Project Aristotle: How to Build a Strong Team?

After the success of Project Oxygen, Google researchers applied a similar method to uncover the secrets of effective teams at Google. The project, code-named Project Aristotle – a tribute to Aristotle’s quote “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” – aimed to answer the question, “What makes a team at Google effective?”

Over the course of two years, Project Aristotle studied 180 Google teams, conducted over 200 interviews, and analyzed more than 250 different team characteristics. Unfortunately, there has been no clear schema of characteristics that could be included in an algorithm for creating the dream team until now. It was only when Google began to consider some intangible values that everything fell into place. The team identified five key characteristics of strong teams.

1) Reliability

Team members complete tasks on time and meet expectations.

2) Structure and clarity

Highly effective teams have clear goals and well-defined roles in the group.

3) Meaning

The work has personal meaning for each team member.

4) Impact

The team believes that their work is purposeful and positively impacts the organization.

5) Psychological safety

Feeling like everything you do or say is under a microscope in the workplace can be nerve-wracking. But imagine a different atmosphere, one in which everyone can speak their mind and ask questions without fear of judgment. This is what psychological safety looks like. Google found that in teams with a psychologically safe environment, employees are less likely to leave the company, more likely to approach tasks with creativity, and ultimately more successful.

Creating the perfect team is more subjective than one would like, but focusing on these five components increases the likelihood of creating a dream team. Google’s research made the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle proud by proving that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

We talk more about employee evaluation, hiring, and team management on our immersion program in Silicon Valley. To learn more about the program, follow the link below.