Why Great Teams Work Differently, with Ron Friedman
About this episode
JR Lowry interviews Ron Friedman about the characteristics that distinguish exceptional teams from average ones.
Why do some teams consistently outperform while others—with equally talented people—struggle with endless meetings, constant interruptions, and burnout? In this episode of Career Sessions, JR Lowry sits down with organizational psychologist and bestselling author Ron Friedman to explore what separates exceptional teams from average ones. Drawing on research involving more than 6,000 workers for his new book, Super Teams , Ron reveals that only about 8% of teams qualified as “super teams”—and that what distinguishes them often runs counter to conventional wisdom about productivity, collaboration, and where work should happen. Their conversation covers: Why how a team works matters more than where it works—and what that means for the ongoing debate over remote, hybrid, and in-office work How excessive meetings and always-on communication undermine productivity—and why great teams establish clear meeting guidelines Why individual productivity hacks can actually create bottlenecks for the rest of the team The importance of protecting focused work and why “brainwriting” can produce better ideas than traditional brainstorming How active recovery outside of work can improve…
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