Team Belonging Matters. So How Can We Build It?Active Listening is crucial for Agile teams

I have been exploring team effectiveness and team culture for the last few decades. My interest in this subject was locked in 30 years ago when I did an ethnographic study and comparative analysis of two learning groups as part of my PhD.​ I began observing both groups the day they first came together as a bunch of strangers and collected data on how they communicated over 10 consecutive weeks.

I learnt from my research and continue to learn from my work with organisations that team high performance does not happen randomly. It’s in fact the outcome of a group of people building an emotionally intelligent culture with a strong sense of trust and belonging.​ This increased sense of belonging promotes prosocial behaviour which is core to strong team collaboration.
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Put simply, because I feel respected, valued and supported by my team, I don’t act selfishly and hoard information. Instead, I share what I know, ask critical questions, collaborate and do my best for my team, without the fear of losing out or losing face. Emotionally intelligent teams support both the member belonging and prosocial motivation necessary for impactful team collaboration.
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Sadly, modern organisations seem to be designed without knowledge of what emotionally intelligent teams need. Instead of making space for social interaction that builds trust and belonging, today’s teams are pushed to quickly and efficiently deliver on tasks and projects.​ We break projects down into tasks, assign tasks to individuals, monitor tasks with technology, schedule regular updates… etc.​ You know how this works.
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Social scientist Matthew Lieberman says that organisations misunderstand the social nature of our brains: our brains are wired for social interaction and crave the positive evaluation of others. At work, this happens in our teams. We build our sense of self-worth based on our team’s verbal and non-verbal communication. I have an increased sense of self-worth when you look at me as I am speaking, nod and respond, follow up with questions, all of which makes me commit to the team more.
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Every interaction generates an emotional charge which contributes to team culture and team belonging. How can the way you communicate build (and not break) belonging in your team?
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Some easy wins:
·      Actively listen to each other (eg practice eye-contact, head nodding etc)
·      Express appreciation for what someone has said or done
·      Make space for kindness, even at pressured meetings

Which will you practice today?