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Research
What Makes a High-Performing Team?
The research behind high-performing teams, made actionable for real work.
What makes a team great?
It’s a question researchers, consultants, and teams have explored from every angle. And while their models differ, the findings are surprisingly aligned.
This page brings those insights together. It’s not a final answer, but a living guide - grounded in research from organizational psychology, neuroscience, and real-world team dynamics.
Each of the five sections below maps to a core area in Palette’s Collaboration Report, helping you understand and improve your team dynamics.
Trust & Psychological Safety
Trust means your team feels safe being honest - even when it’s hard. It’s what makes people speak up, admit mistakes, and give feedback without fear of being punished, ignored, or judged.
Without trust, teams default to politeness or protection. With trust, teams move faster, go deeper, and handle the real stuff before it festers.
What it looks like
Low trust:
People hesitate to admit mistakes or ask for help
Concerns stay in side chats, not the meeting
Feedback is filtered or delayed
High trust:
People raise issues early, without fear
Feedback flows naturally, both ways
Meetings feel honest, not just efficient
What you can try
Start a retro with: “What’s one thing we’re not saying out loud?”
Ask leaders to share a recent mistake
Let junior teammates go first in feedback rounds
What the research says
Project Aristotle (Google) - Psychological safety is the top factor in strong teams
Amy Edmondson - Safety enables learning, reflection, and performance
Lencioni - Trust is the foundation of team effectiveness
Healthy Conflict
Disagreement isn’t dysfunction. It’s fuel - if you can handle it.
Healthy conflict means teammates can challenge ideas without damaging trust. It’s what makes collaboration effective, not just polite.
What it looks like
Low conflict:
Everyone “agrees” but progress stalls
Feedback is saved for DMs or not shared
Decisions drag on with no pushback
High conflict:
People challenge ideas, not individuals
Debates are direct, respectful, and contained
Teams leave with aligned decisions
What you can try
Ask: “What’s one thing we’re overlooking here?”
Try red team / blue team framing
Pause when there’s quick consensus - invite dissent
Use Palette’s prompts to surface unspoken concerns
What the research says
Lencioni - Fear of conflict blocks real alignment
McKinsey - Productive conflict is a hallmark of healthy teams
Clarity & Commitment
Clarity creates confidence. Without it, teams drift.
It’s not just about who owns what - it’s about how decisions are made, how direction is shared, and how aligned people feel around team goals.
What it looks like
Low clarity:
People assume alignment until they realize they’re not
Decision-making feels invisible
Priorities shift without explanation
High clarity:
Expectations are visible and shared
Teams move with less friction
Decisions stick, and people feel bought in
What you can try
Start each week with 1–3 clear priorities
Make decisions and changes transparent
Write down what was agreed - and why
Use Palette to surface hidden misalignment through weekly priorities
What the research says
Google - Structure and clarity are core to strong teams
Amy Edmondson - Clarity supports speed and safety
McKinsey - Directional alignment is a key driver of team health
Shared Accountability
Accountability isn’t about blame. It’s about ownership and follow-through.
It shows up when teammates support each other, keep promises, and maintain a shared standard. It only works when trust and clarity are in place.
What it looks like
Low accountability:
Deadlines slip, but no one says anything
Ownership is fuzzy (“I thought you had it”)
Frustration builds silently
High accountability:
Follow-through is visible and consistent
Teammates hold each other accountable
High bar, low blame
What you can try
Clarify owners - and make it public
Ask: “Is anything blocking you?”
Build shared checklists for recurring work
Use Palette to track commitments and keep ownership visible
What the research says
Lencioni - Peer-to-peer accountability is a sign of maturity
Google - Dependability is a top trait in high-performing teams
Results & Collective Focus
High-performing teams align around outcomes that matter. They move as one - not just as individuals or functions.
What it looks like
Low results-focus:
Teams optimize for local goals, not shared ones
Wins feel disconnected or siloed
Collaboration looks good, but feels off
High results-focus:
Shared goals are clear and visible
Wins are celebrated across roles
Team momentum and motivation are strong
What you can try
Set team-level goals, not just individual ones
Celebrate shared wins regularly
Reflect weekly: “What did we move forward together?”
Ask Palette to track your team’s collective focus
What the research says
More Research We’re Learning From
Hackman’s 5 Conditions - Structure, purpose, and coaching drive effectiveness Book
Tuckman’s Stages - Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing Overview
Druskat & Wolff - Team emotional intelligence shapes collaboration HBR article
MIT Human Dynamics Lab - Communication patterns predict team success HBR article
SCARF Model (David Rock) - Five social needs that affect team motivation Overview
Reflexivity in Teams (Schippers et al.) - Reflection drives learning and adaptation Research paper
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the five factors that make a team high-performing?
Trust, healthy conflict, clarity, shared accountability, and collective results. These form the core of Palette’s Collaboration Report model.
How can I improve team trust and psychological safety?
Start with open conversations, vulnerability from leaders, and feedback rituals. Palette’s trust check-ins can help.
What’s the difference between team alignment and clarity?
Clarity is about visibility and communication. Alignment is about shared direction and decisions. You need both for momentum.
How do I know if my team is actually high-performing?
Look for clear outcomes, honest communication, visible follow-through, and shared wins. You can also run a Pulse check with Palette.
Where does this model come from?
It’s based on decades of research (from Google, Lencioni, Hackman, and more), plus real-world feedback from teams using Palette.
Final Note
Palette’s model is built on this research - and on the real experiences of teams who use it.
We’ll keep evolving it as we learn more. And if you have insights or ideas we should include, let us know.
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