Google conducted a two-year study and concluded that high-performing teams have five specific traits:
- Psychological safety: The willingness to take risks without feeling insecure or embarrassed.
- Dependability: Delivering high-quality work on time.
- Structure & clarity: Clarity of goals, roles, and execution plans.
- Meaning of work: The purpose of their work is important to team members.
- Impact of work: Making a positive difference on the lives of others.
Of these, psychological safety was the most important: individuals on teams that score highly in psychological safety are less likely to leave their job and more likely to embrace diverse ideas and bring in more revenue. As People Analytics Manager Julia Rozovsky states, “Who is on a team matters less than how the team members interact, structure their work, and view their contributions.”
If you want your teams to be top performers, encourage these five traits throughout the organization.
