When a group has too many members it becomes crowded and productiveness and group dynamic change, usually for the worst. The larger the group, the smaller the voices of individuals can become.
Some members may feel that they there is nothing they can add, there is no point, and no one will notice if they do or don’t contribute. This causes ideas and talents to become lost in sea of faces of larger groups.
Not only does having too large of a team muffle voices, support may be lost to group members when the group’s numbers begin to grow. A manager’s ability to motivate, inform, and guide team members gets slashed each time new members get added.
Studies have shown females not only tend to be more detail-oriented than men, but they also tend to be able to recognize social contexts and cues during conversations better than most males.
They are, on average, less likely than their male counterparts to interrupt or talk over others, or to speak to others in a condescending or patronizing way. Ever heard of “mansplaining?” There is no place for that sort of behavior in the boardroom.
This does not mean adding a boxing ring to your company brake room. Your team needs to be able have a free flow of thoughts and engage in healthy debate.
A room full of “yes men” isn’t what your business needs. You need team members who are able to disagree and state their case while also considering other members’ reasoning.
Friendly fights do not need to happen every day within a group, but when big decisions are happening, it is great to bring all ideas to the table and have employees who are passionate enough about those ideas to speak up for them.
As your business grows, it’s likely that the number of employees you have will as well. That means it’s time to divide and conquer. Split your large team, assigning leadership to each new group. Good leaders know how to use hierarchy to fix their bureaucracy.