In November 2017, I blogged about building motivation as a learned skill and applying it to the PR industry, based on Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg. I have now finally finished the book and must say I truly enjoyed it.
I found the information in the book interesting, and applicable to my work as an intern. That said, I also suspect it would be helpful for individuals in senior management positions as well. The two chapters that I found most intriguing were “Teams” and “Managing Others.”
In the chapter about teams, Duhigg opens by setting the scene at Google, and describes a study that particularly interested him. Created by Google’s People Analytics group, the study (“Project Oxygen”) investigated why some managers were more effective than others. At the end of the project, the team identified eight critical management skills that effective managers possessed. They were the following:
1. Being a good coach
2. Empowering and not micromanaging
3. Expressing interest and concern in subordinates’ success and well-being
4. Being results oriented
5. Listening and sharing information
6. Helping with career development
7. Having a clear vision and strategy
8. Having key technical skills (e.g., in PR, this might be knowing AP style, having an ability to write, or an ability to work with a wide range of media)
Now that Google had a list of successful traits for leaders, they decided to examine company and employee surveys from previous years to study team dynamics. The goal of that study (“Project Aristotle”) was to find out what made the teams and their members successful.
Google began by asking employees what they thought made a team effective. Through trial and error, Google established criteria for measuring a team’s success, which included external factors such as sales goals, and internal factors such as team morale and camaraderie. Google was stumped, however, as they could not find a correlation between a team’s composition and its success. After combing through an ample amount of data, they needed a new angle.
Given this, Google switched its focus toward examining group norms and behaviors. According to the Sociology of Sport Journal, group norms are the “behaviors, traditions, standards and rules that determine appropriate behavior within a group.” Google was interested in studying how the unwritten rules, standards and roles within the group relate to success as a team.
Duhigg then introduces the reader to Amy Edmondson, a Ph.D. student at the time who studied organizational behavior at Harvard, who found that successful teams often had psychological safety. Edmondson defines psychological safety as “a shared belief, held by members of a team, that the group is a safe place for taking risks. It is a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject, or punish someone for speaking up.” More importantly, it describes a level of respect and trust, as well as a feeling that what you say matters, what you do matters, while also understanding that what others do matters, thus creating a sense of belonging and togetherness among the group.
In PR, there are instances where you’ll work with an external team, along with your internal team. At Communiqué, we work together internally on many occasions. Often, we hold brainstorming sessions where we solicit ideas and input from one another. Our team embraces critical thinking and encourages thought from multiple angles and perspectives. With external teams, it is important to create comfortable group norms that promote psychological safety. This may include defining roles and expectations, or getting to know each other’s work habits and preferences.
By embracing psychological safety, it’s more likely that teams will build a culture of trust. According to Duhigg, “A culture of commitment and trust isn’t a magic bullet. It doesn’t guarantee that a product will sell, or an idea will bear fruit. But it’s the best bet for making sure the right conditions are in place when a great idea comes along.” Team members that trust one another and feel safe are more likely to produce helpful and impactful work.
Culture is important to most businesses; establishing one that promotes psychological safety is imperative. Based on the research done at Google, teams with psychological safety produce successful results on a more consistent basis. Along with psychological safety, establishing group norms that work for your team are equally important.