First Person Plural: EI & Beyond How to Build a Team that Works with Vanessa Druskat
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Nov 6, 2025 Vanessa Druskat, an award-winning organizational psychologist and author of The Emotionally Intelligent Team, discusses the essence of team culture and emotional intelligence. She shares how early experiences in diverse cultures sparked her interest in team dynamics. Key points include the importance of belonging in teams, the risk of groupthink, and the difference between genuine connection and mere friendship. Vanessa also provides actionable strategies for leaders to foster team emotional intelligence, involving norms, assessments, and effective communication.
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Culture Shapes Team Behavior
- Vanessa Druskat noticed culture shapes team behavior more than individual traits.
- You can be emotionally skilled yet fail to show it inside an unsupportive team culture.
Assess And Co-Create Team Norms
- Assess current team norms and include informal leaders in deciding changes.
- Ask if norms are inclusive and performance-supporting, then tweak them collaboratively.
Three Clusters That Drive Team EI
- Team EI contains three norm clusters: helping individuals, task-focused feedback, and reaching outward.
- These clusters balance critique, optimism, and humility to sustain collaboration.
