3 Hours. One Team Collaboration Workshop. Here’s What Changed.
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Human potential and team performance have always fascinated me.
And over the years, I’ve come to see something very clearly: Most teams need collaboration workshops as much as, if not more than, skill-based training.
Because skills alone can’t create performance.
The real challenge is this:
How do you bring different strengths together in a way that actually works?
And that rarely happens in the middle of daily operations. It requires a space outside of the usual pace. A space that is safe enough for people to explore. And structured enough for them to see how they can actually work together.
In a recent workshop, I witnessed what happens when that space is created.
In just 3 hours, things have changed.
And what made that change possible was something we see reflected in research, from Google’s Project Aristotle and the work of Amy Edmondson.
Here is how that shift happens.
Problem: Most teams try to collaborate without fully understanding the system they are part of
What often goes missing is awareness.
Where the team stands in its development. How each individual’s strengths shape the dynamic. And what each person truly brings into the system.
When these remain unclear, performance becomes effortful.
People speak. But they don’t always meet where it matters.
Solution: Honest reflections
In our workshop, we started with awareness, then shifted to processes.
Where are we as a team?
Who am I within this team?
How do I show up and impact others?
Which role do I naturally contribute with?
As people began to see themselves and each other more clearly, something started to change.
At one point, a highly analytical participant realised that a colleague approached conversations from a much more relational perspective.
And suddenly, everything made sense.
“It’s not that they lack clarity. They prioritise connection.” he said.
That one insight changed how he communicated.
His takeaway was simple: "This will save us a lot of time!”
Google’s Project Aristotle identified what actually makes teams effective.
Surprisingly not the individual strengths but the conditions in which people interact.
Key factors behind high performing teams from a multi-year research:
Psychological Safety: Can I speak up without fear?
Dependability: Can I rely on others?
Structure & Clarity: Do we know how we work?
Meaning: Does this matter to me?
Impact: Does what I do make a difference?
As Amy Edmondson explains in her TEDxHGSE talk “Building a Psychologically Safe Workplace”, teams perform better when people feel safe enough to speak up, share ideas, and take interpersonal risks without fear.
What works in practice
The teams that unlock performance tend to:
💎 Build a shared language around how they communicate and collaborate
💎 Recognize differences as added value
💎 Design how they interdependently work for the same goal
In the workshop, when the team defined how they can join forces for the same target, they moved from: “working together” to “wanting to work together.”
If your team communicates but still doesn’t fully connect, maybe what’s missing is a space where people can actually explore and see how they work together.
I’m curious: What would change in your team if that clarity became visible?
If this resonates with you as a team leader or HR professional, you’re welcome to BOOK A FREE 30-MIN CALL with me to explore how this could look in your team.
Warmly,
Dilek
Check related FREE resources:
Check further resources and reading:
Amy Edmondson at TEDxHGSE talk “Building a Psychologically Safe Workplace”
JOIN THE "MOVE FORWARD WEEKLY" COMMUNITY!
Every week, you'll receive a blend of personal stories; thought-provoking insights; practical coaching tools; inspiring TED talks; must-read books and real life problem-solving tips, all rooted in over 2000 hours of coaching and training, without effort.
Click the button bellow to get more of these free insights directly into your inbox! All for FREE!
Explore FREE Resources:
Book Your Session with Dilek:
Official Collaboration Partners:
★ Lead Coach at the global coaching platform BetterUp based in USA.
★ Executive Coach and Trainer at SparkUs based in Turkey and Netherlands.
★ Impact Partner for coaching, training & facilitation projects at leadership experts Think Beyond Group based in Austria.
★ Leadership Coach at Percoms AG, based in Switzerland.
