Teams: Seven is the ideal group size
Seven is the ideal number of people for groups or committees to solve problems, find creative solutions, build a strategic plan or grapple with complex challenges. Too few members reduces diversity of ideas or can allow dominance. Too many members promotes lack of individual focused involvement, unequal participation and frustration. Balance efficiency, creativity and the wisdom of the group with the optimum size of seven.
There are committees or groups organized for different purposes that would exceed seven members, such as a governing body where the goal was representation of many groups or interests.
Related Best Practices
- Building a Team
- Action plan to build a winning team
- Building an Effective Management Team
- Building a High Performance Team
Resources
Author
The author of this page is Terry Gardiner
Terry Gardiner is the founder and President of Silver Lining Seafoods and NorQuest Seafoods - a medium-size Alaska seafood processing company; and currently a Board member of the Anvil Corporation, an employee-owned company specializing in oil and gas engineering.
His co-operative experiences include member director of the Commercial Fishermen Co-operative association; creation of legislation for the Alaska Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank; and advisor to the US Dept of Health and Social Services for the state Health CO-OPs.
Terry served ten years as a member of the Alaska House of Representatives -several legislative committee chairmanships, Speaker of the House, Chairman of the Alaska Criminal Code Commission and board member on various state and federal boards and commissions.
His non-profit experiences include National Policy Director for the Small Business Majority in Washington DC; working with the Herndon Alliance and ForTerra.
Terry authored the leadership book, "Six-Word Lessons to Build Effective Leaders: 100 Lessons to Equip Your People to Create Winning Organizations".
For more check: Terry Gardiner Long bio