Having a multidisciplinary team and doing real multidisciplinary work are not the same thing.

Bragging about your ultra-diverse team means little if they never debate or challenge each other.

Here are 10 principles for doing real “mud scientist” work:

1. Establish a matrix organisational structure.

Yes, you should have reporting lines but in terms of how the actual work gets done, make sure that everyone has skin in the game, in everything that’s going on in the company.

2.  Recruit “matrix executives”.

During interviews, beware of executives who’re all about “how many people reported to me or will report to me” and “my team vs other teams”. You can spot someone who wants to build a team around him or her. Pass.

3. Culture is modelled at the top.

The leader sets the tone and the culture. If you don’t like to be challenged, they’ll pick it up and… they’ll simply never challenge you. Soon the cultural rule will become: “To survive here, stay in your lane.”

Tell the team: “You are experts in what you do. You know better than me. If you don’t challenge me, you simply don’t respect me.”

4. When you give your opinion, attach phrases that provide a platform for the team to question you.

Say to your team, “Okay, now let’s see if someone can poke holes in this. Tell me what’s wrong with this idea.”

5. Best Idea > Consensus

Consensus means optimising for individual egos. Best Idea means optimising for the collective ego.

Tell the team: “We hate consensus here! Our goal is to always unearth the best idea. Anyone around is equally capable of spitting out the best idea. You guys either speak up or we go under!”

6. Create explicit cultural rules for speaking up and sharing different perspectives:

“There are no stupid questions here. We challenge the status quo. We think from first principles. Remaining quiet undermines the team, the company and our mission.”

7. Solicit input one person at a time.

Don’t just ask, “So, what do you guys think?” Asking everyone is the same as asking no one.

Go round and ask people one by one, “Keith, what do you think we should do here? Amir, how do you see things?”

8. Pay attention to people who remain quiet during meetings.

The ones who often have the best idea are usually the ones who remain quiet because while everyone else is talking they’re the ones who’re thinking! Pass the ball to them, and again, one by one.

9. Sit down with individuals before team meetings to find out what they’re thinking.

This will help you understand the different perspectives but most importantly give people come to the meeting prepared to talk about their point of view.

10. First impressions last.

The onboarding process is the best opportunity to show your collaboration culture. Create a slide deck that gives a complete picture of the different teams and how everyone’s work is connected. Plus, have new employees talk to all teams.