Organizational Psychologist: Five Tips for Building High-Performing Teams

Organizational psychologist Dr. André Martin has shared five key insights from his new book, "Collective Confidence: The Winning Formula of the World’s Best Teams," for building effective teams capable of navigating challenging situations. Martin emphasizes the team's role as the primary unit of performance and the importance of fostering collective confidence within organizations.

Martin, who has experience working with major companies like Mars, Target, Google, and Nike, stresses that today's environment demands more confident and capable teams. He cites the example of the "Cajun Navy" during Hurricane Harvey, demonstrating how individuals without formal hierarchy could self-organize and provide effective aid during a crisis. According to Martin, the significance of teams is amplified as individuals find it increasingly difficult to thrive alone in a rapidly changing and uncertain landscape.

One of Martin's core messages is that confidence cannot be motivated into existence but must be built over time. He likens the spread of confidence to a virus and its accumulation to compound interest. For instance, the crew of the USS Honolulu demonstrated exceptional capability during an inspection, a result of consistent practice and success in smaller tasks that built their collective assurance.

Furthermore, Martin highlights the necessity for each team member to understand their individual importance to the group, a concept he terms "contributory confidence." This involves knowing that one's skills, efforts, and ideas matter to a specific collective. He advocates for clearly and specifically communicating to employees their unique contributions and what the team would lose without them. This sense of personal relevance within the team can be a powerful motivator.

Martin also suggests that "borrowed brilliance" can elevate performance levels. For example, Jeff Conroy, the showrunner for "Deadliest Catch," faced production challenges by leveraging the diverse backgrounds and experiences of his crew members, many of whom lacked formal film school training. Their prior experiences and skills proved instrumental in solving complex production issues under difficult conditions.