"It would be foolish to suggest that collaborations are always a detriment. Without them, we wouldn’t have Apple, Google or Microsoft, not to mention airplanes or the discovery of DNA. They’re just not the panacea we’ve been led to believe.

Can one plus one still equal three? Potentially, yes. But getting there requires a new kind of thinking. One that recognizes the pitfalls of collaborations and welcomes a sobering perspective that most workplaces like to avoid: It’s only by acknowledging our (individual) weaknesses that we can discover our (shared) strengths."

Interesting article. From someone who found it a challenge in team based work during my MBA, I have learnt from experience that great teams (those that are not only productive but extremely creative in problem solving) are made up of people that have different skills and abilities and are happy to work to those strengths. There is also a deep trust and respect for one another. They come together having thought about the problem, challenged the thought process/design and are ready to put forward creative ideas- even if they are loosely formed or just a seed of an idea.

I was fortunate to find a team like this and it made it a pleasure to take on projects and the work we produced was excellent. In fact we have remained life long friends. However, it's not always like this and in fact most of the time people are forced into working in groups or teams and arrive expecting a group solution 'social loafing' which only produces 'group think' and no one taking on ownership or responsibility for outcomes. It has to start at a basic level with clear expectations, a culture of participation and a fearlessness of putting forward creative ideas.
Would love to hear your experiences.