From: [re:work's Team Effectiveness Discussion Guide](https://rework.withgoogle.com/guides/understanding-team-effectiveness/steps/help-teams-determine-their-needs/) # Improving Team Effectiveness Below is a sampling of improvement indicators and guiding questions for team effectiveness. ## Trust  ### Signs that your team needs to improve psychological safety: - Fear of asking for or giving constructive feedback - Hesitance around expressing divergent ideas and asking “silly” questions ### ​Questions to ask yourself: - Do all team members feel comfortable brainstorming in front of each other?  - Do all team members feel they can fail openly, or will they feel shunned? ## Dependability   ### Signs that your team needs to improve dependability: - Team has poor visibility into project priorities or progress - Diffusion of responsibility and no clear owners for tasks or problems ### Questions to ask yourself: - When team members say they'll get something done, do they? - Do team members proactively communicate with each other about delays and assume responsibility? ## Structure and Clarity ### Signs that your team needs to improve structure and clarity: - Lack of clarity about who is responsible for what - Unclear decision-making process, owners, or rationale  ### Questions to ask yourself: - Do team members know what the team and project goals are and how to get there? - Do team members feel like they have autonomy, ownership, and discrete projects? ## Meaning ### ​Signs that your team needs to improve meaning: - Work assignments based solely on ability, expertise, workload; little consideration for individual development needs and interests - Lack of regular recognition for achievements or milestones ### Questions to ask yourself: - Does the work give team members a sense of personal and professional fulfillment? - Is work matched to team members based on both skills/ability and interest? ## Impact ### Signs that your team needs to improve impact: - Framing work as “treading water” - Too many goals, limiting ability to make meaningful progress ### Questions to ask yourself: - Do team members see their work as creating change for the better? - Do team members feel their work matters for a higher-order goal? - How are current team processes affecting well-being/burnout?