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Oct 14, 2025 Explore the power of words in team dynamics and how they can lead to miscommunication. Cultural differences shape definitions, leading to biases that complicate collaboration. Discover TeamWords, a card game designed to create consensus on vocabulary and foster teamwork. The Sherwins discuss how urgency can prevent teams from aligning their goals and how unspoken terms can create conflict. Learn to turn agreed-upon words into a guiding manifesto that addresses unmet emotional needs and strengthens team connections.
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Words Hide Different Meanings
- Words carry different meanings across people and cultures, creating hidden misunderstandings at work.
- Recognizing lexical bias reveals why teams frequently talk past one another instead of solving problems.
Cultural Images Of 'Professional'
- Mary Paynter Sherwin illustrates cultural projections with the word "professional": images change by country and city.
- She shows that these mental images are stereotypes and not accurate definitions of the term.
Pressure Silences Team Setup
- Teams skip talking about how they want to work because of pressure to start producing immediately.
- Ignoring team relationships before work begins creates avoidable conflicts under tight deadlines.



