Innovation Calls For I-Shaped People
Overview of Article: Bill Buxton gives a description of the type of person that makes an effective cross-disciplinary team member, and why it matters.
Thoughts on Article: This is a really strong argument for the position Bill takes. His take on the “T” shaped people and the “I” shaped people is very important to anyone working to assemble a Design Thinking Team.
Original Post at BusinessWeek Here
“These thinkers have their feet firmly planted in the practical world, can stretch their heads to the clouds—and simultaneously span all of the space in between”
By Bill Buxton
It has become almost a cliché to say that cross-disciplinary teams are a key component for successful innovation. If certain problems are beyond the scope of any individual—and most of them are—the way to address them is with a team with complementary skills and a common language in which they can all communicate. So far so good. But useful guidance starts to dry up rather quickly beyond that. Since there is no reliable secret formula that can be used by a hiring manager or someone trying to build up appropriate skill sets, I thought that I would share a way of thinking that I have found really useful.
There may be no “I” in team, but every team needs to be made up of “I-shaped” people. Read the rest of this entry »