vermont illustrate about brainstorming and teamwork?
  • A. Only scientifically proven ideas should be presented to the public.
  • B. Federal funding is usually wasted on impractical municipal projects.
  • C. Ideas that appear bad or wacky at first can unexpectedly lead to new, useful solutions.
  • D. A team must thoroughly research an idea before sharing it to avoid nationwide ridicule.
Question 7 of 9
What psychological concept unified the diverse and hostile troops under General Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812, as well as the rival boys at the 1954 summer camp?
  • A. Intellectual humility
  • B. Cognitive friction
  • C. Organizational silence
  • D. Superordinate goals
Question 8 of 9
According to the book, what is a highly effective way to develop 'intellectual humility' and become more receptive to new ideas?
  • A. Immersing yourself in a strange environment or different culture.
  • B. Engaging in daily debates with people who share your exact background.
  • C. Relying strictly on statistical data to form your worldview.
  • D. Avoiding conflict and remaining silent during team discussions.
Question 9 of 9
Based on Paul Zak's research on oxytocin, why are stories more effective than statistics in building empathy within a team or society?
  • A. Stories require less cognitive effort to process than complex statistics.
  • B. Stories appeal to the brain's amygdala, triggering a helpful fight-or-flight response.
  • C. Stories trigger the release of oxytocin, making it easier for people to put themselves in others' shoes.
  • D. Stories are generally shorter and hold people's attention longer than numbers.

Dream Teams — Full Chapter Overview

Dream Teams Summary & Overview

Dream Teams (2018) highlights what it is that makes for a truly great team. Replete with quirky and interesting examples from different times and industries, Snow shows the science behind dream teams, what made them so fantastic and how their strategies can be applied today.

Who Should Listen to Dream Teams?

  • Frustrated underlings
  • Company managers
  • Chinstrokers skeptical that management books can be fun

About the Author: Shane Snow

Shane Snow is an award-winning journalist, and the cofounder of the content technology company Contently. He’s the best-selling author of Smartcuts (2014) and the coauthor of The Storytelling Edge (2018).

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