Exercise 2 - Strong Teams

Tuckman model of team dynamics

ASSESS YOURSELVES AS A TEAM AGAINST GOOGLE’S CRITERIA BELOW

Warning Signs Questions to Ask: do all team members…

Psychological • Fear of asking for or giving constructive
Safety feedback • Feel comfortable brainstorming in front of each other?
• Hesitance around expressing divergent ideas • Feel they can fail openly, or will they feel shunned?
and asking “silly” questions
Dependability • Team has poor visibility into project • Say they'll get something done, do they?
priorities or progress • Proactively communicate with each other about delays and assume
• Diffusion of responsibility and no clear responsibility?
owners for tasks or problems
Structure and • Lack of clarity about who is responsible for • Know what the team /project goals and how to get there?
Clarity what • Feel like they have autonomy, ownership, and discrete projects?
• Unclear decision-making process, owners, or
rationale
Meaning • Work assignments based solely on ability, • Feel their work gives a sense of personal / professional fulfillment?
expertise, workload; little consideration for • Work is matched to team members based on both skills/ability and
• individual development needs and interests interest?
• Lack of regular recognition for achievements
or milestones

Impact • Framing work as “treading water” • See their work as creating change for the better?
• Too many goals, limiting ability to make • Feel their work matters for a higher-order goal?
meaningful progress • Feel their well-being is cared for?