The Keys to Building Great Teams

Google dedicated millions of dollars and countless hours of internal team members and external consultants to determine how to build great teams.  It's Project Aristotle evaluated 180 Google teams, conducted more than 200 interviews and analyzed 250 different team attributes.  Despite these efforts, the study came up empty.  There were no clear patterns that Google could point to that answered the question, how do you consistently create great teams?

 

Google then headed back to the drawing board, focusing on "group norms", traditions, behavioral standards and unwritten rules that dictate how teams operate.  According to an article in The New York Times, "Norms can be unspoken or openly acknowledged, but their influence is profound." 

 

Armed with this new perspective, Google researchers looked at unspoken customs among its highest performing teams and found five key characteristics of the best performers.  They were: 

• Dependability:  Highest performing teams meet deadlines and expectations.

• Structure and clarity:  High-performing teams have clear goals and well-defined roles. 

• Meaning:  The work performed is personally significant to each group member.

• Impact:  Members believe their work is purposeful and contributes to the greater good.

• Psychological safety:  Group members feel comfortable taking risks, voicing their opinions and asking judgment-free questions.  There is a comfort level - that team members can be themselves and are willing to step outside of safety zones. 

There is no scientific algorithm that guarantees outstanding performance.  However, focusing on the five norms will definitely increase the possibility of a dream outcome.