On the surface, many teams appear collaborative. Meetings run without drama, decisions get made, and everyone seems to get along. But scratch beneath the surface and you’ll often find something else entirely: conversations that stay safe, avoided truths, and progress that limps forward rather than leaps ahead.
That’s not collaboration – that’s polite cooperation.
Research by Amy Edmondson reminds us that collaboration only flourishes when people feel safe to raise concerns, challenge assumptions, and disagree productively (Edmondson, 1999). Without that, harmony masks avoidance.
I once observed a team of brilliant technical experts. They nodded politely through meetings, avoided any signs of conflict, and left without genuine alignment. The result? Duplicated work, stalled timelines, and growing frustration. When we unpacked it, they admitted they had been prioritising harmony over honesty.
It was only when they leaned into the discomfort – actively listening, surfacing differences, and sharing ownership – that real collaboration emerged. This aligns with Tuckman’s model, which highlights that constructive conflict (“storming”) is necessary before teams can mature into genuine performing (Tuckman, 1965).
Why you need to focus on team dynamics
Polite cooperation might feel easier in the short term, but it wastes talent and keeps teams in the shallow end. Without deliberate collaboration, silos form and innovation dries up. In contrast, when leaders create the conditions for honesty and shared accountability, teams unlock stronger solutions, faster alignment, and deeper engagement.
What leaders can do
- Model candour: Show that honest conversations – even uncomfortable ones – are safe and valued.
- Reward collaboration, not just results: Acknowledge when people challenge constructively or co-create, not only when they hit targets.
- Create clarity ownership: Reduce ambiguity so tension is directed toward the work, not interpersonal guessing games.
What teams can do
- Lean into tension: View disagreement as a pathway to progress, not a threat.
- Listen to understand: Pause judgment and genuinely seek others’ perspectives.
- Make collaboration visible: Share how decisions were shaped together, so alignment is consistently transparent.
True collaboration feels different – not always easy, often uncomfortable, but ultimately more honest and the pathway to meaningful progress and real productivity.
Sources:
- Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383.
- Tuckman, B.W. (1965). Developmental Sequence in Small Groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384–399.
