Small Team? Try Two Pizza Rule

Small teams have become more popular in today’s business world due to the rise in start-ups and evolving business models. These teams comprise a group of individuals that work together towards achieving a specific goal or objective. They usually have between two to twelve members and operate with a high degree of autonomy and self-governance. To work cohesively and efficiently, small teams adopt the two pizza rule, as popularized by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

What is the Two Pizza Rule?

The two pizza rule states that a team should be small enough to be fed with two pizzas. Ideally, a team should have no more than 6-8 members. Growing beyond this size can lead to communication difficulties, longer decision-making, and working on areas outside of team members’ expertise. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of small teams, the challenges they face, and how the two pizza rule can help teams work more efficiently and effectively.

Benefits of Small Teams

Small teams have numerous benefits, including:

1. Increased Efficiency: With small teams, communication is streamlined, and decision-making is faster. Team members can communicate directly with one another, bypassing formal approval processes, which speeds up workflow.
2. Flexibility: Small teams are often more adaptable to changes in the business environment. They can pivot quickly, take on new projects, and respond to changes in market conditions without the need for lengthy approval processes.
3. Increased Focus: Small teams maintain a higher degree of focus and dedication to the task at hand with fewer distractions and fewer team members involved in each project.
4. Increased Accountability: Team members in small teams feel personally accountable for the project’s success. This leads to higher motivation and engagement and better outcomes.
5. Improved Communication: When there are fewer team members, communication is often improved. It’s easier to keep everyone on the same page, and there’s less chance of important information falling through the cracks.

Challenges of Small Teams

Despite the benefits, there are several challenges that small teams may face:

1. Limited Resources: Small teams work with limited resources. This means team members may take on tasks outside their area of expertise or may not have access to the same level of equipment or software.
2. Burnout: Small teams are often expected to work quickly and efficiently, leading to team members suffering from burnout as they work long hours to meet deadlines and achieve project milestones.
3. Groupthink: Small teams have a higher risk of groupthink, where team members may be reluctant to voice their concerns or opinions for fear of disrupting the team dynamic.
4. Lack of Diversity: Small teams may lack diversity in terms of perspectives, backgrounds, and skill sets, limiting their ability to tackle complex problems or come up with innovative solutions.

How the Two Pizza Rule Can Help

The key to success for small teams is ensuring that the team is sized appropriately. The two pizza rule helps by limiting the team size to no more than 6-8 members. This way, small teams can enjoy all the benefits of working together while minimizing the risks associated with groupthink, burnout, and lack of diversity. Here are some ways through which the two pizza rule can help small teams work more efficiently and effectively:

1. Streamlined Communication: When a team is small, communication is more streamlined and efficient. There’s less need for formal approval processes or long email chains, and team members can communicate directly with each other.
2. Improved Decision-Making: With fewer team members, decision-making is often faster and more efficient. Team members can weigh in on key decisions without the need for multiple rounds of feedback.
3. Greater Accountability: Team members in small teams often hold each other accountable, reducing the risk of missed deadlines or poor-quality work.
4. Increased Focus: Small teams have fewer distractions and fewer team members involved in each project, hence they can maintain a higher degree of focus and dedication to the task at hand.
5. Greater Flexibility: Small teams are often more nimble and adaptable, hence they can respond more quickly to changes in the business environment.

Conclusion

Small teams offer numerous benefits, including increased efficiency, flexibility, accountability, improved communication, and more. However, to truly enjoy these benefits, it’s important to ensure that the team is sized appropriately. The two pizza rule is a valuable tool for ensuring that small teams work optimally. By limiting the team size to no more than 6-8 members, small teams can enjoy all the benefits of working together while minimizing the risks. Ensure to think carefully about the size and structure of the team to achieve success.