team-effectiveness

# Team Effectiveness Skill

A framework for building and maintaining high-performing teams through psychological safety, inclusive practices, and healthy team dynamics.

## When to Use This Skill

- Improving team collaboration and productivity
- Addressing team dysfunction or conflict
- Building more inclusive team environments
- Onboarding new team members effectively
- Developing team culture and norms
- Leading or participating in team retrospectives
- Navigating team changes (reorgs, departures, growth)

## Core Framework: The High-Performing Team Model

### What Makes Teams Effective

Research consistently shows that the best teams share these characteristics:

1. **Psychological Safety:** Members feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable
2. **Dependability:** Members reliably complete quality work on time
3. **Structure & Clarity:** Clear roles, plans, and goals
4. **Meaning:** Work is personally important to members
5. **Impact:** Members believe their work matters

### The Foundation: Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is the #1 predictor of team effectiveness (Google's Project Aristotle research).

**Definition:** The belief that you won't be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.

**Signs of psychological safety:**

- People admit mistakes openly
- Questions are welcomed, not judged
- Disagreement is expressed respectfully
- Risk-taking is encouraged
- Failure leads to learning, not blame

**Signs of low safety:**

- Silence in meetings (fear of looking stupid)
- Blame culture after failures
- Only "safe" ideas are shared
- Problems are hidden until they explode
- High turnover, especially of diverse team members

## Quick Assessment: Team Health Check

Rate your team on each dimension (1-5):

| Dimension | Questions to Ask | Score |
| --------- | ---------------- | ----- |
| Safety | "Can I admit mistakes without fear?" | /5 |
| Dependability | "Can I count on teammates to deliver?" | /5 |
| Clarity |