Two can do (almost) anything

This legendary campaign by SH Benson for Guinness first saw the light of day in the late 1920’s, with none other than Dorothy L Sayers as the copywriter.

'Just think what Toucan do' is my slogan for this month.

I have been researching widely for my new book on making meetings more productive and effective, and it has become quite clear to me that a dynamic duo is by far mankind’s most efficient grouping.

Better balanced than even the most outstanding individual (few old sayings are as true as ‘two heads are better than one’).

More agile and higher performing than conference rooms full of clever people. Faux democracy has much to answer for when meetings of all the ‘right people’ fail to deliver.

The moment you see lots of chairs around a table in a meeting room, take time to reflect that the meeting problem has already started. All those egos. All those agendas. The attraction of speaking over listening. The influence of the loudest. The marginalisation of the quieter ones.

Whereas a determined twosome can make dramatic progress – in moving a project forward, or towards a decision.  

Of course we can always add experts – preferably one at a time in the style of the ‘Stepladder’ problem solving methodology.

But the additional team members can  - and should - leave the stage after they have been able to add value.

Leaving the two to conquer the world.

Read more from David in our Clubhouse.