Why Good Teamwork Doesn’t Always Feel Good
The teams that feel most confident about how well they’re working together can be the ones getting things the most wrong. We tend to see easy conversations, quick decisions and agreement as signs of a healthy team. But what if the exact things that make teamwork feel good are preventing us from making better decisions?
When the better team feels worse
Researchers Katherine Phillips, Katie Liljenquist and Margaret Neale asked groups of students to solve a murder mystery. Some groups were joined by someone from their own social circle, while others were joined by someone from a different fraternity or sorority. The groups with a socially different member were more likely to solve the mystery correctly. Yet they felt less confident in their answers and rated their discussions as less effective. They were better at the task, but worse at recognising how well they’d performed.
Why? When we’re surrounded by people who think like us, agreement comes easily. Introduce someone with a different perspective, and we have to explain our reasoning, question our assumptions and consider possibilities we might otherwise overlook. That extra effort can feel like the team is struggling, even when it’s helping everyone think more carefully. We can mistake the ease of reaching agreement for the quality of the decision we’ve reached.
The uncomfortable side of psychological safety
Psychological safety sounds like it should make teamwork feel more comfortable. But that’s not necessarily how it works. Amy Edmondson, the Harvard Business School professor whose research helped establish the concept, makes an important distinction: psychological safety allows people to challenge ideas, admit mistakes and disagree without fearing they’ll be punished or humiliated.
That doesn’t mean those conversations feel comfortable. Having your idea questioned can sting, and disagreeing with your manager can feel intimidating, even when you know you have a valid point.
Psychological safety doesn’t remove that discomfort. It helps people work through it.
This matters particularly in diverse teams. Different perspectives can lead to better decisions, but only when people feel able to express them. Otherwise, a team can look diverse while its decisions are still shaped by the same familiar voices.
Are you rewarding the wrong kind of teamwork?
When was the last time you praised your team for disagreeing well? We’re quick to appreciate meetings that run smoothly, decisions reached without fuss and colleagues who always seem to get along. But how often do we recognise the person who spotted a flaw in our thinking, asked the awkward question or slowed down a decision because something didn’t add up?
What we praise tells people what we value. If we only celebrate quick decisions and smooth meetings, people may learn that raising concerns is less welcome than going along with everyone else. And our reactions matter just as much. If raising a concern earns someone an impatient response, they may think twice about doing it again. Over time, the team can become more agreeable without becoming any more aligned.
Four ways to make disagreement more productive
Let people think before you speak. Before sharing your preferred solution, ask everyone to write down their thoughts and concerns. This gives people a chance to form their own opinions before the most confident or senior voices influence the discussion.
Test the agreement. When everyone seems happy with a decision, ask each person to identify one risk or reason it might fail. You may discover concerns that wouldn’t have surfaced through a general “Does everyone agree?”
Don’t rush to resolve disagreement. When two people see things differently, resist the temptation to smooth things over immediately. Ask each person to explain their reasoning and what evidence might change their mind. You may uncover something neither had considered.
Recognise people who challenge constructively. When someone raises a concern that improves a decision, acknowledge it. Even a simple “I’m glad you raised that; we’d have missed it otherwise” shows the team that thoughtful disagreement is valued.
Of course, disagreement isn’t automatically productive. Challenging someone’s reasoning can improve a decision; making them feel foolish can shut the conversation down. But the next time a meeting runs smoothly and everyone seems to agree, it might be worth asking yourself: did we reach the best decision, or just the easiest one?
Building High-Trust Teams
UNLRN’s Building High-Trust Teams workshop helps leaders create the conditions for honest conversations, constructive disagreement and better teamwork, even when things get uncomfortable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is UNLRN’s Building High-Trust Teams workshop?
UNLRN’s Building High-Trust Teams workshop is a practical leadership development programme focused on helping managers build trust through everyday interactions. It explores how leaders can create an environment where people feel able to speak honestly, challenge ideas, raise concerns and work through difficult conversations constructively.
Who is the Building High-Trust Teams workshop for?
The workshop is designed for managers and leaders who want to strengthen trust, communication and collaboration within their teams. It’s particularly relevant for leaders managing diverse teams, navigating change or looking to encourage more honest feedback and constructive disagreement.
How can the Building High-Trust Teams workshop help improve team performance?
The workshop focuses on the leadership behaviours that help people contribute openly and work together more effectively. By learning how to respond constructively to challenges, encourage different perspectives and build psychological safety, managers can help their teams identify problems earlier, make better-informed decisions and collaborate more effectively.
