Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

249. Quick Thinks: Rituals That Make Teamwork Work

235 snips

Dec 11, 2025

Molly Sands, Head of the Teamwork Lab at Atlassian, dives into the rituals that enhance teamwork. She emphasizes the importance of regular goal reviews and transparent updates, suggesting that teams that pause to reflect can realign effectively. Molly introduces creative practices like collaboration hours and the role of a rotating Chief Vibes Officer to foster connection and fun. Her insights into designing for spontaneous collaboration and inclusive meetings highlight ways to boost psychological safety and performance in today's hybrid work environment.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Measure Collaboration Beyond Output

Collaboration needs more than output metrics to judge success.
Psychological safety, clarity, and speed predict team outcomes better than output alone.

ADVICE

Ritualize Transparent Goal Reviews

Track goals publicly and score them regularly with short updates.
Review quarterly to confirm goals still match strategy and tie projects to those goals.

ADVICE

Protect Time For Bursty Collaboration

Cancel or reduce standing meetings to create flexible collaboration windows.
Set collaboration hours so teams can have quick, bursty interactions and then focus on deep work.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

The right rituals—and the right conversations—can transform how your team collaborates.

Strong collaboration starts with thoughtful practices and clear communication. As Molly Sands, Head of the Teamwork Lab at Atlassian, emphasizes, the teams that thrive are the ones that regularly pause to align on what matters and how they’re progressing. “You want to know if you’re making progress,” she notes, “and you want ways to redirect early—before you’re scrambling at the end.”

Through her research with teams across Atlassian and around the world, Sands has seen how small, consistent habits—monthly goal reviews, transparent updates, shared spaces for spontaneous interaction—build alignment, psychological safety, and momentum. And in hybrid and distributed environments, she highlights how “bursty” collaboration patterns and intentional meeting design help teams move faster without burning out.

In this Quick Thinks episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Sands and host Matt Abrahams break down the rituals that make teamwork work, from OKR check-ins to collaboration hours to the rotating Chief Vibes Officer. No matter where your team sits, Sands shows how intentional communication unlocks connection, speed, and more satisfying ways of working together.

Episode Reference Links:

Connect:

Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction
(02:13) - Measuring Collaboration the Right Way
(05:05) - Training Leaders & Goal Rituals
(07:19) - Creating Space for Spontaneous Work
(10:50) - Making In-Person Time Count
(11:14) - Three High-Impact Team Gatherings
(14:38) - Supporting Diverse Communication Styles
(16:46) - Conclusion

********
Thank you to our sponsors. These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.

Go to Quince.com/ThinkFast for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be.