Partner Blog: HR KOLLEKTIIVI

‍We reviewed the feedback from a thousand SmoothTeam simulations and asked what teams learn about themselves when they take a moment to look in the mirror.

What is a SmoothTeam simulation? A facilitated, interactive team discussion in which the team explores a chosen topic, learns together, gets to know their colleagues, and reflects on their own actions. The goal is to improve collaboration and team dynamics.

Six observations stand out above the rest in the feedback data, and each one directly challenges the way your organization currently invests in collaboration.

1. The greatest lesson is another person

By far the most common answer to the question “What did you learn?” relates to colleagues: “I got to know my teammates better,” “I discovered new sides to my coworkers.” This is repeated hundreds of times in various forms and is generally considered a very positive thing. At the same time, it’s a slightly uncomfortable observation: it means that most teams lack this—people feel they don’t know each other well enough, even though they work together every day. At the same time, from a work perspective, this means that people long for opportunities to openly discuss their colleagues’ ways of thinking or motivations. These opportunities do not arise, even though these same teams hold weekly meetings. One respondent summed this up aptly: “I gained a new perspective on how the management team members work and collaborate.”

2. Peer review reveals blind spots

Participants also repeatedly highlight how enlightening it is to see the difference between how they perceive their own behavior and how other team members view it. Many link learning to both themselves and others. “I also learned something new about myself,” “I came to better understand how the team sees me.” This feedback reveals a certain shortcoming: team performance does not stem solely from an individual’s skills or self-awareness, but also from metacognition. In other words, it depends on how well an individual understands the impact of their own actions on others. Individual development without the team is therefore incomplete.

3. “We already know each other” is one of the most costly assumptions management can make

Teams that have worked together for a long time often assume that there is no longer any need to get to know one another. The data shows the opposite: even in experienced teams, people have new sides to them that go unnoticed in the daily routine. Some respondents find confirmation in the results, while others find surprises—and both are considered equally valuable. The benefit, then, does not come from “new information” but from the fact that the team is able to see itself and each other from an “outside” perspective. In practice, this means that the longer a team has been together, the more likely it is that team development has been completely left off the annual calendar. The assumption that we already know each other may be strong, but the need to get to know one another may still be just as great as ever. 

4. Do we dare to talk about disagreements before they turn into turnover?

Productive collaboration requires psychological safety, and simulation brings to light hidden tensions within the team in a way that makes it possible to discuss them without blame. One participant made the striking observation that they had learned “just how many people on our team aren’t open with one another, and that this needs to be addressed.” This is an issue that, in the long run, affects culture, trust, and commitment.

5. Gamification isn't a gimmick—it's the reason the conversation arises in the first place

The effectiveness of training sessions improves when interactive elements are incorporated: this facilitates a relaxed yet focused discussion. Recurring phrases in the feedback include “fun,” “educational,” “interactive,” and “time flew by without me noticing.” The same content presented as a slide deck might have elicited a different response. Stories and concrete scenarios lower the barrier to discussing topics that no one would otherwise bring up, and being removed from the work environment makes it easier to speak frankly about these issues.

6. Hybrid work has not eliminated the need for face-to-face interaction

Remote simulations have been a pleasant surprise for participants: they have brought a much-needed sense of community to the remote workday. Chance encounters by the coffee machine no longer happen spontaneously, so what used to happen by chance is now either orchestrated or doesn’t happen at all. This is the clearest message from the data for hybrid organizations: achieving connection requires deliberate action.

Three Everyday Steps

We can foster understanding and positive dynamics among people. Here are three ideas: 

• Build in regular, casual interactions into the team’s daily routine. This was the most common lesson learned from the data. Especially in hybrid or remote work settings, time must be systematically set aside for this, as it doesn’t happen as easily on its own in those environments.
• Focus on developing your facilitation skills just as much as you focus on your leadership skills. Leading a group requires different skills than leading individuals. For example, bringing up blind spots and discussing difficult issues without assigning blame can be done successfully when you have the right tools.
• Choose development activities based on the team’s life cycle—don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. A new team may simply need to get to know one another, while an experienced team may sometimes need to challenge one another. Teams that have worked together for a long time sometimes need to look at one another with an open mind and redefine the assumptions and practices that underpin their collaboration.

Here are a few observations from our data. We'd love to hear your thoughts—please get in touch!