MORTENSEN AND GARDNER
Each pattern has its own implications for risk management. When
a surprise problem jolts one team, the cry “All hands on deck” pulls
shared members off their other teams— with disproportionately
large eff ects on teams that have a concentrated overlap in members.
When the overlap is more dispersed, the shock will be felt by more
teams but to a lesser extent by each one. (See the exhibit “Who takes
the hit?”)
There are implications for knowledge transfer as well. Best prac-
tices travel from one project to the next as team members share
what’s working— and what isn’ t— on their other projects. Highly con-
centrated overlap makes it easier to spread ideas from one team to
another; highly dispersed overlap makes it easier to spread them to
more teams.
When a couple of teams share many members, a shock to one group
severely jolts the other, because people shift their efforts from ongoing
work to firefighting.When many teams share just one or two members, a shock to
one group has a minor impact on the others—but the effects ripple
throughout the organization.Who takes the hit?