The Science of Smart Teams

3 min

The proof is in the data:

The right norms will improve any team.

Two of the most common norms
of high-performing teams:

1. People speak up

Google's research showed that teams that have a "climate of openness" to discuss problems, ask questions, and listen to new ideas innovate more.

2. People speak equally

The most effective teams practice conversation equality: More voices speak, more often. This helps teams iterate on ideas more efficiently.

Quiz 1 of 1

Your colleague Justin manages a team of engineers. He's worried that his team won't collaborate well because "their personalities are so different." What could you tell him?

a
He should encourage them to spend more time together outside of work.
b
Their personalities don't have to be similar as long as they have the right norms for interaction.
c
Even if they don’t have similar personalities, if they are the same age they’ll collaborate well.
d
He should work to help them become more similar to one another.

It doesn’t matter who’s on your team. With the right norms, you’ll accomplish more.

The Science of Smart Teams
Video Transcript

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