The Double-Edged Sword of Team Dynamics

Today, I’d like to talk about team behaviour and the double-edged sword that comes with it. The Holy Grail of teamwork is achieving a clear focus and purpose, leading to good collaboration and ultimately, high performance.

But while strong teams create trust, empathy, and resilience, they can also develop biases that negatively impact their decision-making and relationships with others. Let’s explore how team behaviour can both strengthen and limit performance.

The Power of In-Group Behaviour

When a team is well-bonded, it releases oxytocin, fostering:

✅ Stronger trust and cooperation.
✅ Higher levels of empathy.
✅ Greater resilience in the face of challenges.

This is great for productivity—but there’s a catch.

The Risks of In-Group Thinking

While strong in-group bonds help teams work well together, they also create:

⚠️ Distrust towards outsiders – Other teams or external groups may be viewed with suspicion.
⚠️ Insensitivity to others’ challenges – If a competing team struggles, your group may feel indifferent or even pleased.
⚠️ A lack of cognitive diversity – When teams become too aligned, they may fall into groupthink, avoiding challenges to their own ideas.

One of the biggest risks? Dismissing external feedback. If a suggestion comes from outside the group, it’s often met with automatic scepticism rather than curiosity.

The Solution: Strengthening Team Behaviour Without the Pitfalls

As a leader, it’s important to balance strong team unity with openness to external perspectives. Here’s how:

1️⃣ Find Common Ground Outside the Group

• Build relationships with other teams or external stakeholders.
• Identify shared goals to foster inclusion rather than division.

2️⃣ Seek Outside Input

• Encourage feedback from people beyond your immediate team.
• Recognise that outside perspectives can strengthen your team’s thinking.

3️⃣ Challenge Group Thinking

• If everyone agrees, treat it as a red flag—pause and re-examine assumptions.
• Encourage healthy debate to enhance problem-solving.

4️⃣ Regulate Emotional Responses

• When external feedback or challenges arise, stay calm and objective.
• Use your prefrontal cortex to assess situations logically rather than reacting emotionally.

By fostering inclusive, diverse, and thoughtful team behaviour, you can maximise collaboration while avoiding the dangers of groupthink.

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With best regards,

David Klaasen

Talent4Performance help business leaders clarify complexity. We inspire people and drive continuous performance improvement, so they can convert thinking into action and results.

©David Klaasen – 2025