Secrets Of Successful Teamwork: Insights From Google

Summary

Google's internal study, Project Aristotle, investigated the traits of high-performing teams. Contrary to initial hypotheses about personality types or skills, the study found two key behaviors in successful teams: equal distribution of conversational turn-taking, ensuring every member had an equal voice, and high average social sensitivity, meaning team members were adept at interpreting others' feelings through nonverbal cues. These behaviors fostered psychological safety, which was pivotal for a team's success.

Takeaways

• 🤝 Technology companies value teamwork for innovation and productivity.
• 🧐 Google's study, Project Aristotle, aimed to identify traits of high-performing teams.
• 💡 Initial hypotheses about personality types and skills didn't predict team success.
• 🗣️ Effective teams had members who spoke in roughly the same proportion, indicating equality in conversational turn-taking.
• 👥 Leadership in successful teams was not centralized but rotated among members.
• 🔍 High social sensitivity was a common trait in successful teams, indicating an ability to read nonverbal cues.
• 👂 Teams with high average social sensitivity were skilled at recognizing and responding to each other's feelings.
• 👁️‍🗨️ The 'Reading the mind in the eyes' test was used to measure social sensitivity.
• 🙅‍♂️ Less effective teams scored lower on social sensitivity and were less attuned to their colleagues' feelings.
• 💡 The composition of the team wasn't as important as how team members interacted with each other.
• 🌐 Psychological safety, where every member feels heard and respected, was key to a team's success.

Q & A

What was the primary goal of Google's internal project Aristotle?

The primary goal of Google's internal project Aristotle was to identify the traits of the highest performing teams within the company.

How long did Google track teams for the Aristotle project?

Google spent three years tracking 180 separate teams for the Aristotle project.

What was the initial hypothesis of the researchers regarding the best teams?

The initial hypothesis was that the best teams had members who liked each other a lot or there was a healthy mix of personality types.

What did the researchers find about the mix of personality types or skills in successful teams?

The researchers found no meaningful patterns in the data regarding the mix of specific personality types, skills, or backgrounds, indicating that these factors did not significantly impact team success.

What was the first behavior that all successful teams shared according to the Aristotle study?

The first behavior that all successful teams shared was that team members spoke in roughly the same proportion, a phenomenon called 'equality in distribution of conversational turn-taking'.

What is the term used to describe the phenomenon where team members speak in roughly the same proportion?

The term used to describe this phenomenon is 'equality in distribution of conversational turn-taking'.

What was the second behavior that all successful teams exhibited?

The second behavior was high average social sensitivity, which means they were skilled at reading how others felt based on their tone of voice, expressions, and nonverbal cues.

How is social sensitivity typically measured?

Social sensitivity is often measured by showing someone photos of a person's eyes and asking them to describe what that person is feeling, in an exam known as 'reading the mind in the eyes'.

What was the average score of successful teams on the 'reading the mind in the eyes' test?

People on successful teams scored about average on the 'reading the mind in the eyes' test.

What was the conclusion the researchers came to regarding the composition of the team versus how team members treated each other?

The researchers concluded that it didn't matter who was on the team; what mattered was how team members treated each other. Teams where everyone talked and everyone showed respect by listening and paying attention were more successful.

What is the term for the atmosphere created by teams where everyone is listened to and respected?

The term for this atmosphere is 'psychological safety', which has a positive effect on the team's ability to succeed.