[CAREER NEWS] Tiny teams: smaller, stronger

Introduction

This is not just a passing fad. Today, in many organizations, both large and small, we are seeing a structural change in the way we work. For a long time, it was thought that the larger a team was, the more value it could produce. This was true in a world where efficiency was based on task distribution, specialization, hierarchy, and coordination. However, this model seems to be reaching its limits because, above a certain threshold, coordination becomes more costly than creation itself. Meetings follow one after another, approvals multiply, and responsibilities become diluted.

At the same time, AI and new collaborative tools now enable a handful of people to produce what used to require an entire team. Automating, prototyping, testing, communicating, tracking data... all of this has become smoother, faster, and more accessible to everyone. Now, some tech startups even describe their operating mode as "a small team extended by tools" rather than an expanded organization.

In fact, in recent years, the indicators have changed: efficiency is no longer measured solely in terms of the number of people, but in terms of speed, autonomy, and alignment. These ultra-small, close-knit, autonomous, action-oriented teams are emerging as true units of impact. They work fast, they decide fast, they learn fast. They don't wait for perfect alignment: they move forward, adjust, iterate, and take ownership of their impact.

Definition

A Tiny team is a deliberately small team (usually 2 to 8 people) that operates with a strong culture, a high capacity for adaptation, and rapid execution. It operates autonomously, with a multidisciplinary scope that is as clear as it is dynamic.

In other words, each member contributes their expertise while remaining open to learning from their peers: role boundaries are flexible, relevant, and aligned with each person's strengths. Focused on a clear, shared, and accepted goal, this team moves quickly on all fronts: it decides, it acts, it learns, and everyone clearly sees the impact of their work on the collective result.

Tiny teams: a career accelerator?

This change also alters the way we think about our careers: it shifts the focus from volume (e.g., how many people report to me?) to intensity (e.g., what is my leverage within the team?).

Instead of being just one role in a large organizational machine, each person becomes an essential contributing part of a living movement.

For which types of profiles is the Tiny team a good lever?

Tiny teams are not suitable for all types of profiles.

They are suitable for:

§  Recent graduates looking for a quick impact,

§  Experienced executives seeking meaning,

§  Experts who want to have more influence,

§  People tired of heavy hierarchies, etc.

But may be more delicate and difficult for:

§  People who need roles and a highly structured framework

§  People who are reluctant to work in uncertain environments

How to join or create a Tiny team?

Ø Identify projects in the construction phase

Tiny teams often emerge in areas that are still loosely defined: new products, strategic initiatives, innovation programs, cross-functional projects. These are areas where responsibilities have not yet been assigned and where, in fact, you can quickly find your place because everything is still to be built...

Ø Focus on your contribution and learning

In a Tiny team, value does not come from a job title, but from actual contribution. Rather than asking for "a position," offer a concrete contribution: solve a problem, test an idea, take charge of a specific project.

These teams need people who can quickly grasp a subject, advance several aspects in parallel, and collaborate without rigid boundaries. It's not about being an expert in everything, but about being curious, learning quickly, cooperating easily, and moving forward independently.

Ø Look for environments where AI can reduce team sizes.

In organizations where AI and collaborative tools are integrated into daily activities, the need for staff decreases, but the quality of individual contributions increases. These are contexts in which tiny teams are not only possible, but effective.

Ø Consider intrapreneurship

Creating or joining a Tiny team does not require a change of company. It is often possible to launch a pilot project within your own organization: start with a concrete problem, formulate a simple solution, initiate an improvement process, then gradually expand. This is a direct way to gain autonomy, visibility and responsibility.

Conclusion

Tiny teams are not just a new way of organizing work. They represent a paradigm shift in value creation: efficiency is no longer built by adding resources, but by clarity of objectives, quality of coordination, and the ability to execute quickly and collectively.

In these compact formats, everyone has a clear scope of action, a real degree of autonomy, and direct visibility on the impact produced. Individual contributions are more tangible, decision-making is faster, and learning is more immediate.

For professionals who are evolving or repositioning themselves, joining or initiating a Tiny team can be a lever for acceleration:

·         accelerated influence, because decisions are closer to the field,

·         acceleration of increased responsibility, because roles are less segmented,

·         acceleration of meaning, because the link between action and result is direct.

It is therefore not necessarily a question of changing organization or function, but of rethinking the scale at which one operates. In certain phases of one's career, reducing the size of the team in which one works can open up more opportunities than expanding one's formal scope.

In other words, the question to ask is no longer just, "What is my job?" but, "In what team format does my contribution create the most value for others, for the organization, and for myself?"

Elizabeth TOUCAS – Executive Strengths Coach & Career Manager – IÉSEG Network

For personalized support in Executive Coaching or for any information about the Career Development Services, please contact me:

e.toucas@ieseg.fr or +33.6.85.33.01.57.