A Buddy System Can Skyrocket Work Productivity

By Amilya Antonetti & Patricia Wooster

How many times have you attempted to tackle a project or problem alone and found yourself stuck or struggling? Maybe you start off strong and energized but then fizzle out and feel drained by the end. As humans, we are not meant to be alone. We move in packs. Live in communities. And enjoy engaging with and learning from others.

Some of us are planners. Some love thinking and innovation. While others love to take action. This is why the buddy system is so powerful. It allows two people with opposite genius to focus their energy on what they individually do best while partnering with someone who solves problems or sees situations in an entirely different way than they do.

For example, take someone who is amazing at research and starting projects and match them up with someone who thrives in development and watch productivity and innovation skyrocket. This allows two people to bring their genius to the table to develop one amazing solution.

Genius Insights 

1. Not everyone starts a project the same way. For example, some people get organized before performing a project (they get ready to start), and others jump right in. Neither is right or wrong. They are attributes of different areas of genius. 
2. A buddy with an opposite genius opens up different pathways of thinking. When we work with our opposite, both people level up by seeing how the other person approaches and solves a problem. How do they approach the problem? What tools do they use to solve it? How do they capture their thinking?
3. A buddy with an opposite genius allows both people to hit powerful flow states. This increases the feeling of meaningful work while finding solutions faster.
4. The buddy system allows both people to consider different viewpoints and perspectives, which leads to compromise and innovation. Once trust is established, the buddies will stop defending their position of being right and lean into the curiosity of why their buddy has a different idea or perspective.
5. Performance and results increase as the strongest solutions rise to the top. The team gets better with each new solution or project as they understand where their genius and their buddies’ genius align to complete projects.

The more skill diversity you bring to a project, the better the result you will yield. You should consider four areas of Genius when evaluating your team for the Buddy System. Can you see these characteristics in your team members?: 

Architect: They love planning and details

Visionary: They are innovators and thinkers 

Specialists: They focus on the purpose and the goal rather than the action

Activator:  They are action takers