The law of cumulative marginal gains

“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.”

Steve Jobs – Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Apple

The law of cumulative marginal gains is effective in almost every field of science, from mechanical engineering to biochemistry and quantum physics. This is the idea that many elements working together create a far greater output than the individual sum of their input. The same rule applies when dealing with people. When you get it right, the results can be phenomenal.

George C. Homans was a sociologist whose work on social processes among small groups of people led to one of the clearest insights into this subject. The Homans’ Theory states that the way a group performs and the quality of its output is determined by the environment it operates in and the interactions between its members. The five factors that influence these relationships are:

Physical Restraints – Where a team is limited by circumstances (people, environment, expertise, resources, etc.), it will reduce its ability to perform and will negatively impact the overall performance.

Cultural Influences – The pre-held beliefs, values and prejudices within the group (as individuals, dictated by the organisation and in relation to each other) combine to create its shared culture.

Technological Resources – Software and other resources are critical to team dynamics in modern working environments, and the availability of suitable resources will affect the ability to deliver results.

Policies and Procedures – A team will often be required to work within set guidelines and legal requirements that govern its working practices. The impact of these policies to help or hinder progress can affect the success of any project and the team’s development.

Wider Economic Factors – Political, economic, social and technological influences from outside the team (the wider organisation, the market or the personal lives and personalities of the team members) can impact the development of the whole group.

Homans described how the team starts with a fresh view, where each team member will follow the leader’s instructions or the project’s boundaries. Over time, driven by the dynamic within the team and the influences above, new emergent behaviours will dictate the way the team performs. In a change management scenario, it is a critical aspect of the project manager’s role to control these factors and ensure the impacts they have are positive. This will then enhance the cumulative marginal gains of the individuals in supporting the greater team dynamic and maximise the overall performance.