Meaningful small talk

In 2012, Google examined their high-performing teams in a research study called Project Aristotle. The findings challenged the traditional view that high-performing teams were simply a collection of highly skilled individuals.

Project Aristotle showed that the most important factor for team success was a shared belief among team members that it's safe to take interpersonal risks, such as admitting mistakes or asking for help. (Other factors also played a role, including dependability, structure and clarity, meaning, and impact.)

One simple way to build this kind of vulnerability-based trust is with what I call “meaningful small talk” before the start of meetings. You can limit this to 5 minutes and use a highly-intentional prompt such as:

• What's a challenge you're facing that the team might be able to help with?

• What's one thing we can do to improve our team dynamic?

• Share a recent lesson learned, big or small, that you're proud of.

• What's one skill or area of expertise you'd like to learn more about from someone on the team?

• Any good business or communication books, movies, or podcasts you'd recommend?

• What's one thing you appreciate about working with this team?

Many people don’t appreciate the value of small talk, but if used with intention, it can build team trust.