Exploration- How Teams Communicate With One Another

In a previous article, we introduced the three key elements of communication that affect team performance according to a recent study measuring the effectiveness of teams. The key elements identified are:

1. Energy – how members contribute to a team as a whole
2. Engagement – how team members communicate with one another
3. Exploration – how teams communicate with one another

This week we are looking at the role exploration plays in the communication of effective teams.  Exploration involves communication that team members engage in outside their own team. It is essentially the energy between a team and the other teams with which it interacts.

The Harvard Business Review study found that higher performing teams seek more outside connections. Teams that are creative or that are responsible for innovation need to score high on exploration because they are typically always seeking out fresh perspectives.

Exploration and Engagement (as explained in last week’s article) may require that the energy of team members be put to two competing uses. Energy is a finite resource, so the more energy team members devote to their own team (engagement), the less they may have to use outside their team (exploration) and vice versa. Successful team will find a way to balance their energies between exploration and engagement.

*(Source: Harvard Business Review, “The New Science of Building Great Teams”, by Alex “Sandy” Pentland)