Or: A Maturity Model for Halo Teams
I’ve played Halo for a long time: about 15 years, through various versions. For nearly as long, I’ve studied the parallels between teamwork in video games, and teamwork at work.
One of my favorite things about Halo is how a team of less skilled players (e.g. me) with better teamwork can overcome an uncoordinated group of highly skilled players. Over the years, I’ve developed a loose framework to describe that level of coordination, and recognize where to improve it. Several of the tactics we use in-game are also applicable to teams at work.
All other things being equal, it’s still better to work with a team of superstars, but many an all-star team has been hamstrung by poor teamwork. Whether your team is great depends less on the solo skills and more on how you work together.
Here’s how we level up our team: