How to solve the three biggest team friction points
Most teams don’t fail because challenges are too big. They fail because small frictions quietly grind progress to a halt.
In a survey of 200 knowledge workers, these were the top three frustrations they said caused friction and killed team collaboration:
Unclear goals - When the problem or outcome isn’t clear, effort gets wasted. Research shows this is the #1 reason projects fail.
Poor communication - Silence, jargon, or endless back-and-forth slow momentum and drain energy.
Unequal participation - When a few dominate, the rest disengage and potential goes untapped.
Here’s how to fix it:
Clarity – Start with one sentence for the problem and one for the outcome. AI can help sharpen your words.
Simple comms – Pick one channel, one rhythm. Use AI to polish phrasing and make the most of limited attention.
Inclusion – Open meetings with: all voices matter. Great ideas can come from anywhere.
Psychological safety, trust and respect are the foundations for high performing teams that need to collaborate to achieve results.
Frustrations that cause friction within teams are like cancer. Ignore them, and they eventually kill innovation and productivity.
Remove them, and teams move with freely with courage, clarity, and speed which makes the biggest challenges seem small.
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