Experiments to Boost Team Performance

20 Aug

To say that the last few years have been challenging, is an understatement. The waves of change have been relentless. Since we emerged from a pandemic it has been one thing after another, AI everything, a world of change and injustice and ongoing news of layoffs after layoffs.

I would say that if by now, you are surviving, you are doing well. That said, we all deserve to thrive, not just survive. But how long are we going to accept surviving as our norm?

Over the last year, I’ve had the privilege of walking into different companies to deliver leadership workshops. It has been an invaluable opportunity to get a pulse on the world of work today across different industries, seniorities, and organizational setups. While every company has unique challenges, I see far more commonality than difference: teams are trapped in cycles of busy, head-down, siloed work and fear-led decision making.

Huge potential is being left on the table.

Yet, in those exact same workshop rooms, what strikes me most is that despite the fatigue, each room is full of real passion, peer support, and a strong willingness to try something new.

Listening to teams, I’ve heard story after story of people displaced during these relentless waves of change whose confidence in their skills is on the floor:

Their job has changed completely, often their manager too but their title is the same.
They were a high performing IC, who is now thrown into managing a team with no training.
People who hid away to avoid the waves of layoffs, and have now lost faith in their abilities and are stuck hiding and afraid.
Leaders who are exhausted, out of their depth and frustrated, showing up for their team from their own survival mode.

For each of these people, no matter what role or level, their skills and potential have not changed. The pace of change and challenge around them has shaken their belief in themselves, and in their employers. They have lost connection with purpose and feel unsupported and unsteady.

Just think of all that wasted potential—it’s a massive cost to any business, and a deep disservice to your team. This is my driver for the work that I do. I am passionate about recharging and refocusing people to make the most of the situations in their control so that people can shine and feel valued and valuable.

Experiment with Change

Stop waiting for a company decision, a strategy change or a budget. We all seem to be waiting for something but do you even know what you are waiting for anymore?

It's time to take control. There is so much more in your control than you may have noticed. Whether you are on a team or running a team, I have a challenge for you:

Pick just one of the following experiments this week, run it with your team, and notice the impact:

Listen beyond the loud: Stop relying on the loudest voices in the room—that’s only a fraction of your team’s collective wisdom. Change the order of speakers.
Solve the business problem, not the politics: When discussions stall, keep grounding the conversation back in the root problem.
Ask the brave question "What are we not talking about that we should be"?: Be ready to listen, really listen, allow silence and let the conversation flow.
Challenge comfort zones: Treat “that’s the way we’ve always done it” as a red flag, not a safety net. It's a comfort zone trap.
Practice active listening: In my opinion, this is the most underrated and much needed skill in EVERY team I have worked with.
Shake up the scenery: Change stagnant energy by changing physical location—whether it’s a walking 1:1 or a team offsite.
Eliminate a single point of failure: Over-reliance on one person isn't something to celebrated, it’s shortsighted and unfair to them and everyone else on the team.
Hand over the mic: Rotate team meeting ownership, or invite guest speakers. Show trust, mix up perspectives, and build team skills.
Enforce the meeting rule: No agenda, no meeting. (No one will complain if you give them time back, trust me!)
Uncover untapped skills: Ask each person to share "What skills do you have that we aren't using well today?"
Rethink how you celebrate: Not everyone thrives on competition. Shift what and how you celebrate to see the room's energy transform.
Step away from the keyboards: Team friction happens when human connection fades. Set tech-free collaborative challenges and watch connections rebuild.

What’s Your One Shift?

Thriving isn't a massive overhaul; it's a series of intentional micro-choices that rebuild trust, agency, and confidence day by day.

Which experiment will you try first? I would love to learn from your experiences too. Let me know what you are going to try and I can send you some more specific tips for your experiment.

Go forth and experiment bravely!