Putting people in a group doesn’t automatically make them a team. Richard showed that the best groups of intelligence analysts gelled into real teams. They were evaluated on a collective outcome. They aligned around a common goal and carved out a unique role for each member. They knew their results depended on everyone’s input, so they shared their knowledge and coached one another on a regular basis. That made it possible for them to become one big sponge—they were able to absorb, filter, and adapt to information as it emerged and evolved.
