I read The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle. In it, he describes some of his early research into highly performing teams and groups.
I was struck by a list of characteristics he observed throughout the smallest moments of social connection in the highest-performing teams.
Coyle writes, “I noticed a distinct pattern of interaction. The pattern was not in the big things but in little moments of social connection. These interactions were consistent whether the group was a military unit or a movie studio or an inner-city school.”
- Close physical proximity, often in circles
- Profuse amounts of eye contact
- Physical touch (handshakes, fist bumps, hugs)
- Lots of short, energetic exchanges (no long speeches)
- High levels of mixing; everyone talks to everyone
- Few interruptions
- Lots of questions
- Intensive, active listening
- Humor, laughter
- Small, attentive courtesies (thank-yous, opening doors, etc.)
Coyle reported that “spending time inside these groups was almost physically addictive.”
As I think about the most high-performing teams I’ve worked with, I agree that I’ve seen many of these patterns.
Try This Activity
- Share this post with your team.
- Discuss the list and what team members think about Coyle’s observations.
- Suggest that each person observe how they and their colleagues interact in the normal workday. How do your team’s interactions compare with Coyle’s list?
- If you see very few of these patterns, explore why or why not. Discuss what the team might do to interject more of these behaviors into everyday interactions.
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Reach out if you would like my help in facilitating this type of discussion among your team.
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