Lessons in Project Management from Kindergarteners' Success
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Chapter 1: The Marshmallow Challenge
Imagine a scenario where you have just 18 minutes to construct a tower using only 20 uncooked spaghetti strands, a yard of string, and some tape, with the goal of supporting a marshmallow on top. This was the premise of researcher Tom Wujec's "Marshmallow Challenge." Between 2006 and 2010, Wujec organized over 70 workshops, measuring how various groups—including CEOs, MBA students, lawyers, architects, and kindergarteners—performed under these constraints.
Here's how they fared:
- Architects and engineers achieved the highest average tower height of around 40 inches.
- CEOs and executive assistants followed, outperforming groups made up solely of CEOs.
- Surprisingly, kindergarteners outperformed both CEOs and MBA students, who finished last.
What could explain how these children surpassed adults with extensive experience and training? The answer lies in their immediate action-oriented approach.
As soon as the challenge began, the children commenced building without any discussion or role assignments. In contrast, adults spent precious time strategizing and assigning tasks. By the time adults began constructing, they often took on managerial roles, critiquing and advising rather than participating.
Where CEOs and MBAs struggled, the kids dove right in, learning through hands-on experience. As Luni Libes points out, "The key reason the children triumphed is that they devoted their limited time to experimenting and failing, rather than planning." Their collaborative spirit allowed them to test ideas in real-time, rather than getting bogged down in debates.
Section 1.1: The Disappointing Performance of MBA Students
If the results of the CEOs were surprising, the MBA students’ performance was downright disheartening. On average, their towers were less than half the height of those built by the kindergarteners. Wujec attributes this to their failure to allow sufficient time for testing and refining their designs.
Typically, MBA teams placed the marshmallow on their towers only once—at the very end of the challenge. They often overestimated the strength of their constructions and didn’t allocate time to make adjustments. In contrast, the children tested their designs an average of five times throughout the challenge, demonstrating a more iterative approach. As Libes remarks, "The lesson isn’t that MBAs lack intelligence; it's that experimentation is key to success."
Subsection 1.1.1: The Unexpected Influence of Incentives
During one workshop, Wujec introduced a $10,000 prize for the winning team. Unsurprisingly, the stakes led to inflated expectations, resulting in every team failing to create a stable structure within the time limit. Wujec noted, "If anyone had constructed even a one-inch tower, they would've won."
Fortunately, four months later, when the same participants returned, the results improved dramatically. Nine teams succeeded in building standing towers, with six surpassing the 20-inch mark. The second attempt demonstrated significant growth in their teamwork and problem-solving skills.
Section 1.2: The Power of Team Dynamics
Another key finding from Wujec's experiment was the superior performance of mixed groups that included executive assistants (EAs). Teams composed solely of CEOs averaged a tower height of 21 inches, while those with EAs reached 30 inches.
Wujec explains, "[The executive administrators] possess unique facilitation skills." This underscores the importance of collaborative roles in achieving project success.
Chapter 2: Applying the Lessons
The insights from this experiment extend beyond mere entertainment. As Lance Sun aptly states, "Every project has a marshmallow (i.e., a hidden assumption). Don't let it derail your efforts!"
So, what is your project's marshmallow? It could be that you’re spending too much time developing your product or service without validating market demand. Or perhaps you depend on a critical stakeholder's endorsement without testing the waters first.
Take a lesson from the kindergarteners: prioritize testing and avoid letting power struggles hinder your team's performance.
And one final note—don't forget to acknowledge your Executive Administrators.
The first video features Brian Chesky, Co-Founder and CEO of Airbnb, discussing how to design a 10-star experience, emphasizing the importance of customer feedback and iteration in delivering exceptional service.
The second video provides tips from Garv Mulchandani, winner of the Best CEO Challenge at Masters Union, sharing strategies on how to excel in case competitions through practical application and teamwork.