In this episode of Teamcraft, Andrew and Mark are joined by Nikita Mikhailov, an expert in psychometrics, psychologist and co-author of the book 'Personality, a User's Guide.' 

We dive into how understanding personality and individual differences can inform talent selection, development decisions, relationships, and even culture. Nikita explains self-narratives, personality traits like neuroticism, and the social aspects of personality. We also discuss the importance of curiosity, asking questions, and appreciating the diverse personalities within teams. 

The conversation highlights Nikita's insights into personality in both professional and personal contexts, offering practical advice on effective communication and collaboration in team settings.

Nikita shares insights from his book, 'Personality, a User’s Guide,' co-authored with Georgi Yankov, discussing how a deeper understanding of personality can enhance talent selection, development, performance and culture, and goes on to share practical tips on fostering effective communication and collaboration within teams.

Pass it on resources

Personality: A User's Guide - Nikita's excellent book

Why You Are Who You Are by Mark Leary 

Personality Testing In Employee Selection by Andrew Munro

Chapters
00:00 Pre-roll
00:50 Intro - Nikita Mikhailov
02:13 You don't just have one version of you
03:19 How do we even define personality?
09:22 What was the inspiration behind your book?
12:05 How dare you compare psychometrics to the Zodiac...
13:57 Language and the psycholexical origins of personality research
17:00 The big five in brief
18:49 The bright side of neuroticism
20:19 The cheapest couples therapy you could imagine
23:31 How to balance behaviours with different personality traits
24:15 How should you engage with people who seem different to you?
27:19 Introverts, extroverts and ambiverts
31:29 Is individualism a problem?
33:02 How people see you, and how you see yourself
36:18 Giving and receiving personal feedback
37:54 Why you shouldn't 'give people 15 minutes back'
40:15 Organisations, cults and the stress of early careers
42:58 At what age do our personalities become 'fixed'?
44:54 Quick Fires - what's your best team memory
45:42 What are your team red flags
46:23 Do you have a resource to pass on?

#personality #teams #management #psychology #business

Thanks for listening!

Music by Tom Farrington

Psychological safety is a crucial but often misunderstood concept in modern organizations. In this episode, Andrew and Mark take a deep dive into its origins, how it became a foundational principle of high-performing teams, and why "safe to challenge" can sometimes backfire if implemented poorly.

We explore the history, research, and practical applications of psychological safety, from its early roots in therapeutic psychology to Amy Edmondson’s groundbreaking research in the 1990s, to its popularization by Google’s Project Aristotle. Along the way, we discuss common misconceptions, the role of leadership, and how organizations can create a culture where people feel safe to challenge ideas without fear of repercussions.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What is Psychological Safety? – A definition of psychological safety and why it matters for team performance.
• The Origins of Psychological Safety – How early research by Carl Rogers, Edgar Schein, and Warren Bennis laid the groundwork for modern team dynamics.
• Amy Edmondson’s Breakthrough – How her 1996 study of nursing teams revealed that psychologically safe teams report more mistakes—not because they make more, but because they feel safe admitting them.
• Google’s Project Aristotle – How Google’s research found psychological safety to be the #1 factor in team success, and how it fits alongside dependability, clarity, meaning, and impact.
• The Challenge with "Safe to Challenge" – Why focusing on challenging authority without first fostering psychological safety can create a toxic environment instead of a productive one.
• Leadership’s Role in Psychological Safety – Why leaders must model fallibility, vulnerability, and openness to feedback to create a climate where others feel safe to speak up.
• Avoiding Common Misconceptions – The pitfalls of treating psychological safety as a shield against performance expectations, a license to criticize without accountability, or a box to check off rather than a culture to build.
• Practical Tips for Leaders & Teams – How to cultivate psychological safety in your workplace, from building familiarity and social bonds to creating low-risk "practice fields" for feedback and challenge.

This episode is packed with history, research, and actionable insights to help leaders and teams build a culture where challenge leads to innovation, not fear.

🔊 Listen now to learn how to create a workplace where people feel truly safe to challenge! 

References:

Rogers, C. (1973). The Characteristics of a Helping Relationship, In Bennis, W.G., Berlew, D.E., Schein, D.H., Steele, F.I. (Eds), Interpersonal Dynamics (3rd Ed.), Dorsey: Illinois. 223-236.

Clark, T. (2020). The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety. Oakland: Berret-Koehler.

Edmondson, A.C. (1996). Learning from mistakes is easier said than done: Group and organizational influences on the detection and correction of human error. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 32(1), 5–28. 

Edmondson, A.C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative science quarterly, 44(2), 350-383.

Edmondson, A.C. (2012). Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy. New Jersey: Jossey-Bass.

Teaming to Innovate by Amy C. Edmondson

Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead by Laszlo Bock

Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone by Satya Nadella (Author), Greg Shaw (Author), Jill Tracie Nichols (Author)

Thanks for listening!

Music by Tom Farrington

In this Teamcraft episode, Andrew and Mark are joined by Laura Wilming, Head of Portfolio Talent at Octopus Ventures, to explore the dynamics of startup teams and venture capital.

From handing out samples at a supermarket during BrewDog’s early days to scaling Harry’s from a team of of only twelve people, we hear about Laura’s journey culminating in her insights from working across the portfolio of one of Europe’s largest venture capital firms.  Laura shares her stories and insights about building teams, leadership and culture in these unique, high-growth companies.


Key Themes from the Episode:
 - How BrewDog’s “punk ethos” influenced its team dynamics and bold approach to brand building.
Lessons from Harry’s rapid growth, prioritizing curiosity, humility, and execution while scaling a team.
 - Why psychological safety is essential and how to nurture it, even in high-pressure, fast-paced startups.
 - The importance of consistent hiring processes and aligning teams with company objectives. Laura explains how founders should spend 20-30% of their time hiring and focus on culture, not just filling roles.
 - How investors like Octopus Ventures evaluate and support startup teams to unlock their full potential.

Whether you’re a founder, investor, or team leader, this episode offers valuable insights into the craft of building high-performing startup teams, with lessons that are much more widely applicable in any team..

Pass it on material:

• When They Win, You Win 
• The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership 
• Secrets of Sand Hill Road 

Chapters:
00:00 Punks, Pitches, and a Portfolio of Teams - Inside Venture Capital with Laura Wilming
07:34 Boozy Beers and Taxidermy
13:02 Harry's and rapid scaling
26:53 How startups can struggle with management
28:48 Going from building a product to building a team
30:35 Common Ground in Founding Teams
34:17 How do VCs look at founder teams and their teamcraft?
36:42 Advice for early stage teams
39:24 Support from Investors to founder teams
41:18 The importance of a great hiring process
45:41 How do you deal with a team that is 'just ok'?
57:43 Quick Fires

Thanks for listening!

Music by Tom Farrington

In this Teamcraft episode, continuing the earlier discussion in Part 1, Andrew and Mark dive deeper into the challenges and dynamics of virtual teams. They build on previous discussions, drawing from real-world examples, research insights, and their own experiences to explore the nuances of remote and hybrid team collaboration.

Exploring communication protocols, cultural differences, and the unique demands of virtual team leadership, they discuss practical tips for fostering connection and managing conflict in virtual settings. Drawing on examples from GitLab, Amazon, and their own experiences, Andrew and Mark provide valuable insights for anyone working in or managing a virtual team.

Key themes include the impact of time zones, communication protocols, cultural differences, leadership in virtual teams, and strategies for fostering a collaborative, inclusive virtual work environment.

Our top takeaways for Virtual Team success

1. Intentional Communication Protocols: Clear, consistent, and explicit communication is critical for avoiding misinterpretations and ensuring team cohesion.
2. Social Capital Building: Bonding within teams and bridging across the organization is crucial for team success and requires deliberate efforts.
3. Leadership Adaptation: Remote team leaders should focus on outcome-based performance management and foster trust.
4. Inclusivity and Adaptability: Leverage the potential of virtual teams to create a more inclusive work environment and adapt practices to suit the virtual format.

Chapters with Timestamps

• 00:43 Intro
• 06:45 Fischer & Mossier's 'Three Ts'
• 14:51 How Organisations can adapt to remote work
• 18:29 How conflict can develop in virtual teams
• 23:58 Etiquette for Virtual Teams
• 26:37 Leadership of Virtual Teams
• 28:22 Social Capital - Bonding Capital and Bridging Capital
• 30:25 The importance of relationships
• 32:24 Building your bank account of social capital
• 38:05 Top Takeaways
• 42:26 The power of asynchronous culture
• 43:46 Decide, Inform, Plan, Solve
• 49:23 British workplaces at pub o'clock
• 56:38 Outro

Thanks for listening!

Music by Tom Farrington

In this episode, Mark Ridley and Andrew Maclaren explore the evolution and challenges of virtual teams. Inspired by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s recent call for employees to return to the office, our hosts discuss what defines a virtual team, the importance of trust and shared context, and how physical environments impact team dynamics. 

Historical examples, from Byzantine smoke signals to Apollo missions, illustrate that remote teamwork has been around longer than we may think. They also discuss what defines a virtual team, the importance of trust and shared context, and how physical environments impact team dynamics. 

Topics include:

• Andy Jassy's memo to Amazon employees
• The definition and variations of virtual teams
• Historical examples of remote coordination
• Challenges in building trust and common ground remotely
• The impact of shared environments on teamwork
• Communication challenges and the importance of consistency

Coming Up in Part 2: Andrew and Mark will explore more on communication strategies, protocols, and actionable recommendations for enhancing virtual team collaboration.

Chapters

• 00:00 Virtual Teams Part 1
• 00:43 Intro
• 02:37 Andy Jassy's message to Amazon Staff
• 04:30 Executive Comms and the Return to Office message
• 07:47 Amazon Web Services & Stanford article on hybrid working
• 10:40 Defining a virtual team
• 21:43 The virtual team on Apollo 7
• 26:49 Trust in teams
• 34:22 Common Ground in teams
• 39:25 Rhythms of the environment
• 42:37 Next Episode

Thanks for listening!

Music by Tom Farrington

In this episode, Mark and Andrew dig into the story of the Ringelmann Effect, a phenomenon first observed by French academic Max Ringelmann that suggests that individuals produce less output when they’re in a group. 

They explore the historical context of Ringelmann's research and compare it with later research that coined the terms ‘social loafing’ and ‘the Sucker effect’. 

Discussing studies by Ingham, Latane, and Kerr, and their own insights, Mark & Andrew uncover how individual effort can decrease in group settings due to factors like coordination loss, lack of motivation, and perceived fairness. Despite these challenges, the episode demonstrates how teams can still achieve outcomes that individuals never could, as long as there’s proper motivation and shared goals.

Chapters

00:00 Suckers, Social Loafing and the Ringelmann Effect

00:45 Introduction to the Ringelmann Effect

01:34 Exploring the Original Ringelmann Paper

03:58 Ringelmann's Experiments and Findings

08:42 Coordination vs. Motivation in Group Effort

18:20 Steiner's research

19:10 Extending Ringelmann: Ingham's Rope-Pulling Experiments

23:11 Latané et al's research

24:47 Latane's Social Loafing Studies

28:21 Coordination vs Motivation

32:26 Exploring Attribution and Equity

35:46 Understanding Overconfidence Bias

38:47 The Sucker Effect and Social Loafing

47:04 Positive and Negative pulls on team performance

48:49 The Role of Motivation in Team Dynamics

59:52 Concluding Thoughts on Teamwork

Research cited:

Latané, B., Williams, K., & Harkins, S. (1979). Many hands make light the work: The causes and consequences of social loafing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37(6), 822–832 https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1980-30335-001

David Kravitz, Barbara Martin (1986). Ringelmann Rediscovered: The Original Article May 1986 Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 50(5):936-941 50(5):936-941 https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-3514.50.5.936

Ingham, A. G., Levinger, G., Graves, J., & Peckham, V. (1974). The Ringelmann effect: Studies of group size and group performance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 10(4), 371–384. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1031(74)90033-X

Kerr, N. L. (1983). Motivation losses in small groups: A social dilemma analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45(4), 819–828. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.45.4.819

Ringelmann, M. Recherches Sur Les Moteurs Animés Travail De L’homme Par Max Ringelmann. Annales de l'Institut national agronomique : administration, enseignement et Institut national agronomique Paris-Grignon (1913) https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k54409695/f14.item.langEN

Steiner, I. D. (1972). Group process and productivity. Orlando, FL: Academic Press. https://archive.org/details/groupprocessprod0000stei

Thanks for listening!

Music by Tom Farrington

In this episode, Mark and Andrew welcome the award winning Dr. Gemma Quinn, Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Bradford.

Gemma discusses her pioneering work in implementing team-based learning (TBL) as a teaching strategy in pharmacy education. She explains the TBL structure, including the formation of diverse student teams, pre-work, readiness assurance tests, and application exercises.

Gemma goes on to highlights the positive outcomes of TBL, such as better exam performance and an incredible power to eliminate attainment gaps for groups of diverse students. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of developing non-technical skills and teamwork in preparing students for their professional roles in healthcare.

Pass it on resources
Gemma's pass it on resource was Team Based Learning - Transformative College Teaching by Larry K. Michaelsen

Chapters

• 00:00 Teamcraft - Gemma Quinn and Team Based Learning
• 00:28 Introduction
• 01:31 What is team based learning?
• 06:57 What is the student experience of Team Based Learning?
• 12:04 How are teams selected?
• 16:01 Are there any negative characteristics that impact the performance of teams?
• 22:02 How do teams deal with lower contributions from team members?
• 24:17 Do team outcomes impact long term individual outcomes?
• 28:08 Research into personality types in space exploration
• 32:06 Non-technical skills in healthcare
• 36:19 The benefits of enduring teams
• 41:04 The real world skills that Team Based Learning teaches
• 48:26 Differences between GP and pharmacist approaches to uncertainty
• 56:10 The importance of out-group competitiveness on performance
• 59:03 How does TBL impact student outcomes?
• 01:01:14 How Team Based Learning can benefit neurodiverse students
• 01:02:40 Quickfire Questions

Thanks for listening!

Music by Tom Farrington

In this episode, Andrew explores the intricate role language plays in effective teamwork. We delve into the evolutionary anthropology of language, debates in linguistics and a comparison of the works of Noam Chomsky and Steven Pinker, and the impact of communication protocols in high-stakes environments like aviation and deep space missions. We learn about the distinctions between language and communication, the significance of storytelling, common ground, and shared mental models in team dynamics. 

This episode is packed with references - if you want to dig deeper, here’s some of the key works from people that were mentioned by Andrew:

Noam Chomsky

• Syntactic Structures
• Aspects of the Theory of Syntax

Steven Pinker

• The Language Instinct
• How the Mind Works

David Marquet

• Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders

Paul Bloom

• How Children Learn the Meanings of Words
• Descartes' Baby: How the Science of Child Development Explains What Makes Us Human

Ray Jackendoff

• Foundations of Language: Brain, Meaning, Grammar, Evolution
• The Architecture of the Language Faculty

Michael Tomasello

• The Cultural Origins of Human Cognition
• A Natural History of Human Thinking

Elizabeth Stokoe

• Talk: The Science of Conversation

H.L. Goodall Jr.

• Why Communication Matters

Walter R. Fisher

• Human Communication as Narration: Toward a Philosophy of Reason, Value, and Action

Judith Orasanu

• Key research papers on shared mental models and situational awareness in high-functioning teams.

Ute Fischer

• Research on communication delay in deep space and high-stakes environments.

Kathleen Mossier

• Studies on communication and teamwork in NASA and aviation contexts.

Francis Frei

• Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You

Roger Martin

• Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to protocol-driven communication

00:27 The role of language in teamwork

02:30 Language as a constitutive force in teams

03:17 Spoken vs. written communication

04:28 Debates in Linguistics: Chomsky vs. Pinker

10:21 The evolutionary story of language

12:43 Steven Pinker & Ray Jackendoff

19:08 The importance of linguistics, and the overstating of body language

22:42 The power of storytelling in communication

27:45 “Common ground” in team communication

29:03 Communication challenges in deep space

31:32 Shared mental models and team dynamics

32:38 Why explicit communication is necessary to build common ground

34:54 Turn the ship around

38:25 Common ground in entrepreneurship

42:02 “Drilling” to build common ground and shared mental models

44:57 Communication in Aviation

Thanks for listening!

Music by Tom Farrington

"The lawyer should be on tap, but never on top. It's got to be the client's issue. It's got to be their fight, and you should be there ready for the advice, ready for putting the case, whatever it is"

In this episode, Mark and Andrew welcome Hannah Blom-Cooper, a seasoned civil fraud lawyer and partner at Greenberg Traurig. Hannah provides a fascinating look into the world of litigation, the distinct roles of solicitors and barristers, and the intricacies of insolvency law. She shares her experiences in assembling legal teams under urgent conditions, navigating the heavy regulation in the legal profession, and balancing workloads within her team.

Hannah also delves into the challenges of managing vulnerability and uncertainty in law firms, emphasizing the importance of trust and effective communication. Memorably, she introduces her 'Third in line for the Conga' metaphor for leadership and her unique insights into team dynamics.

This episode captures the inner workings of legal teams and the skills required to thrive in a high-pressure environment.

Pass it on resources
In this episode the following resources were mentioned, or recommended by Hannah:

• Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Grant discussing Hidden Potential
• Adam Grant's Hidden Potential, The Science of Achieving Greater Things

Chapters

1. 00:00:00 Intro
2. 00:01:07 Role of Solicitors vs. Barristers
3. 00:04:18 Insolvency Law Overview
4. 00:06:55 Assembling a Team for Urgent Cases
5. 00:10:30 Building and Balancing Legal Teams
6. 00:15:06 Internal Market for Legal Resources
7. 00:19:02 Pricing and Capacity in Legal Cases
8. 00:22:24 Trust and Communication in Legal Teams
9. 00:27:24 Challenges of Litigation and Uncertainty
10. 00:30:56 Managing Vulnerability in Litigation Teams
11. 00:34:53 Team Communication Mechanisms
12. 00:38:32 Balancing Task Work and Team Development
13. 00:42:19 Hannah’s Role and Leadership Style
14. 00:45:35 The Conga Metaphor in Leadership
15. 00:47:17 Seeking Feedback and Team Dynamics
16. 00:48:53 Deferential Behavior and Team Interactions
17. 00:50:06 Anticipating Needs and Team Cohesion
18. 00:50:32 Best Team Memory
19. 00:54:17 Team Red Flags: Mood Hoovers
20. 00:55:12 Conclusion

Thanks for listening!

Music by Tom Farrington

In this Teamcraft episode, Mark and Andrew talk about their fascination with the origins and evolution of the word "team", and how it came to indicate near-magical properties of cooperation when compared to other words like ‘group’, or perhaps, ‘committee’...

The journey starts with the discovery that there are some misattributions of the word team gaining its special meaning, but that it may well have been emergent in groundbreaking research by the Tavistock Institute in the 1950s and 1960s. 

The episode uncovers the research carried out by Eric Trist, Ken Bamforth and a number of other Tavistock researchers’ into the newly nationalised British coal industry’s. The forced adoption of a new style of industrialised ‘longwall mining’ had profound long-term, social and psychological impact on miners and mining communities. 

Mark and Andrew discuss how the Tavistock Institute discovered highly effective ‘composite’ teams working in a Yorkshire coal mine, and laid the foundations for the school of “socio-technical design”—a concept that integrates the technical and social aspects of workplace systems. 

Chapters:
00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:24 - Historical insights on teamwork

00:02:18 - The Tavistock Institute and their research

00:04:34 - History of coal mining in Britain

00:07:17 - Industrial rivalry and mining dangers

00:09:37 - Nationalization and modernization of mines

00:11:20 - Explanation of British mining processes

00:17:26 - Introduction of Longwall Mining System

00:24:17 - Impact of Industrialized Mining on Workers

00:26:16 - Hierarchical Changes and Worker Morale

00:31:15 - Tavistock's Intervention in Mining Practices

00:36:26 - Discovery of Composite Teams

00:40:26 - Principles of Socio-technical Design

00:36:00 - Trist’s principles for a new paradigm of work

Thanks for listening!

Music by Tom Farrington