Teams and Composition

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson

Form Follows Function

The phrase “form follows function” (attributed to architect Louis Sullivan) is a guiding principle for every design and architecture student and refers to the importance of creating things to fit the purpose for which they are intended. In an architectural context, one does not (or at least should not) construct a building without first deciding what that building will be used for. In the context of teams ‘function’ relates to the goals or purpose of the team and ‘form’ to the number of members and the skills and abilities of those members. One has to know what the function, purpose or goals of the team are and build its composition accordingly.