Maybe project teams are the grown-up version of the dreaded high school group project. You remember those: one person did all the work, another disappeared until the last minute, and everyone else coasted in between. The end result is frustration for the responsible few and mediocre results for everyone.
For many technical professionals, teaming in the workplace can feel like déjà vu. You are surrounded by smart people, yet somehow the group produces less than the sum of its parts. The good news is that teaming well is not about luck or chemistry. It is a set of perspectives and skills you can learn, practice, and get better at.
Perspective Shift 1: From Contribution to Coordination
In individual contributor roles, success comes from what you produce. In team leadership, success depends on how well you help others produce. That means coordinating perspectives, ideas, and efforts, not just contributing your own.
Ask yourself: Am I trying to win the meeting with my ideas, or am I trying to help the group land the best idea together? The shift from contribution to coordination is the foundation of effective teaming.
Perspective Shift 2: Many Perspectives are Better than One Loud Voice
High-performing teams do not rely on the loudest or most senior person in the room. They deliberately surface multiple perspectives. This does not slow things down; it speeds progress by preventing blind spots and costly re-dos.
Ask the team: “What have we not considered yet?” or “Whose perspective have we not heard?” These simple prompts open the door for quieter members of the team to add value and for you to make better, more resilient decisions.
Skill 1: Structure the Work Session
Agendas are not busywork. They are how you set the tone for teaming. A good agenda frames:
- Why we are here – the purpose of the meeting.
- What we will do – the decisions or outputs you will create together.
- What happens next – commitments and owners.
Follow this with a short recap note within 24 hours. It does not need to be polished, just clear. This simple discipline prevents weeks of “Wait, I thought you meant…” confusion.
Skill 2: Check for Shared Understanding
Nothing derails a team faster than assuming alignment. Silence is not agreement. Before you close a meeting, check for understanding: “Let’s go around and share your main takeaway and next step from today.”
This is not about quizzing people. It is about ensuring everyone leaves the room with the same mental picture. Shared clarity saves hours of rework and builds trust across the group.
Skill 3: Create Psychological Safety
Technical professionals often underestimate how much tone matters. If people feel dismissed or embarrassed when they speak up, they will stop contributing. That is when the group slides back into the high school model. A few carry the load, and everyone else checks out.
You do not have to be everyone’s therapist to create safety. Acknowledge contributions, thank people for surfacing risks, and model curiosity. Safety is contagious. Once people see it is safe to participate, they will participate more fully.
The Payoff of Teaming Well
Teaming well is not just about running better meetings. It is about accelerating progress, building trust, and unlocking the full value of your colleagues’ expertise. When technical professionals learn these skills, they stop feeling like passengers on someone else’s project and start driving real outcomes.
The dreaded high school group project may be behind you, but its shadow lingers in many workplaces. You do not have to repeat that experience. With a few perspective shifts and practical habits, you can turn group work from a frustration into a force multiplier.