Why it matters
Google’s Project Aristotle found that how a team works together matters more than who is on it. Psychological safety, dependability, structure and clarity, meaning and impact can all be discussed and improved — but only if the team has a shared language and a regular moment to look at them.
How to run it
- Introduce the five dynamics:
- Psychological safety — can we take risks without fear?
- Dependability — can we count on each other?
- Structure and clarity — are goals, roles and plans clear?
- Meaning — is the work personally important to us?
- Impact — do we believe our work makes a difference?
- Rate anonymously. Each person scores the team 1–5 on each dynamic.
- Share the results as a simple chart — no names.
- Discuss the lowest dynamic. Ask: what does it look like when we get this wrong? What would better look like?
- Agree one change for the next quarter, with an owner — then check it at the next team check.
Watch out for
- Discussing the average instead of the lowest-scoring dynamic
- The leader defending the scores — listen first
- Ending with a long action list; pick one change
When not to use it
If trust is very low, start with an external facilitator and keep results strictly anonymous.
