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The eight principles are based on hundreds of studies on how sustainable teams become successful teams. Read more about the principles here. Are you using a different model? Go to Other.

Exercises

Tilde Egebrand

Your clearest roles

Pair up and share the clearest role you’ve ever had. Discuss what made it clear—e.g., a concrete role description, well-defined tasks, or clear goals.

Train with the team

Principle 2

Quick

Kata Nylén

The best decision

Identify a time when you made a decision together that turned out well. Discuss what made it successful. Go around the room and have each person highlight the decision from their perspective.

Train with the team

Principle 3

Quick

Tilde Egebrand

Supportive conversations that build resilience

Pair up. Take turns sharing something that stresses or worries you, and listening. The listener should not try to solve anything. Follow-up questions and validating comments—such as “Given everything that’s going on, it makes sense that you feel this way,” or “I hear you have a lot on your mind about the crisis”—are encouraged.

Train with the team

Principle 6

Max 15 min

Katrin Kyrk

Balance belonging to boost creativity

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Train with the team

Principle 8

Quick

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

How good will it be when your colleague is done?

Take turns: each person shares a goal they’re working toward. The rest briefly say how their own work will be easier once that task is done.

Train with the team

Principle 2

Max 15 min

Psykologifabriken Team

Well-informed

Train with the team

Principle 3

Quick

Psykologifabriken Team

Set boundaries – so you can think outside the box

Train with the team

Principle 7

Max 15 min

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Your best tasks

Train with the team

Principle 2

Max 15 min

Psykologifabriken Team

What should we prioritize?

Train with the team

Principle 2

Quick

Tilde Egebrand

Air the information

Train with the team

Principle 3

Quick

Alexander Fredriksson

Three piles of mandate

Train with the team

Principle 7

Max 15 min

Gustav Nilsson

Collaborate SMART

Train with the team

Principle 1

Max 15 min

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Role clarity is hotter than cooking for team building

Train with the team

Principle 2

Max 15 min

Gustav Nilsson

Clearer roles mean less stress

Train with the team

Principle 2

Max 15 min

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Cross tasks off the list

Train with the team

Principle 2

Max 15 min

Kristin Öster

Recycle your success factors with a team debrief

Gather the team and choose a project or shared goal you want to analyze. Remind yourselves of the goal and the outcome. Then discuss what you did that contributed to things going well. Write down every success factor you identify.

Train with the team

Principle 4

Max 15 min

Gustav Nilsson

Celebrate every step of the way

Train with the team

Principle 1

Quick

Tilde Egebrand

Your fun routines

Train with the team

Principle 2

Quick

Tilde Egebrand

When is it ok to be overruled?

Train with the team

Principle 3

Quick

Gustav Nilsson

What do we want to train?

Train with the team

Principle 6

Quick

Tilde Egebrand

The team’s sustainable list

Train with the team

Principle 1

Quick

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Which goal is priority number one?

Train with the team

Principle 1

Max 15 min

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Five small problems beat one big one

Train with the team

Principle 2

Max 15 min

Kristin Öster

Align expectations on availability

Train with the team

Principle 2

Quick

Psykologifabriken Team

Rank the agenda by vote

Train with the team

Principle 3

Max 15 min

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Five boundaries between work and free time

Train with the team

Principle 2

Max 15 min

Tilde Egebrand

Free birds (and teams) fly further

Train with the team

Principle 7

Quick

Alexander Fredriksson

Help the team leader by sharing the leadership responsibilities

Help the team leader by sharing the leadership responsibilities. Create a list of the team leader's tasks. Is there an assignment that someone else on the team could handle? Alternatively, could you rotate some of the assignments among yourselves?

Train with the team

Principle 7

Quick

Tilde Egebrand

Your best corrections

Train with the team

Principle 5

Quick

Gustav Nilsson

What’s our glue?

Reflect individually on the question: At which moments or during which tasks do you feel a strong sense of cohesion with the team? Then review your answers together. A next step could be to schedule more of those activities.

Train with the team

Principle 1

Quick

Alexander Fredriksson

Does your team steer its own ship?

List your most important tasks, for example on a whiteboard. Then, together, generate concrete ways you can be included when these tasks are discussed by managers or other leaders.

Train with the team

Principle 7

Max 15 min

Kata Nylén

Included in the hybrid party

Discuss how to make your hybrid social gatherings as inclusive as possible: consider having in-person attendees sit in separate rooms so everyone joins on equal terms, ensure everyone focuses on the same screen and camera, and choose a shared screen-based activity such as a quiz or a simple game.

Train with the team

Principle 3

Advanced

Gustav Nilsson

Clear expectations drive results

Train with the team

Principle 2

Quick

Tilde Egebrand

Inclusion with asynchronous communication channels

Make a list of your synchronous channels (communication that happens at the same time) and asynchronous channels (communication that can happen at different times). Go through them and find ways to turn synchronous channels into asynchronous ones to include everyone in a hybrid setup. For example, could the morning meeting be replaced with a morning write-up? Discuss: which channels should be synchronous, and which should be asynchronous?

Train with the team

Principle 3

Advanced

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

The team performs like retirees

Train with the team

Principle 2

Max 15 min

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Set goals on Monday, follow up on Friday

Train with the team

Principle 1

Advanced

Malin Logård

How would you like to be scolded?

Train with the team

Principle 5

Advanced

Alexander Fredriksson

Meeting goals create focus

Create focus by starting the meeting with jointly formulating a clear goal for the meeting. It is good to write the goal on a board or something similar where everyone can see it during the meeting. Encourage the participants to speak up if they feel that the goal is unclear.

Train with the team

Principle 3

Quick

Tilde Egebrand

Gossip about a team

Train with the team

Principle 8

Quick

Mårten Rostö

When are we supposed to talk about our weekends?

Train with the team

Principle 3

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Mapping the fuss in your team

Train with the team

Principle 6

Charlotte Gentili

The problem might not be the person

Train with the team

Principle 6

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Four differences between work and free time

Train with the team

Principle 2

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Set learning goals when everything is changing

Train with the team

Principle 1

Quick

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Positive backtalk

Train with the team

Principle 4

Max 15 min

Therese Fröman

The feedback chain

Train with the team

Principle 4

Max 15 min

Alexander Fredriksson

Close your eyes and be present at your meeting

Train with the team

Principle 3

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Available to your manager and to your colleagues

Train with the team

Principle 2

Max 15 min

Tilde Egebrand

What do we want to learn?

Train with the team

Principle 1

Quick

Tone Nordling

Do preconceived opinions affect some employees?

Train with the team

Principle 8

Quick

Psykologifabriken Team

The importance of establishing team support for the method

Train with the team

Principle 7

Advanced

Psykologifabriken Team

How do we support each other within the team?

What does your team do to accommodate the needs of team members and respond to their questions? Discuss what routines are in place in the team to support one another or get external support in everyday work.

Train with the team

Principle 7

Max 15 min

Tone Nordling

Create a forgiving atmosphere between groups

The next time you notice that the team is complaining about another department, a business partner, or a customer, you can draw up a list of the behaviors in your team that are liable to make things difficult for the other group. For example: you respond with counter-arguments instead of asking questions, choose separate tables in the lunch room, only reply to emails after reminders.

Train with the team

Principle 8

Max 15 min

Psykologifabriken Team

How is information shared in the team?

Make a list of what channels team members use to spread information. This might take place through meeting notes, an intranet, or perhaps a newsletter, for example. How does the team ensure that the information reaches the individual members via the different channels? Write down your response.

Train with the team

Principle 7

Quick

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Children and teams can do it on their own

Make a list of what your team members are permitted to decide on their own. Make another list of what they need to run by their manager. Think it over! Is this a good level of self-determination?

Train with the team

Principle 7

Quick

Psykologifabriken Team

Does the team have a mandate to change?

Train with the team

Principle 7

Quick

Psykologifabriken Team

The team’s three most important questions

Train with the team

Principle 7

Max 15 min

Psykologifabriken Team

When do we share leadership?

Train with the team

Principle 7

Max 15 min

Jennifer Amin

Reduce confusion in the group

Train with the team

Principle 6

Advanced

Jennifer Amin

One hour of training leads to better cooperation

Train with the team

Principle 6

Advanced

Jennifer Amin

Clarify your routines

Train with the team

Principle 6

Advanced

Jennifer Amin

You can prevent future conflicts

Train with the team

Principle 6

Advanced

Siri Helle

Clear structure improve evaluation

Train with the team

Principle 4

Advanced

Siri Helle

Safe teams learn more

Train with the team

Principle 4

Advanced

Jennifer Amin

Agree on what is considered bullying behavior

Discuss in your group what behavior you consider to be harassment or ostracization. Try come up with at least one concrete example each. This might mean, for example, how you greet one another, invite one another to lunch, or share your information.

Train with the team

Principle 5

Advanced

Siri Helle

Team learning in focus

Train with the team

Principle 4

Advanced

Siri Helle

Follow-up, follow-up and more follow-ups

Train with the team

Principle 4

Advanced

Frida Metso

Be on call for new parents

Train with the team

Principle 2

Quick

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Avoid premature decisions

Train with the team

Principle 3

Quick

Gustav Nilsson

Healthier employees with collaborative decision-making

Discuss what types of decisions are important for you to make jointly. Laying out holiday plans, for example, or defining procedures for opening and closing.

Train with the team

Principle 3

Max 15 min

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Smarter teams when everyone has their say

Ask for everyone’s opinions during the next team meeting. You can, for example, suggest a round where you ask each team member to share their views on a proposal.

Train with the team

Principle 3

Quick

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

Clear roles, clear results

Train with the team

Principle 2

Advanced

Frida Metso

“But you have the whole weekend”

Train with the team

Principle 2

Quick

Frida Metso

Fighting doubts with measurable goals

Train with the team

Principle 1

Max 15 min

Gustav Nilsson

Set a challenging goal to develop and succeed

Train with the team

Principle 1

Max 15 min

Gustav Nilsson

Working for or against the group’s common goals

Train with the team

Principle 1

Max 15 min

Gustav Nilsson

What do we need to get better at?

Train with the team

Principle 1

Max 15 min

Gustav Nilsson

Would your team survive a plane crash?

Train with the team

Principle 1

Max 15 min

Gustav Nilsson

Who is on our team?

Make a list of everyone who is on the team, and have a colleague do the same thing. See whether you arrived at the same result and discuss any differences. The next step could be to propose a meeting for the group to discuss who is on the team, who are associates and who is not on the team at all.

Train with the team

Principle 1

Max 15 min

Gustav Nilsson

Purpose is the foundation for group motivation

Within the team, discuss what makes your work important in a greater perspective. For example: who is affected by your work? In what way is your work important?

Train with the team

Principle 1

Quick

Gustav Nilsson

Lead creativity in the right direction with shared focus

Train with the team

Principle 1

Advanced

Gustav Nilsson

Increase enthusiasm with a subgoal

Train with the team

Principle 1

Max 15 min

Gustav Nilsson

Help your colleagues achieve their goals

Train with the team

Principle 1

Max 15 min

Tilde Egebrand

The best conflict never happens

Everyone in the group reflects individually on a time when they successfully avoided or prevented a conflict with someone else. Afterward, pair up to share your examples and identify what in the situation—or in your own and the other person’s actions—helped defuse the tension.

Train with the team

Principle 6

Quick

Tilde Egebrand

The best feedback

Identify a time when you received really good feedback. Preferably, focus on feedback that was positive and immediate, such as: "Thank you for summarizing what was said in the meeting; it makes it clear that we’re on the same page." Then, go around the team and share your examples.

Train with the team

Principle 4

Quick

Gustav Nilsson

Anchor decisions by listening actively

Each team member share a moment when their contribution was taken seriously by the group. What did others do that made it feel good?

Train with the team

Principle 3

Max 15 min

Tilde Egebrand

The best goal

Have you ever set a high and specific goal within the team and achieved it? Take a minute to reflect individually. Then, go around the group and share your examples.

Train with the team

Principle 1

Quick

Tilde Egebrand

The best collaboration with another team

Think of a time when you worked together with another group or team in your organization — a collaboration that went really well. What made it successful? Share your examples in small groups.

Train with the team

Principle 8

Quick

Oskar HenriksonWahlman

The team’s superpowers

Train with the team

Principle 2

Quick

Collections

Train for autonomy with your team

Psykologifabriken Team

To the collection

To feel free, we need to know where our mandate begins and ends.This collection focuses on autonomy.It includes seven exercises that help you clarify boundaries and guardrails so you can feel freer to take initiative. You’ll also practice spotting what already works and how to take your autonomy and self-determination to the next level—by reviewing how information is shared in the team, how decisions are made, and by identifying moments when you feel especially free.

8 exercises

Exercises

Your clearest roles

The best decision

Supportive conversations that build resilience

Balance belonging to boost creativity

How good will it be when your colleague is done?

Well-informed

Set boundaries – so you can think outside the box

Your best tasks

What should we prioritize?

Air the information

Three piles of mandate

Collaborate SMART

Role clarity is hotter than cooking for team building

Clearer roles mean less stress

Cross tasks off the list

Recycle your success factors with a team debrief

Celebrate every step of the way

Your fun routines

When is it ok to be overruled?

What do we want to train?

The team’s sustainable list

Which goal is priority number one?

Five small problems beat one big one

Align expectations on availability

Rank the agenda by vote

Five boundaries between work and free time

Free birds (and teams) fly further

Help the team leader by sharing the leadership responsibilities

Your best corrections

What’s our glue?

Does your team steer its own ship?

Included in the hybrid party

Clear expectations drive results

Inclusion with asynchronous communication channels

The team performs like retirees

Set goals on Monday, follow up on Friday

How would you like to be scolded?

Meeting goals create focus

Gossip about a team

When are we supposed to talk about our weekends?

Mapping the fuss in your team

The problem might not be the person

Four differences between work and free time

Set learning goals when everything is changing

Positive backtalk

The feedback chain

Close your eyes and be present at your meeting

Available to your manager and to your colleagues

What do we want to learn?

Do preconceived opinions affect some employees?

The importance of establishing team support for the method

How do we support each other within the team?

Create a forgiving atmosphere between groups

How is information shared in the team?

Children and teams can do it on their own

Does the team have a mandate to change?

The team’s three most important questions

When do we share leadership?

Reduce confusion in the group

One hour of training leads to better cooperation

Clarify your routines

You can prevent future conflicts

Clear structure improve evaluation

Safe teams learn more

Agree on what is considered bullying behavior

Team learning in focus

Follow-up, follow-up and more follow-ups

Be on call for new parents

Avoid premature decisions

Healthier employees with collaborative decision-making

Smarter teams when everyone has their say

Clear roles, clear results

“But you have the whole weekend”

More effective questions for more effective meetings

Fighting doubts with measurable goals

Set a challenging goal to develop and succeed

Working for or against the group’s common goals

What do we need to get better at?

Would your team survive a plane crash?