Women Required?

As we all know, the reason Scrum Teams are kept small is to simplify communication pathways.

An interesting Op-Ed in Sunday’s New York Times by The Wharton School’s Adam Grant speaks to the value of communication as well. In it, Grant highlights a number of studies which show that when women are around, men to be more generous and nurturing.  He then goes on to speculate what this means for the workplace:

At work, we sorely need more women in leadership positions. We already know from considerable research that companies are better off when they have more women in top management roles, especially when it comes to innovation. Professors Dezso and Ross have recently shown that between 1992 and 2006, when companies introduced women onto their top management teams, they generated an average of 1 percent more economic value, which typically meant more than $40 million.

We recognize the direct advantages that women as leaders bring to the table, which often include diverse perspectives, collaborative styles, dedication to mentoring and keen understanding of female employees and customers. But we’ve largely overlooked the beneficial effects that women have on the men around them. Is it possible that when women join top management teams, they encourage male colleagues to treat employees more generously and to share knowledge more freely? Increases in motivation, cooperation, and innovation in companies may be fueled not only by the direct actions of female leaders, but also by their influence on male leaders.

My emphasis added. If its true for corporate teams it is even more so for Scrum teams. Which could lead one to conjecture that if the mere presence of a woman amplifies communication and enables cooperation, motivation and innovation it seems that having at least one female on every Scrum Team should be a requirement.